My friend Karen and I played hooky from our usual routine and turned this rainy Monday into a sunny visit to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) "Art In Bloom" exhibition.
The museum describes what you'll see if you attend this festival of art and flowers. "Objects selected from the Museum’s collections are interpreted in flowers by sixty-three New England garden clubs. Professional floral designers contribute by creating grand arrangements for the Museum's public spaces."
Below is the Wellesley Garden Club's interpretation of Gustave Caillebotte's "Fruit Displayed on a Stand."
And, the entry of my local group, the Garden club of the Back
Bay. They created "a Riot of Flowers" to represent the Dutch
"Cabinet-on-Stand" with floral design worked in marquetry.
We took a break for lunch, with a Spanish accent, in the Galleria.
The current menu reflects the major special exhibit "El Greco to
Velázquez: Art during the Reign of Philip III."
I had a Tortilla Española with a side salad. It was a generous
portion, two large wedges, of the classic omelette with fried
potatoes. The chef prepared it more like a torta, about three inches
high, with layers of egg, potato, and red peppers.
Karen had a lovely plate of Serrano ham, goat cheese, eggplant,
asparagus, roasted peppers and crusty bread. Both meals were a big step
above what you think you might find in a busy museum cafe. Karen's a
friend who is most willing to share so we both had a taste of
everything. My conclusion is that there's some artistry happening in
the MFA kitchens.
If you missed this year's event, put a reminder on your calendar
for next April. It's a wonderful way to wander through the whole
museum, reacquainting yourself with favorite galleries and works and
finding your way into areas you may not visit at other times of the
year.
Incidentally, I think a MFA membership is one of the great values
in Boston. Besides entry into this treasure trove of wondrous objects,
you are also given discounts on special events, gift shop and dining
purchases.
Here's the place to find more information on all these topics:
www.mfa.org
P.S. I always think that cameras are not allowed in the MFA until I get there and find everyone else taking photos. The actual rule is no flashes! I took the photos posted here with my iPhone.
As a photographer, I hadn't used it to take photos for any purpose other than to make notes, send a quick photo by email or add a photo to a contact.
Last week I found myself without a camera, facing a wonderful shot of an artist painting, in afternoon light, on Commonwealth Avenue Mall. I used the iPhone, worked up the picture in Apple Aperture and sent it off to my editors at the Back Bay Sun. They used it on the front page. I'll post it here next week after the paper's exclusive use period ends!
I laid down a bed of mixed greens, shaved a fennel bulb into a separate bowl, cut an orange into segments over the fennel so that all the extra juice could become part of the dressing.
