Rembrandt

Cleveland Museum of Art

Friday was the best kind of Cleveland day there is: I had the day off, the weather was spectacular, with blue skies and a cool breeze, and there were fun things happening. I started the morning off by meeting up with my Aunt at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she treated me to the Rembrandt exhibit, followed by a delicious lunch of tortellini, stromboli, and cannoli, Oh My!

 I don't know much about the Dutch masters, Rembrandt included. I'll come right out and admit that I paid very little attention in my art history classes and the details are fuzzy on the things I did bother to learn.Contemporary art is my thing, to be honest, and the older stuff doesn't usually capture my attention for very long. I can recognize the skill and talent that went into some of those paintings, but that's about it. I think sometimes older work is hard to appreciate because it was created in a time and place so different than the one we live in. It's a sort of cultural dissonance and it's hard to bridge that gap without delving into the history of that time itself, learning something of who the artist was and where they came from. Sometimes, though, the beauty of a piece can make it so that the context it was created in need not be understood to enjoy it, the piece stands alone. That's how the Rembrandt paintings were. And, as an added bonus, after seeing these master works, I'm interested in learning more about the artist.

 

 Admission to the Rembrandt exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art included a free audio tour along with it. They give you these little cell phone things that you punch numbers into to hear different facts about the paintings in the gallery.One of the most fascinating things I learned was that Rembrandt ran a studio where he taught many artists and some of the pieces these artists made were represented in this exhibit. Obviously, many of the paintings were done by Rembrandt himself but some of the paintings in the show were done in the style of Rembrandt by his students, and some are attributed to either Rembrandt or his students but it's still up for debate. It was pointed out that the value of having such an exhibition, is that seeing these paintings side-by-side may shed new light on the authenticity of some of them. Essentially, it allows them to be studied together. Certainly Rembrandt has a style. His portraits, while typically painted in muted tones, absolutely glow. They're seemingly lit from within. The paintings done by the artists studying under the master are missing that powerful quality that just make the Rembrandt images pop. It's a detail that might not be so obvious if the works were not viewed in person and at the same time.

Anyway, if you're in the Cleveland area and are looking for visual and artistic stimulation, I recommend checking out the Rembrandt exhibit. It includes both paintings and a collection of prints on loan from the Morgan Library and Museum. You won't be disappointed. But hurry, because it's only on display through May 28th.

Ann Arbor

 I took a little road trip this past Friday to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in celebration of my birthday, which was on Sunday, and just for an excuse to get out of town. A change of scenery is always refreshing. Last year I was in Paris for my birthday and, although Ann Arbor is no Paris, it's not without considerable charm. In fact, it's pretty wonderful as far as Midwestern college towns go. This was the third time I've been to Ann Arbor and I expect I'll keep going back.In fact, each subsequent visit elicits from me exclamations of intentions to move there. Everything is so lovely and vine-covered!

The drive from Cleveland to Ann Arbor is just shy of three hours, not too bad for a day trip. It's a very walkable,  artsy place and there's plenty to see and there are lots of good things to eat. My first stop was Zingerman's Delicatessen, a sandwich shop that puts all other sandwich shops to shame. If I were on death row, I'd get a Zingerman's sandwich for my last meal. Though there was a long line, it went quickly and the staff came by to feed us samples of bacon and cheese while we waited. Imagine if every line you waited in guaranteed you bacon and cheese samples! Sure, we'd all be fatter but wouldn't we also be happier? After perusing the lengthy menu and fretting over making the right decision, I finally settled on #23: delicious, hand-cut Amish chicken salad with some of that lovely applewood smoked bacon I had a sample of, with mayo, onion, and celery on challah bread. The husband got #61, a BLT made with Arkansas peppered bacon and Vermont cheddar served on farm bread that was toasted to heavenly perfection. We split a side of some mouth-watering lemon couscous and I finished the meal off with a chocolate cupcake with espresso buttercream frosting, which I inhaled too quickly to take a picture of. I can assure you it both looked and tasted amazing.

Selection of Papers From Hollander's

Our next stop was Hollander's, the holy grail of paper stores. I thought I would literally pass out from the excitement of seeing their huge, beautiful collection of fine and decorative papers and bookbinding supplies. My pulse quickened at the sight of it all. It took some serious self-restraint not to buy way more than I needed. I could spend hours ( in the place and I would if it weren't for my husband politely telling me that he was getting terribly bored and antsy. I guess we can't all be bookbinding/paper nerds. After spending quite some time perusing the inventory, I finally made my selections and purchased some lovely paper, including Egyptian papyrus, banana leaf, and cork skin papers. I also couldn't stop myself from buying a new, teeny-tiny bone folder (too cute to resist), which was far less expensive than the Japanese hand drill I've been drooling over. Before I became interested in book and paper arts, I never gave much thought to the tools I used in my art making. Now my heart is set aflutter at the sight of a nice glue brush. It's something that most people won't ever understand. Anyhow, I left pleased with my choices and I can't wait to start making things with my new stash of paper.

Violin Monster

 Probably the most entertaining aspect of the trip was my encounter with the Violin Monster. We happened upon him while wandering around downtown. Who wouldn't love a violin playing, street performing werewolf? He howls when you throw money in his case (hilarious!) but, apparently, it has gotten him into trouble, as of late. I think his act is wonderful and I hope he keeps up the good work. If you ever find yourself in downtown Ann Arbor, seek him out. You won't be disappointed.

 After walking around for quite some time, we were lured into the Tea Haus by our thirst and the gigantic sign promising macarons. I didn't even realize how terribly thirsty I was until a giant, sweaty glass of blood orange iced tea was set down in front of me and the macarons were fantastic, despite their slight squishyness due to the humidity. I had one green tea matcha, one strawberry black tea, and one lavender flavored macaron. Just writing this is making me want another.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon popping into different shops and had some cider and pizza before heading home to Cleveland. I watched the sun set from the passenger side window and thought about what a good day it was. By the time we got home it was time for bed already and I slept soundly, exhaustion and happiness being the best sleep aid.