To See A Museum

I’m taking my daughter to see Brown.  I have never seen Brown.   We arrived in Providence last night.  I had given my daughter a choice:  heading north from New London to Providence we’ll only have time for one museum.  But we need to see a museum.  Shall we head to the Mystic Seaport or do the RISD Museum in Providence?  My daughter opted for RISD.  

I tore into town as I knew we’d only have an hour to bounce around.  I was lucky to score legitimate parking right across the street.  Inside I wasn’t disappointed.  They hosted a remarkable collection of Asian Art.  I think I may have seen some of this collection before in New York at the Asia Society, perhaps when it was on loan.  It was billed as the Rockefeller collection which seemed to strike a chord of familiarity with what I’d seen before.  The highlight for me may have been the Japanese Buddha Mahavairocana (1150 – 1200).  So quiet, so tremendously arresting sitting there in the wall of this museum.  I have seen it before too.  Trouble, the wondrous D.J. behind “This is the Modern World” on WFMU had described seeing this Buddha on a trip home to Providence earlier in the year. 

Soon you’ve moved on to the furnishings of the early Americans.  It does seem dour.  How different the naked Aegeans!  We stare for moments at the color combinations on the Egyptian sarcophagus.  Now the guards begin to do that late in the day guard thing of standing at the entrance of an interesting room you haven’t seen, telling you that the museum is closing.  Reluctantly, we make our way back to a room with art from Dahomey, which I’d like to spend more time in.  But it’s all over now.

Popping out from the escalator down to where we first came in I am pleased to find that the gift shop is still open for business and will be for the foreseeable.  I find a post card of the Buddha I liked.  My daughter and I agree that the Lord of the Dance: Nataraja bronze with four arms extended stands out among the memories.  There is a black and white shirt on display. Old pen and ink people are busy in dozens of different scenes.  The man behind the counter points out that they are all witches.  This is shirt about witch burning done by an artist in residence.  He points out that the date of the Salem Witch trial was 1692.  No an ordinary shop clerk, I mention that he has great recall. He points out that they recently celebrated the 325^th anniversary of the infamous event.  I leave with two post cards and a witch tee shirt.  We’re off to a well-regarded vegetarian restaurant for the second night in a row.  

Thursday, 07/20/17