In January, The Bug and I attended a history conference in Chicago, which gave us the opportunity to visit the magnificent Art Institute of Chicago! One could spend days in that massive complex, studying the exquisite examples of art on display. Items range from antiquity to post-modern, but having been long-time fans of impressionism, that's the exhibit on which we concentrated our efforts. I almost wept before Van Gogh's self-portrait, and I spent many minutes studying the various Monets. I came home with a re-invigorated love of painting, and since that time I have spent many hours browsing the interwebz, looking at paintings, reading about the artists, models, etc. And so in time I came to Manet, examples of whose work I had seen in Chicago, and his prize student, Eva Gonzales. And so I came to this:
Morning Awakening 1876, by Eva Gonzales
I instantly fell in love with the painting, knew I must possess it (a reasonable facsimile, of course). So I began searching for a good print online. I found one, inverted from this, but, yeah, the same gorgeousness and available in giclee printing:
It was PERFECT!
Alack, there were bumps in the road. The company (Ohio-based...so I was glad to be doing business locally) packaged and shipped my order, except when I opened it, this is what I found:
Um...epic fail? Yes. So I called the company and was told they would immediately reprocess my order and ship the proper print. For my troubles, I could keep the other one or donate it to charity. Fair enough. All's well that ends well...this arrived via express shipping this morning:
So why did I become obsessed with this painting? Perhaps this will help you understand:
My darling Dana Bug!
...sigh...
...in her natural habitat...heh.
And for your listening pleasure, I give you Kern and Hammerstein, "All the Things You Are":
And for your listening pleasure, I give you Kern and Hammerstein, "All the Things You Are":
9 comments:
Oh dear heart you know me so well - giggle.
Okay, this is my second time here. The first time I thought this was so intimate and there was nothing I could add to that, so I didn't comment. I came back because since then, the music center in my brain has been obsessed with All the Things You Are.
"Thank you," she muttered between hums.
BTW...Manet's sweetie does resemble Dana.
Linda, thank you for coming back! I love All the Things You Are, for sure...glad you do, too. The model definitely resembles Dana! The nose and chin, hair color, even the eyes. You are always welcome, dear friend...always.
The Gonzales piece does remind me of Dana...beautiful...you mean you didn't want a framed picture of a dock? With deck chairs?
Ha! No, Tess, it wasn't high on my list of things I wanted to see framed and hanging on my wall...
beautiful painting and very reminiscent of Dana.
You're so right...it is here. And while the first painting may have been what you thought was a mistake (I don't believe in mistakes), I like it, too!
The painting does look like Dana. How lucky for you.
Thank you, Rudee! The other print is now hanging in our "water" room...we do like it, as we are very fond of fresh-water ponds and lakes, small and Great. And yes, I am a very lucky man...
I find the likeness between the two subjects amazing! Of course you had to have it.
What a beautiful tribute to your darling Dana Bug. ♥
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