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May 14

Empire Garden Chinese restaurant and theater, Boston
4 Comments

Brunch in Boston with a Side of History

The restaurant I’m recommending for “Best Brunch in Boston” actually has only average to above average food.  The dim sum at Empire Garden is good and certainly satisfying, but I really want you to go there because of the unbelievably beautiful and historic dining room.

Empire Garden Chinese Restaurant, Boston

Empire Garden Chinese Restaurant, Boston (photo: Wikimedia)

Empire Garden is located at 690 Washington St. in the downtown Chinatown neighborhood.  I love dim sum and so we wandered into this restaurant by chance one Saturday.  As you enter, there is a large curving staircase which leads to a second floor foyer.  From there you enter a magnificent and cavernous dining room.  The Empire Garden started life as a turn of the century theater and retains all the elegant character of its past.

Empire Garden Chinese restaurant and theater, Boston

Opened Sept 14, 1903, this building was the 3rd incarnation of the Globe Theater in Boston and originally seated 1,536.  The Globe Theater was known for popular vaudeville acts, “clean” burlesque, dramas, comedies, and musical performances.  Such legends as Abbott and Costello and Gypsy Rose Lee performed on this stage.[1]  In 1947, it became the Center Theater and transitioned to showing only movies.  In these images from 1955 and 1973, you can see the theater changing along with the neighborhood which began slowly declining.  By 1995, the movie theater closed and the building was reborn as a Chinese restaurant.

Globe Theater Boston MA

Surprisingly, you can still see a lot of the 1903 theater in the restaurant today.  The dining area extends from the stage through the seating area.  Albeit closed, the balcony is intact.  The lovely vaulted ceiling creates a massive open space giving the dining area an almost regal feeling.  The scalloped arches are a bright, shimmering gold while a muted gold has been used for some of the decorative accents on the ceiling arches.  The neo-rococo capitals are garishly painted, but I can’t help but think this may have been the original color scheme.  The wall panels have been decorated with clouds, cherry trees and Chinese motifs but even these seem to work with the elegant early 20th century moldings.

Empire Garden Chinese restaurant and theater, Boston

Empire Garden architectural detail, Boston

There are few settings better for brunch than a 110 year old theater.  The architectural design and decorative details are a pleasant distraction and a spectacle in themselves.  Plus, when you actually start getting hungry, the steamed dumplings are pretty good too.

Delicious dim sum at Empire Garden, Boston

Delicious dim sum at Empire Garden, Boston (Photo: hmmlargeart, flickr)

[1]  “The Gaiety Theater Study Report,”  Boston Landmarks Commission, Environment Department, City of Boston

May 8

Boston Marathon Memorial

Boston Marathon Memorial: Spontaneity and Sympathy

I ventured to down to Copley Square in Boston this Saturday.  An avid fan and patron of the Library, I’m usually down every other weekend, but following the Marathon bombings, I haven’t been able to go.  With a cautious reverence, I went to the now very familiar bombing locations.  I expected to see two holes in the sidewalk, extensive damage to the buildings, or something to mark the horror of April 15th, but there was nearly nothing.  Its true, Boston is in fact strong and cleans up well, but it felt eerily empty considering how many lives were changed along this street just a few weeks ago.  Not far away in Copley Square, a large “U”of police barricades and park benches had been transformed into a make-shift bombing memorial.

Boston Marathon Memorial

I have always been fascinated by the design of monuments.  How do we choose to memorialized our heroes, our triumphs and our losses?  Having just returned from Normandy, I’m working on more posts specifically about this, but the home-made Marathon Bombing Memorial got me thinking about the immediacy of emotions following a tragedy.  There is a collective sense of shock, fear, anger and sadness.  With nearly instantaneous and complete news and social media coverage “from the ground”, we are glued to, involved in and react viscerally to these images.

Boston Marathon Memorial

It’s no surprise then that people unconnected with tragedies want to reach out to comfort those affected or to offer their sympathy.  Collective mourning helps us cope with having witnessed a bombing from across the street or from the safety of our homes and offices.  And so the cards, flowers, stuffed toys and mementos arrive.  Each a small token of sympathy meant for the victims, for the senders and for us all.  In some ways it reminds me of found object Outsider Art. But now instead of one artist selecting 400 special objects to incorporate into a whole, there are thousands of people each selecting one special object.  The combination of all the shared value and sentiment makes for a powerful and spontaneous memorial.

