My tactic for visiting Art Museums - MFA yesterday

One aspect of being retired is that we are able to visit more art museums.  We belong to the ICA in Boston and the MFA.  Contrary to what my English brother-in-law says, there is wonderful art at the ICA, go visit it.

When Bethany was 7 or 8 and Christopher was 16 or 17, we visited my brother George and his wife Judy in Paris over Christmas.  We visited the Louvre one day and Christopher asked if he could go back for a second day which he did by himself.  I had achieved success with him for having brought him to museums at an early age.

I took Bethany to the Musée D'Orsay one day by ourselves.  It is not always so obvious to a 7 or 8 year old why anyone would visit an art museum, but my Mom took us at a young age and I credit that with my love of museums now.  Bethany was asking if we could go back to the apartment after the second salon.  "Oh, boy this is going to be a long day!" I thought to myself.  I had taken her here to give George and Judy a break from company for a few hours.

In a last minute ditch effort to get to see some more art myself I said to her as we entered the next salon "Find your favorite picture in this salon."  She came back 30 seconds later with her favorite one.  I thought it would take a bit longer than 30 seconds, but hey, that bought me a bit of time to look at a few pictures.  I continued this in the next few salons and then said, "OK, now find the ugliest picture in this next salon."  This diversionary tactic bought me 30 more minutes before this very tolerant 7 year old decided she had had enough.

As a follow up to this story, when she was 15, she gave me an art book of all of the paintings of the Musée D'Orsay.  SUCCESS!

What I realized yesterday as we visited the MFA for 45 minutes before we headed off to Fenway, is that this is how I visit art museums.  I walk into a room, glance around and walk over to the picture which captures my eye.  The pictures in this post are what caught my eye yesterday in my 45 minutes.

As an aside, Bethany does not have a very good sense of direction.  When we ask her which way to go, we usually go the opposite way.  After we left the Musée D'Orsay, in an effort to buy more time away from the apartment so George and Judy could get some more quiet time I said "OK, you get us back to the apartment."  She went straight back the fastest way possible, for the first time in her life.  At 26 she is still this determined when she wants to be, and she loves art galleries.