As a little kid, I grew up fantasizing about getting an opportunity to interact first hand with the cultural diversities that constitute world cultures. I always enjoyed watching CNN features on cultural practices by different people and the amazing past that shaped the American history. To me, culture was the single most effective was of defining a people’s beliefs, values and virtues. Embracing cultural diversity is the best way of appreciating community differences and societal growth. It is against this backdrop that I decided to visit Norton Simon Museum on------------------. I had got information from The Los Angeles Times that the museum opens every day but remains closed on Tuesdays. For Fridays, the museum is only open from noon and closed at 9pm.
There is no better place I could choose for this cultural visit than this museum. This is because of the rich history of this museum. It is one of the most celebrated cultural sites in the United States. This made it a perfect choice for the visit. The Norton Simon Museum has a rich history stemming from the Pasadena Art Institute. The institute that started in 1922 is what evolved into a private empowerment institution. My chaperone informed me that the locals established the institution. The original aim of the museum was to establish a library and a huge collection of art work. The purpose of this initiative was to spur the local citizens on towards improving fine arts in the community at that instance. The museum is a highlight of the very best of American art work. The collections within the museum were of world class standard. The chaperone that the museum assigned me to accompany me during the visit was extremely knowledgeable of the rich American history, art work and diversity. The entire experience started reawakening my sense of loyalty to my country and the immense contribution of the founders of this great nation. The museum had great artists who captured and depicted the cultural diversity of the American people.
The collection of art work was a wide range of stimulating information. The collections ranged from periods as early as the 17th and 18th Century to the latest art work. The items ranged from El Greco and Raphael to the other collections of Zurbaran, Goya, Reni and Rubens. All this captivating artwork makes the visit to the museum worthwhile. There were rooms within the museum that had Monte, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Reoir to complement other large collections. The sheer intelligence of the creators of this fascinating place of arts was astounding. I took pictures of these art works. My chaperone informed me that we had just started. The consistency of the stand of the artwork and the resourcefulness of the informants made the entire experience extremely educative. We relaxed at the courtyard with my chaperone as we recapped the first part of the experience. The courtyard was extremely relaxing. It had been pimped with statues that depicted the American history and cultural backgrounds, turtles and pond to capture milestones of human history and the beauty of nature. The free parking in the museum is just one of the bonuses of the rich collections in this museum.
We entered a room where my chaperone showed me Picasso’s and Braque’s. The two were symbols of cubism. Cubism refers to an early art movement of the 20th Century that Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque pioneered, and Juan Gris, Jean Metzinger, Albert Gleizes, Robert Delaunay, Henri Le Fauconnier later modified it. This was the revolution that marked changes in European painting and sculpture. Fields such as music, literature and sculpture derived inspiration from this development. Fernand Léger helped modify cubism and it became one of the most influential movements in art. The art that was produced in Paris was as result of cubism. There were other variants of cubism that developed such as futurism and constructivism in other countries. This put the world at the cusp of revolution in painting, sculpturing and other forms of art work. The art work was developed in 1910 and extended into 1920s, a time when Norton Simon Museum was being built and assembling of the collection art work was being done. My chaperone informed me that the prominent influence of three-dimensional representation was a milestone towards development of cubism. The work of Paul Cézanne perfected the artwork. The greatest achieved of art was cubism. This field was very impressive. I was surprised that art has taken many years to be where it s at the moment. I did not know that Paris had shaped much of humanity to this extent. The message was that art remains a cornerstone of shaping human history and other fields such as music and literature. Art is simply the easiest way of communicating an idea to the public. The value of art through paintings, sculptures and impressions, remains a pillar of disseminating information and passing a message to the society in a creative manner.
This was a very big surprise for me. I did not expect to find an impressive collection of European masters. The inspiration of the art was the excellent work of a private collector, Norton Simon. He bequeathed this enormous energy and masterpiece of collection to his city of Pasadena in the year 1974. The contribution of Norton Simon is commendable because the museum remains one of the most resourceful centers. The museum had a lot of impressionist paintings. One of the most striking impressionist paintings was that done by Edgar Degas. The paintings and sculptures of Edgar Degas were a highlight of my visit. The one that was outstanding was the sculpture titled "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen." It depicts a young ballerina. Several paintings of Van Gogh such as the ones titled "Portrait of the Artist's Mother”,"Portrait of Patience Escalier," and "The Mulberry Tree” are a formidable highlight of human history and culture.
The museum has also invested heavily in Old Masters like Rembrandt and Rubens. The museum also contains Indian and Southeast Asian art. The collections from India and Asia are a dedication located at a special area in the lower end of the museum. The display of this collection depicts the rich cultural and artistic impressions that have characterized human history. The avalanche of art in this museum is impossible to appreciate in just one session. Everything is monumental in this museum. Despite the rich information and resourceful chaperones, the museum charges only six dollars for adults. Norton Simon, who was an entrepreneur and philanthropist, ensured that the museum had quality and impressive collections. Sculpture gardens of Rodins and master drawings and oils of Rembrandt are impressive works of art.
The vast art collection ranges from paintings, sculptures, and tapestries sum the up the quality of the Museum’s art work. The items range from the 14th Century to the 20th Century. The richness in terms of historical background echoes the ever revolving human developments and historical features. The impressionist and post impressionist art work of Monet, Renior, van Gogh & Cezanne. The range of information in this museum made it possible to appreciate the contribution of art to humanity.
The appreciation of this art work helped me understand the background information on how art has evolved over time. The development of three dimensional art work revolutionized depiction of information and presentation of ideas. This relates to class work in terms of writings and paintings. This shaped the destiny of art and its significance in society. If cubism had not been developed, perhaps art could have remained in the medieval period. The artistic impressions and messages conveyed through art are fruits of early artists such as Picasso, but not individual gifts. Art covered under romantic world view where artistic impressions show the world’s evolution in terms of romance. The impressionist and post impressionist art work helped revolutionize romance. Through art, romance has undergone a massive enhancement. Lovers use artistic impressions to communicate a message to their spouses or partners. Romance is, therefore, closely attached to art.
