Get update alerts
Locations
- .All Trips
- Art
- Car Culture
- Central America/Caribbean
- Food
- Food Tour
- Pic of the Week
- Sl;ovenia
.All Trips / Europe / France
Paris’ amazing Orsay Museum
The Orsay Museum is one of my favorite places in Paris! It has a great location, situated on the Seine River in the center of the city, across from the Tuileries Garden. The museum was built as the Orsay railway station (Gare), opening in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition. By 1939 the station’s short platforms had become unsuitable for the longer trains that were then being used and it was largely abandoned. In 1970, permission was granted to demolish the station but it was saved with the hope that it could be converted to a hotel. The need for an art museum to house Paris’ extensive collections of Impressionist art sparked the idea to convert the Orsay into a National …
Tagged art, Impressionist art, museum, Orsay, Paris
Europe / Ireland
National Museum of Ireland: Archaeology, Dublin
Today we’ll pay a visit to the Museum of Ireland: Archaeology, situated on Kildare Street. The Archaeology Museum is housed in an elegant dome-capped building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane and his son, Thomas Manly Deane, and was opened in 1890. There are thousands of items on exhibit in the museum (from a collection of more than 2 million artifacts) outlining the unfolding history and treasures of Ireland, a country so very rich in history (less so in treasure). Despite the extensive collection, the museum is well organized. It’s easy to navigate and fun to explore. You’ll need at least a half day for an introductory visit — much longer if you want to linger and thoroughly study the things …
Tagged archaeology, Dublin, gold, museum, National Museum of Ireland
“Pic of the Week”, November 14, 2014. Door Knocker, National Museum of Archaeology, Dublin
One of the greatest museums I’ve visited in recent years is Dublin’s National Museum: Archaeology. What a fascinating collection of artifacts awaits your exploration and study beyond its doors. As I found out while entering, the doors themselves are quite interesting. My attention was drawn to this massive, beautifully crafted (if somewhat scary looking) door knocker. You just don’t see craftsmanship like that anymore.
(Click on thumgnail to enlarge)
Nov 13, 2014
Comments Off on “Pic of the Week”, November 14, 2014. Door Knocker, National Museum of Archaeology, Dublin
.All Trips / California / North America / Southwestern USA
The Getty Villa, Malibu, California. Classical Art and Architecture
I’ve previously discussed J.P. Getty and his great museums on this blog and today would like to focus on the first of his museums, the Getty Villa in Malibu.
While he was despised by many during his lifetime, J.P. Getty has left the world a wonderful legacy. Getty was one of the world’s first billionaires who, like Bill Gates, was the richest man in the world during his time. Getty, an unpleasant but highly successful businessman, was a passionate collector of antiquities and art. Collecting art became the center of his life. His view towards his hobby is summarized by his quote, “The beauty one can find in art is one of the pitifully few real and lasting …
Tagged antiquities, art, California, Getty Villa, JP Getty, Malibu, museum
