The Louvre, The Prado, The Gugenheim - I love them all. Really. Great. But it can be an investment, in time and money. Because then when I go to such a museum I also want to have seen everything. I prefer to go alone because then I don't have to take into account the pace of others and I can spend an entire afternoon that way as I stroll from hall to hall.
I distinctly remember my first museum visit. That was the Kröller Müller. Mondrian. It seemed like it was just lines on that canvas, but his whole working process was explained. It turned out that there was much more behind those few lines and primary colored areas. Fascinating. The rest of the vacation we all made “modern art,” but I think it was just blue circles on a sheet of paper.
When I visited the Musée des Beaux Arts in Caen last Saturday, I was reminded of that first experience. In fact, I found this to be a really good “beginner’s museum. In a reasonably short visit, you can take a journey through all the major periods in art. From those dark religious canvases with dark scenes to the first Impressionists. And then downstairs a whole room of modern art. Not all the famous canvases by the greats of the world, but a Monet and a Rubens and 2 rooms of Dutch masters.
but a Monet, of Etretat!
In doing so, the layout with a bit of a sneak-through, crawl-through layout makes it a fun building to explore. AND they regularly organize workshops where children can also give free rein to their own creativity. And even yoga sessions on the roof if the weather permits!
Well, I could apply to the marketing department of MBAC! All in all, obviously no Louvre, but a nice end to an afternoon of shopping. So a successful day in Caen, including new jeans!
