The 14th century Eglesia de Santa Maria del Mar was splendidly peaceful in the early morning. There was no entrance fee (unlike most other churches). My photos can't begin to capture its magnificence and simplicity (magnificent because of it s simplicity).
The Museu Picasso left me slightly underwhelmed. It concentrated on Picasso's early work plus his 1957 Las Meninas series, but seemed to miss a lot too. However I found a series new to me called The Doves which really made me smile. Not my photo as I didn't take pictures in either Museu Picasso or Fundacio Joan Miro. In the latter they were explicitly not allowed. Good thing. In Amsterdam photo taking in art galleries is endemic and so frustrating.
My climb up Montjuic in the early afternoon heat afforded these views down over parts of the city.
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| La Sagrada Familia in centre distance |
I have never been very attracted to Miro's work but I now understand more about him and the influences shaping his painting and sculpture. The Spanish Civil War forms the backdrop to both Miro and Picasso's work of the late 30s. I certainly want to read biographies of Miro and Gaudi when I get home.
Final stop of the day (before dinner) was Palau Guell, designed by Gaudi for Catalan industrial tycoon Eusebi Guell, his wife and 11 children. Again it is impossible to photograph adequately. From the outside it looks like this...
There is some wonderful domestic stained glass...
This is a ceiling...
And what was to become (later) a Gaudi signature, but is quite different from the rest of this mainly Arts and Crafts-inspired work - on the roof...
Finally, as I made my way back to the convent, a protest in support of gay rights (I'm guessing) in Placa de Sant Jaume.
I read up about Picasso. He was quite the ladies man!
ReplyDeleteHe was indeed!!
ReplyDeleteI saw a fantastic sculpture he made of a goat - in the Picasso Museum in Paris I think.
I quite like the sculpture of a tubby E.T. :)
ReplyDelete