The Wallace Collection

I thought the labels in the Wallace Collection made sense as most of the pieces were the personal possessions of the owners and presumably decorated their home. As such, the subtle black labels set directly onto the bottoms of most of the opulent gold frames seemed to fit. However, now that the collection is a museum-type display, I would personally have preferred just a little more information. I would also have liked to see a standard, uniform way of displaying the information. Because the labels on the frames were probably created at different times in history, by many different owners, many of them are very different. In a museum, I really like seeing consistency in the labels. It conveys the information, even if the information is just artist, date, and title, so much more clearly.

For this collection, I chose as my "object of appreciation" the painting "Still Life With A Monkey" attributed to Jan Jansz de Heem. The painting is just rather hilarious. It depicts a pretty standard still life scene, with lots of opulent fruit and fertile greenery and a few vases, bowls and sheets thrown about for artistic effect. But, that's where the conventional still life effects end, as there is a monkey in the corner. Perhaps surprisingly, the monkey isn't event the weirdest thing in this painting. Dead-center, the artist painted a few bright red lobsters, just between the lush-looking lemons and the swollen grapes. I understand that the painting is a display of absolute wealth and delicious items and such...but why did the artist have to add the lobsters?! They just look silly today! I'm sure at the time they were just another indicator of wealth and such, and the monkey was probably a reminder of the exotic, but wow. I have to admit, I giggled when I saw this painting. In spite of my comedic reaction to the piece, I did thoroughly enjoy it.

I thought this vase/ewer was a good example of the incredibly opulent, over the top objects that fill the Wallace Collection. First off, it's hardly a usable object. It's only purpose is to look pretty on display. The materials it's made of seem to be smushed together to create a furthered sense of richness that just doesn't seem quite "natural." I love the giant gold bird perched on the handle. It's my favorite part of the piece, not only because I just love birds, but because it's got to be one of the strangest looking birds I've ever seen! I have no clue what the artist thought he was depicting. My best guess is that it's a cross between a crane, a parrot, and that goofy-looking giant bird from the Pixar short who gets picked on by the little mean birds on a telephone wire. The paintings on the side of the object are of people in landscape scenes, and also seem to have nothing to do with any other part of the object. This pitcher was really quite fun to look at, with all of its strange pieces. Reading the label, I discovered that it really was something that was smushed together at different times for different tastes.

I have far too many favorite museum experiences to count, but if I had to choose one museum that I really enjoyed visiting this semester, I'd choose the John Soane's Museum. It's not that it was "better" or more interesting that any of the other places we visited for this class, but it's one that I am 100% sure I would not have discovered on my own. The day we were asked to visit this museum, my family was in town, so I took my antique-loving, artistic mother along with me. We had a wonderful time roaming the packed rooms together! It was just so fun to be able to share that experience, especially since my mother has travelled Europe extensively and has spent a lot of time in London before, so there's really not a lot she hasn't seen. We especially enjoyed seeing the sarcophagus of Seti I. My sister will soon be studying her passion, Egyptology, at the UW, and she has spent her young adult life studying ancient Egypt. Just being around her, my family knows a whole lot more about ancient Egypt than I would have ever expected. Because of her influence, I know a lot about Seti I and I was so surprised to see his sarcophagus turn up in this hidden little London museum! I'd seen his mummy in a previous trip to Egypt (it's in the Cairo Museum), and I'd walked by his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, so now I feel that I've really been able to do the "grand world tour" of good old Seti I.

I think this course has given me the "courage" to go into museums that I would otherwise pass by. I can say with absolute conviction that I would not have gone into the Tate Modern on my own, and I very much enjoyed that visit. I don't think I would have made the Tate Britain a priority either, but after seeing it for class I brought my family there when they visited and we all had a lovely time. I'm very glad we were able to go to smaller collections, too, like the John Soane Museum and the Wallace Collection, since I know I never would have discovered them on my own. This course has also given me the tools to evaluate a museum on it's display and branding prowess, not just its objects. I think that this is a valuable tool to have for someone like me, who love museums and tries to visit as many as possible.

Dear Steven: Thank you. Thank you so, so much for making this semester even more wonderful. This class and Travel Journal were really, truly perfect. I can't express how thankful I am that you were the Madison professor who accompanied us on this adventure.