I got lucky that my family, especially my mother & sister, love museums & would drag me to various ones on trips & weekends. Though I resisted almost every time, I have grown to love museums & the accessibility & knowledge that many of them offer. This past summer I had the opportunity to do research about art & well-being & was able to travel to a few museums & special exhibits, which was really special. Below are the museums I have visited & some of my favorite pieces from each. (If you press the arrows, you can flip through the photos!)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA) – July 2023
This was a fun trip & the best part was the cars running. I definitely saw much more than I did when I went about a year ago. My favorite work was in the last photo, which was a part of the Light, Space, Surface exhibit.
Images: Metropolis II by Chris Burden, Suicide at Dawn by Victor Brauner, Synchromy in Purple by Stanton Macdonald-Wright Head of a Bearded Man with Cigarette by Pablo Picasso, Man & Woman by Pablo Picasso, Metropolis II by Chris Burden, from the Light, Space, Surface exhibit.
The Broad (Los Angeles, CA) – June 2023
This museum has a cool exterior. This was one of the one I was most excited for because we were able to get tickets to the special display there, Art Is For Everybody, a Keith Haring exhibit. This was a museum I had been to in the past few years but it was lovely to see pieces I had formerly enjoyed again!
Images: Keith Haring poster display, pieces by Keith Haring, Tulips by Jeff Koons, Stare by Jenny Saville, Untitled (You Are A Very Special Person) by Barbara Kruger, Under The Table by Robert Therrien, Interior with African Mask by Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring piece, Keith Haring piece.
Getty Villa Museum (Pacific Palisades, CA) – June 2023
This was one of my favorite trip of the summer since our whole research team was able to come. This is a beautiful museum with a nice balance of indoor & outdoor elements.
Images: Outer Peristyle Garden with central reflecting pool, Man Wearing a Toga by unknown, line of busts, statue of the Drunken Satyr on the far end of the central reflecting pool, Statue of Jupiter (Marbury Hall Zeus) by unknown, Torso of a Man in Armor (Emperor Tiberius?) by unknown, Statue of Venus (the Mazarin Venus) by unknown.
Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena, CA) – June 2023
This was the first museum we were sent to for our summer research!! It was a bigger museum than I anticipated (judging by the outside) but for a Friday during the summer, it was not too busy & everyone working was very nice. It has a lovely smaller outdoor area with a small food cart & with a school ID, admission is free!
Images: Triumph of Virtue & Nobility Over Ignorance by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, inside the Norton Simon, Friars Around a Hearth (formally Interior with Monks) by Alessandro Magnasco, Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Edgar Degas, inside the Norton Simon, Coronation of the Virgin Altarpiece by Guariento di Arpo, Bacchante Supported by Bacchus & a Faun by Claude Michel (Clodion), Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Edgar Degas.
The Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, CA) – November 2022
This trip was for a friends class that ended with a beach stop but it was fun nevertheless. I enjoyed the fact that it was close(ish) & affiliated with UCLA, but just recently found out that it was started by Dr. Armand Hammer, who has no relation affiliation to the actor, Armie Hammer.
Images: Juno by Rembrandt Van Rijn, Man with Raised Arm by Pablo Picasso, Picasso Cut Papers by Pablo Picasso, Vuillard: Paris, 1908 by Edouard Vuillard, Joan Didion exhibit video, Picasso Cut Papers by Pablo Picasso, Le Corrigan Effeuillé (leafless corrigan) by Pablo Picasso.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA) – August 2022
This was one of the first things I did off campus with one of my first friends at college!!
Images: Untitled (Comb) by Vija Celmins, Campbell’s Soup Can by Andy Warhol, Peasant House at Éragny by Camille Pissarro, Snow at Bulguk Temple (left) and Blue Mountain & White Cloud (right) by Park Dae Sung
Victoria & Albert Museum (London, UK) – June 2022
This was an incredible museum, I really enjoyed the mix of paintings as well as sculpture & artifacts, though the imperialist & colonialist undercurrent are strong. The size of some of the painting was incredible, I don’t think I have seen larger pieces before.
Images: Plaster cast of Michelangelo’s David, Christ’s Charge to Peter (left) and The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (right) by Raphael, inside V&A museum, V&A Medieval & Renaissance Room, The Healing of the Lame Man by Raphael, courtyard of the V&A, plaster cast of David by Michelangelo.
The British Museum (London, UK) – June 2022
This museum was cool, the large main building with the windows & high ceiling was very fun to walk around. There was cool & a diverse amount of stuff but imperialism & colonialism again.
Images: The Parthenon Marbles (Elgin Marbles) by Phidias, inside ceiling in The British Museum, The Lewis Chessmen (created from walrus ivory) possibly by Margaret the Adroit, inside view of The British Museum.
The Natural History Museum (London, UK) – June 2022
We briefly look around at this museum at it was next to Victoria & Albert Museum & the main entrance was stunning. Definitely more tailored to younger children but still very cool to walk around for a bit!
Images: “Hope” the blue whale above main entrance hall, volcano escalator up to the Earth Hall in museum, exterior of museum, main entrance hall, poster I thought was funny.
Somerset House (London, UK) – June 2022
Images: Two Dancers on a Stage by Edgar Degas, ceiling in Somerset House, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Vincent van Gogh, stairwell in Somerset House.
The National Gallery (London, UK) – June 2022
Below are some of my favorite pieces, I really like the Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painting because of the shape of the canvas & the color (first image), as well as the .
Images: An Allegory with Venus & Time by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Room 34 Level 2 National Gallery, The Umbrellas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Room 51 & 52 National Gallery, Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, Excavation of the Roman Theatre (bottom right), The Virgin & Child with St Anne & St John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci.
Street Art in London (London, UK) – June 2022
This was a walking tour that we went on in London that just took us around & explained the difference between graffiti & street art. Below are some of the works we saw.
Images: Brick Lane East London Last Supper depiction, Boris Johnson Clown, Joe’s Kid mural by James Cochran (Jimmy C), Uncle Sam poster, protected Banksy artwork.
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