WE HAVE VISITED SOME OF THE FINEST ART MUSEUMS of the world—the Louvre, Met, Prado, Vatican, Rijksmuseum and even the Hermitage—but the one we keep returning to—the only one we’ve been members of—is here in Colorado. Yes, the Denver Art Museum is provincial compared to the others but it has hosted some very good shows over the years, even with the restrictions in Covid addled 2020.
Frederick Remington Winslow Homer
Natural Forces: Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington, while overshadowed by the Norman Rockwell Exhibit, is an interesting juxtaposition of two of America’s great artists. Although Homer and Remington had different styles, each was able to capture the quintessential American spirit through works of art at the turn of the late-19th and early-20th centuries.
Winslow Homer, at home in the East
Winslow Homer was considered the most original painter of his time, and was best known for his depictions of the East Coast, while Frederic Remington became famous for his cowboys and Indians of the American West in both paint and bronze.
Frederick Remington, Cowboys and Indians
And while both Homer and Remington began their careers as war correspondents for Harpers Weekly, Homer reported from the frontlines of the Civil War while Remington focused on the Indian Wars and later on the Spanish-American War.
Buddhist Sand Mandala, India
Indonesian Shadow Puppets
Photo from Java (2009)
The final exhibit we visited was aptly titled “The Light Show,” featuring color and shadow in various media. The highlight (pun intended) was an Indian mandala, a Buddhist sand painting painstakingly created only to be swept into the river symbolizing the transitory nature of life. We enjoyed seeing Indonesian shadow puppets like the ones we saw being made in Java way back in 2009. journals.worldnomads.com/seesea
Exopsed to art—but not to Covid
I find it encouraging that Colorado parents who care enough about their kids to expose them to the world of art also care enough not to expose them to Covid-19. And the kids look darned cute in the masks, don't you think?
