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Showing posts with the label Flaming June

Travel in the Time of Corona, Week 6

For Week 6 of shelter-in-place, I wanted to revisit some museums around the world and reminisce about the good old travel days through images of my favorite paintings. Travel is a deep well of learning experiences and visits to museums add color to these experiences. Photographs, videos or postcards are beautiful keepsakes we can browse over whenever we please. This time spent in isolation has given me the pause I needed to appreciate the places I’ve been and the masterpieces I had the pleasure to behold. Las Meninas, Diego Velasquez, 1656, Museo del Prado, Madrid The French Impressionist painter, Édouard Manet, called Velasquez a “painter of painters”. It isn’t hard to imagine why. Velasquez challenges and provokes the viewer to dig deeper than what the eye perceives at first glance, to never judge a book by its cover. Liberty Leading the People, Eugène Delacroix, 1830, Louvre Museum, Paris “I have undertaken a modern subject, a barricade, and although I may not have f

"Love of Art Enriches Life"

Flaming June by Sir Frederic Leighton Photo courtesy of the Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico Picture this. I'm on a small island surrounded by exquisite beaches. But I'm not baking in the sun, I'm in the cool interior of a "museo de arte", gazing admiringly at a bodegon. Where am I? If you answered Puerto Rico, you have already discovered its best kept secrets - its fine arts museums. Here in Santurce, a short bus ride from Old San Juan, is the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR). It is the home of masterworks by Puerto Rican artists whose legacy spans nearly 500 years. Open since July 2000, the MAPR has amassed a collection of paintings, sculptures, folk art, ceramics, photography and graphic arts, all chronologically exhibited in a classical revival building. José Campeche is one of Puerto Rico's principal painters from the 18th century. His religious canvas, Virgen de la Soledad de la Victoria (1782-89), is a fine example of rococo as are his portrai

Hola! Puerto Rico

Calle Sol, from an original watercolor by Barbara Z. Pecce Puerto Rico is indeed rico . It is an island endowed with lush landscacpe, warm climate, friendly people and flavorful cuisine. Visitors can't wait to finish unpacking so they can bask in the sun at one of many fine beaches. Or swim and snorkel in Atlantic waters or in the calm Caribbean Sea. For those who prefer hiking, the tropical rainforest of El Yunque has numerous trails to explore. One challenging path leads to Pico El Toro. At 3,523 ft., this is the highest peak in the forest. An easy walking trail allows visitors to experience the gifts of the rainforest. About 240 species of tropical trees grow here including the y agruma . Unlike other trees, the yagruma can be male or female. What distinguishes one from the other is the silver coloring of the female leaf on its underside. The male genus maintains a singular color. The forest receives some billions of gallons of rainfall a year collected into streams, natural poo