Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA

I had an amazing time just bumming around Boston while waiting for Dad's plane to come in. I stuck true to my word to not let his "inconveniences" hinder me and I really rocked out. First I went to the Sam Adams Brewery Tour. I made it in time for the 12pm tour, getting there around 11:30am. It got crazy busy right after I got there and they ended up being "sold out" until 2pm. It wasn't so much of a tour as a taste a bunch of great beer fresh from the source. I tried the original lager, the summer ale and a German name (Grosh?) with birds of paradise grain. All were delicious. I hadn't eaten so I got a bit of a buzz, hoped on the T and headed back towards the Museum of Fine Arts.

There was something surreal about looking at Monet, Degas, Manet, Van Gogh etc. while having a bit of a Sam Adams beer buzz. I must say, it was wonderful. I was surprised how much I was able to remember just from the two art history courses I took in college. If I really read a book on it, I would make so many more connections and appreciate these works and their effect on history so much more after having seen so much of the world's amazing master pieces in person. It really takes it to a whole new level. By connections, I mean understanding more insightfully the progression of the works and how each movement builds on the other. A refresher in history regarding the politics of the time would also begin to make all this art and its creators gel for me.

Everything in Egypt always fascinates me. It gives me a sense of just how old our Earth is and puts into perspective how comparatively stable the Egyptian civilization was to rule for over 30 dynasties and 4000 years. I feel like the Egyptian culture had a stable middle class, just as we do today that was very focused on earning things, just as we are today. They may have wanted pots and jewelry and trinkets to take with them to the after life, but that isn't much different than working for ipods or cars or clothes today. The basic human need and desire is the same now as it was then. The same emotions, motivations and stories still exists within us. I hardly think our technology driven society will have the stability to last 4000 years. Who know where we will be in the course of my lifetime, let only 30 generations from now.

I can babble all I want, but the pics speak for themselves and say much more, and more elegantly, than I ever could.Mary Stevenson Cassatt, In the Loge, 1878

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Dance at Bougival, 1883

Paul Gauguin, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, 1897-1898

Vincent van Gogh, Postman Joseph Roulin, 1888

Claude Monet, Antibes Seen from the Plateau Notre-Dame, 1888

Claude Monet, La Japonaise (Camille Monet in Japanese Costume), 1876

Edouard Manet, Street Singer, 1862

Jean-Francois Millet, Potato Planters, 1861

Joseph Mallord William Turner, Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On), 1840

Henri Matisse, Carmelina, 1903

Vincent van Gogh, Lullaby: Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse), 1889

Antonio Stradivari, Violino Piccolo, 1734 - A miniature Stradivari violin made for Napoleon Bonaparte's son. Damn!

King Mycerinus and Queen Kha-merer-nebbty II, Giza, 2548-2530 B.C. The woman has been nurturing to her rigid man for thousands of years!

Egyptian writing. Beautiful.

Pair Statue of Ptahkhenuwy and His Wife, Giza, Old Kingdom Dynasty 5, 2465-2323 B.C.

Roman Mosiac Floor, Early Third Century A.D.

Wreath of Olive Leaves, Greek, 4th Century B.C.

Egyptian "stuff" (almost an ipod), later dynasties, 20-30ish)

Sarcophagus with Husband and Wife, Etruscan (with Greek influence), 330-300 B.C.

This is ~Dynasty 27-30 Egyptian Sarcophagus, didn't snap the name plate on this one.