Boston Marathon Memorial

It is randomness and simplicity of make-shift memorials that I find so beautiful.  In a swell of emotion, visitors have laid whatever they could to honor those killed or injured.  Nothing extravagant or permanent and nothing nearly as elegant as the permanent memorial that may follow some day.  It’s a matter of what can be given quickly because the pain is acute and intense.  Luckily a powerful collective comfort is found from sharing our sadness and confusion together.

memorial bikers, Boston marathon finish line

As if the memorial park weren’t enough, there was a group of 80 or so motorcycles that closed down Bolyston street for a few minutes on Saturday.  They gathered at the Marathon finish line and proceeded to rev their engines around the first bombing site.  It was an incredibly loud and clearly cathartic event for the bikers.  Like I said, people do whatever they can to show sympathy and togetherness in times of tragedy.

May 6

Bosch FI
12 Comments

ArtSmart Roundtable – Hieronymus Bosch: Morality and Monsters

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art history-focused travel blogs with a post around a common theme.  This month we are discussing artists you should look for on your travels.  Below are links to all the group’s posts this month.

self-portrait of Hieronymus Bosch in "The Garden of Earthly Delights"

Hidden face believed to be a self-portrait of Hieronymus Bosch in “The Garden of Earthly Delights” (Museo del Prado, Madrid)

Artist like Michelangelo and Picasso were truly sparks for an era, catalyzing sweeping changes with their creativity and vision.  Occasionally in art history we find brilliant, creative artists who stood out as unique individuals in their era but remain isolated from prevailing and subsequent artistic trends.  No one represents this more for me than Hieronymus Bosch whose bizarre, complex and wholly singular style stands out among the stars of the Northern Renaissance.

Hieronymus Bosch St Christopher

Upon closer inspection of this fairly standard “St. Christopher”, we see a jug tree house, a swimmer fleeing a dragon and other fantastic details characteristic of Hieronymus Bosch. (Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam)

Little biographical information is known of Bosch (1450-1516) but it is believed he learned to paint from a family member.  Some of his works mimic the smooth figures and tranquil landscapes of typical early Dutch art such as in St. Christopher above.  However, his imagination eventually prevailed and Bosch’s paintings and drawings became filled with monsters and mysterious creatures in strange scenarios.  The subject matter of the painting are not just pure fantasy but pull from religious and moral themes, albeit depicted in a wholly unique way.  Bosch’s paintings are incredibly detailed and beckon viewers to examine ever single figure.

Bosch Last Judgement

The damned have long been hounded by devils in European Last Judgement scenes, but only Bosch created platypus-faced and walking head monsters who carry souls like wild game. Detail from “Last Judgement Triptych” Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna.

Bosch Last Judgement

Two monstrous cooks prepare the greedy in this detail from “Last Judgement Triptych” Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna.

I think its easy to see a painting by Bosch and assume that his work was too outlandish to be accepted by contemporaries who were use to serene religious themes.  However, I think this is unfair.  Bosch’s paintings make sense in the context of incredibly vivid Medieval morality plays.  15th century Europeans watched folk plays in which the devil commonly appeared and interacted with humans.  The immoral were punished in accordance with their crimes as we see in Dante’s Inferno, while Just and Good were aided by angels.  In this way, demons, monsters, angels and fundamental moral themes would have been easily recognized and understood by contemporary viewers.  In “Death and the Miser” at the National Gallery of Art in DC, we see rat-faced demons encouraging the hoarding of money while an angel petitions for the man’s salvation at the hour of Death’s arrival.  Likewise the Book of Revelation with its vivid imagery of the Apocalypse was coming into popularity so huge, fantastic but religious imagery was not outside one’s conscience.

Hieronymus Bosch - "Death and the Miser", National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Hieronymus Bosch – “Death and the Miser”, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Only 25 paintings have been attributed to Hieronymus Bosch.  The largest collection of which reside at the Prado Museum in Madrid, but there are singular pieces scattered throughout the great museums of Europe.  His most famous piece is “The Garden of Earthly Delights.”  While executed as a Triptych of Eden, Earth and Hell, it was probably meant for viewing in a residential rather than religious setting.  Books have been written trying to unlock the religious and folklore symbolism in this incredibly complex piece.  Have a look yourself and see what pops out at you!  With any luck, you might find something odd and entertaining, if not also a moral instructive.

Hieronymus Bosch - "Garden of Earthly Delights", c 1500, Museo del Prado, Madrid

Hieronymus Bosch – “Garden of Earthly Delights”, c 1500, Museo del Prado, Madrid

For the rest of the May ArtSmart Roundtable, see:

And don’t forget to “like” our group on Facebook for art & travel news!

