I consider myself something of an art connoisseur. In the third grade I sculpted and painted a clay penguin, which was labeled as “satisfactory” by the teacher. I once received an A in a high school art history class. I could offer a convincing, and at least partially accurate, definition of the term “three-point perspective.” I mention these momentous accomplishments not to be braggadocious—though I can see how it would come off that way—but as an introduction to this blog post, which will focus on the art of this city.
In an effort to prove ourselves to be intellectual, several of my friends and I decided this week to go to a museum. And, after my suggestion of the BMW Museum was shot down for lack of intellectual rigor, we decided on the Neue Pinakothek, a renowned art museum here in Munich.
After several rooms of many paintings and even some sculptures, I found myself drawn to one painting in particular.
The painting of which I am writing was in the penultimate room of this museum. It was a seemingly insignificant painting. Large brush strokes. Simple colors. A commonplace subject.
It was a vase of sunflowers. I couldn’t figure out why I was so drawn to this specific piece of art. And then it hit me: sunflowers are one of my top 5 favorite kinds of flowers! Also the painter sounded kind of familiar. It was a Dutch fellow by the name of Vincent van Gogh. I sure hope he lived a long and happy life surrounded by people who appreciated his talent for painting!
To offer a conclusion, I would like to mention my appreciation for the fact that a city like Munich offers many different kinds of fun and engagement, including but not limited to the following: intellectual, athletic, nightlife-related, and cultural.
