28 November —
When I was a kid I did not know how to appreciate a good museum. I
would always get dragged to them by my parents who would spend time on
each piece, reading each description, while I zoomed through the place
barely glancing at the art. Now, I think I am turning into my
parents—which is a good thing! I believe this because I. Love. Museums!
London has given me the opportunity for that love to flourish. In
Portland, we have the Portland Art Museum, which is fantastic, but is 1.
expensive and 2. the only museum I go to often in Portland. Apparently,
there’s a hat museum there, which I am so ready to check out.
Anyway, London has a plethora of free museums filled with beautiful pieces filled with history. I’ve learned so much from the museums here. My favorite ones in no particular order are the Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, National Gallery, and National Portrait Gallery (I learned the hard way that these last two are different places). It is so lovely to see what each individual place has to offer. I love learning about the history of the physical building and the history that is displayed through the paintings themselves.
In the National Gallery, I discovered Rembrandt’s self portrait at age 34 and another at age 63. Both of these paintings depict him sitting in the same position: turned to the right, one arm visible, and looking directly at the viewer. His clothing changes dramatically in these two paintings, from a flashier look and darker colors in his younger days to simpler but brighter clothing in his older days. In the age 34 painting, he is wearing an outfit from the 16th century. Rembrandt was Dutch and is a very prominent painter. I wonder why he was inspired to create self portraits throughout the years. How did he choose how he wanted to portray himself? Was he focused on being true to the subject? Or did he change certain things he didn’t like about his look? Art historians know that this painting is of him because he used to put himself in other paintings, especially biblical paintings. I wonder why this is. It could be because of humor, or just because he could. He was very successful at age 34, so perhaps he enjoyed being recognized, being seen. Rembrandt was extremely influenced by other artists as certain aspects of his style mimic other famous artists at the time.
London is influencing me very much. I have been introduced to new places, new ideas, and new things that excite me. London’s museums have allowed me to take time to appreciate what I have around me and what opportunities I have been given. It has allowed me to reflect on this idea of the self. Who do I want to be and how I want to present myself to the world. I don’t think one has to be a famous painter to think about these things. I’m so fortunate to have this opportunity to visit these places and to ponder these things. I am looking forward to using the rest of my time here to take everything in as much as I can.
Anyway, London has a plethora of free museums filled with beautiful pieces filled with history. I’ve learned so much from the museums here. My favorite ones in no particular order are the Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, National Gallery, and National Portrait Gallery (I learned the hard way that these last two are different places). It is so lovely to see what each individual place has to offer. I love learning about the history of the physical building and the history that is displayed through the paintings themselves.
In the National Gallery, I discovered Rembrandt’s self portrait at age 34 and another at age 63. Both of these paintings depict him sitting in the same position: turned to the right, one arm visible, and looking directly at the viewer. His clothing changes dramatically in these two paintings, from a flashier look and darker colors in his younger days to simpler but brighter clothing in his older days. In the age 34 painting, he is wearing an outfit from the 16th century. Rembrandt was Dutch and is a very prominent painter. I wonder why he was inspired to create self portraits throughout the years. How did he choose how he wanted to portray himself? Was he focused on being true to the subject? Or did he change certain things he didn’t like about his look? Art historians know that this painting is of him because he used to put himself in other paintings, especially biblical paintings. I wonder why this is. It could be because of humor, or just because he could. He was very successful at age 34, so perhaps he enjoyed being recognized, being seen. Rembrandt was extremely influenced by other artists as certain aspects of his style mimic other famous artists at the time.
London is influencing me very much. I have been introduced to new places, new ideas, and new things that excite me. London’s museums have allowed me to take time to appreciate what I have around me and what opportunities I have been given. It has allowed me to reflect on this idea of the self. Who do I want to be and how I want to present myself to the world. I don’t think one has to be a famous painter to think about these things. I’m so fortunate to have this opportunity to visit these places and to ponder these things. I am looking forward to using the rest of my time here to take everything in as much as I can.
—Sarit Cahana