"To compensate a little for the treachery and weakness of my memory, so extreme that it has happened to me more than once to pick up again, as recent and unknown to me, books which I had read carefully a few years before . . . I have adopted the habit for some time now of adding at the end of each book . . . the time I finished reading it and the judgment I have derived of it as a whole, so that this may represent to me at least the sense and general idea I had conceived of the author in reading it." (Montaigne, Book II, Essay 10 (publ. 1580))

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Passport to Europe

We (Patricia, Chris, Paul Jr., Mary Beth and me) toured this exhibit on Father's Day (June 15). An ex-governor of Puerto Rico (Luis Ferre, biography can be found here) put together a collection of European artworks now housed in the Museu de Arte de Ponce (info about the museum can be found here). I believe the works were available for touring due to renovations at the museum in Ponce.

We enjoyed it. Something of an unfocused mix across multiple countries and time periods. But always delightful to wander through. The Louvre picture included here was nice (also an interesting story; the woman in the center of the picture had died before the artist - pretty clearly interested in her - did the painting). Lots of Biblical themes, with great interest among the artists in folks like Delilah, Susannah, Lot and his daughters, etc. We also liked the Temptation of St. Jerome (lots of versions around, this was by somebody named Tenniers) (discussion of Flaubert's book here).

Then we looked over a photo exhibit that was ok. Wandered into some sort of twinkling light display in the modern art display, plus there was a flat rock on which were projected little figures walking. Not quite sure what to make of these things.