Katie with Flower Hat, Libby, Montana, June 2014
Last Spring I made a blog post about this:
“I was enjoying a favorite book today, after a long week of painting. “The Gardens of Impressionism,” fantastic big ole’ book. I came across an amazing painting by French painter Simon Saint-Jean. Suddenly I realized I had seen those eyes and flower hat somewhere before.
Tell me this doesn’t look like the fun photo I took of my daughter Katie on our family trip to Montana last June!”
The Gardner Girl, Simon-Saint-Jean-1837
Yesterday, about 6 months later, we discovered the real masterpiece at the special exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, called “In Bloom: Painting Flowers in the Age of Impressionism”. It was unexpected to see this amazing painting, and we both got a little excited, given the previous comparisons of recent ideas and images. Of course (mom thing?) I had to ask Katie to stand by the painting for yet another photo of her beside this unknown woman who looks like her. I am guessing this unknown lady has some Italian heritage, since we do too!
Katie at the Denver Art Museum, 2015. Please click for larger view.
My artist friend Jennifer just reminded me that “Art Imitates Life”. Yes, and then maybe Life can Imitate Art as well. What fun to discover this on a personal level!
Just many more reasons to visit our wonderful art museums or local art galleries, and soak up the wonder and inspiration, and yes, the serendipity of it all. Here are some paintings we saw at the show yesterday.
Bonnard at the Denver Art Museum show. Click for larger view.
Dutch floral painting, 1700s, oil. Click for larger view.
Manet floral in oil. Click for larger view.
One more note. I LOVE how the Denver Art Museum brings world masterpieces to our town, so we can see them without jumping on a plane to Paris, Florence or even Russia. This is such a gift.
(Yesterday the museum admission was free, sponsored by an auto manufacturing company. It was a surprise to us on entering.) The Denver folks of all ages and neighborhoods seemed to be really enjoying the day, kids and grandparents in tow, wandering around the many stories of the museum at leisure. Such a nice time-out from life and cares, to enjoy creativity at its finest.
We have many regional art museums in our own nations and regions. Do you have a favorite? We live about an hour from our art museum driving time. But now my daughters both live in the Denver area, so much more incentive to stay involved with the art scene there!
thanks for reading,
Karen
P.s. “In Bloom” at the DAM ends Oct. 11, 2015.
Hue Bliss: Color & Art notes by Karen Gillis Taylor 