Journal Entry for 10/09/2011

bgfa | Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art As I noted in my journal entry for yesterday, we traveled down to the Bellagio to grab a little culture at the Gallery of Fine Art. Because it was free for locals, we had to wait in line for more than 40 minutes to see the bgfa’s latest exhibit, "A Sense of Place: Landscapes from Monet to Hockney." This showcase included more than 30 artworks by artists including Claude Monet, David Hockney, Marc Chagall, Helen Frankenthaler, Sylvia Plimack Mangold, Robert Rauschenberg, Christo, Vik Muniz and others. Though I had several favorites, I think these three topped the list. Top left is Alfred Sisley’s, "The Loing at Saint-Mammès," 1882. Oil on canvas from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Bequest of William A. Coolidge. And I just loved the vibrant color of David Hockney's "Garrowby Hill", 1998 - Oil on Canvas, again, courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It depicts an English country-scape of rolling hills and a winding highway ascending to an unfolding of farmland, its sections cut almost like diamond shards. Finally there was Eugene Louis Boudin's "Venice, Santa Maria della Salute from San Giorgio" from 1895. The softness of this painting’s long shot of Venice's picturesque loveliness with gondolas floating upon crystalline aqua water fronting the city under a gentle, light purple-ish sky was just mesmerizing. This was also Connie's favorite. [Note: Be sure to click on each picture to view it full size]  (M2-G1&G2&G3-10/09/11)