May 2

FI
3 Comments

Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Bloom

copper urn, Mt. Auburn Cemetery

When the first Spring blossoms have arrived and the trees start to turn green with immature shoots, then it’s time for me to visit the Mt. Auburn Cemetery.  Founded in the 1830′s, many elite Bostonians are buried in the rolling 174 acres of this graveyard.  Like many old cemeteries, Mt. Auburn is more of a park filled with historic and interesting memorials.  Early May is one of the best times to visit when you can stroll and enjoy the mix of burgeoning color and partially bare trees.

Dog gravestone, Mt. Auburn Cemetery

angel sentry, Mt. Auburn Cemetery

geometry

angel relief gravestone, Mt. Auburn Cemetery

sphinx, Mt. Auburn Cemetery

prayer figure gravestone, Mt. Auburn Cemetery

The Mt. Auburn Cemetery is a short bus ride from Harvard Square in Cambridge.  Nearby is the Sofra Bakery and Cafe, one of my favorite lunch spots in the city.

Apr 29

Madonna with Canon FI
5 Comments

A Heavenly Van Eyck

You know the cliché about the incredible man or woman who turns heads as they enter the room?  Somehow they have a power, beauty or shear presence that cannot be ignored.  That’s essentially my experience seeing Jan van Eyck’s The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele at the Groeningemuseum in Bruges.  As many times as I left the gallery and walked back in, I couldn’t escape it.  The painting glowed with a brilliant depth of color and mesmerizing realism.  It was a window into some heavenly scene surrounded by dull and simple paintings – which is particularly impressive considering the gallery was filled with works by Hans Memling and even a few small van Eyck’s!  This painting is simply a masterpiece.

Jan van Eyck - The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele

Jan van Eyck – “The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele”

The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele depicts a mystic audience between the Virgin, the infant Christ and Jan van der Paele, a pious Bruges patron shown kneeling mid-prayer.  The group is joined by the patron saint of Bruges St. Dominik of Reims dressed in blue and by St. George the patron saint of Jan van der Paele.  The ensemble resides in a deep arcaded space with colored marble columns and an intricately tiled floor.  While not providing light for the figures, there are warped circular glass windows at the back of the scene that hint of an outside garden.  Small carvings in the throne and in the column capitals show Biblical scenes foreshadowing the birth and sacrifice of Jesus.  Overall, the painting is executed with an incredible realism, both in its conception of the physical space and in the details of the brocade robes, jewels and armor.

Saint Donatian of Reims from Jan van Eyck's "Madonna with Canon van der Paele"

Saint Donatian of Reims from Jan van Eyck’s “Madonna with Canon van der Paele”

While the Madonna and St. George are youthful and elaborately clothed, I was far more drawn to the wrinkled, puffy and sagging face of Canon Peale.  Masterfully executed, you can see all the details of the man’s face without noticing any brushwork.  The naturalism is really stunning; my photo doesn’t do it justice.

Close up of Canon Peale from Jan van Eyck's "The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele"

Close up of Canon Peale from Jan van Eyck’s “The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele”

I was also drawn to the brightly colored carpet underneath the throne.  The pattern is bold, geometric and vaguely Oriental.  This must have been a luxurious detail for contemporary viewers.  I love how well the carpet was painted.  Rather than just filling in the colored pattern, Van Eyck has taken great care to show the weave of the carpet, how it weighs on itself and even how the surface fibers crack over the edge of the step, thus in every way mimicking a real rug.

Rug detail from Jan van Eyck's "The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele"

Rug detail from Jan van Eyck’s “The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele”

I think my least favorite parts of the painting were the rather feature-less Madonna and the strange face of the infant.  Mary looks more like Eve from Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece which is not a flattering portrait.  At least off-setting these detractions, the Virgin’s voluminous and heavy robes are beautiful.  I also appreciate that the child was posed in a more natural, squirming position.

Close up of the Virgin and Child from Jan van Eyck's "Madonna with Canon van der Paele"

Close up of the Virgin and Child from Jan van Eyck’s “Madonna with Canon van der Paele”

I generally don’t buy a lot of souvenirs when I travel, so in retrospect I missed a good one.  The gift shop at the Groeningemuseum actually sold little stuffed green bird toys.  What a brilliant gift idea for a baby shower! In the end, I grabbed a reusable shopping bag for 2Euro.  It’s not nearly as vivid as the real painting, but then again I put groceries in it.  And frankly, I would never get anything done if my shopping bag warranted a few moments of admiration every time I took it out.

Jan van Eyck shopping bag

Jan van Eyck’s The Madonna and Child with Canon van der Paele is quite possibly one of the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen.  It is inconspicuously hidden in a succinct but powerful gallery and well worth the opportunity to stare inches from the surface at the physical painting or to sit quietly and soak in the radiating effect of the whole.

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