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Mar 12

wood fence, Nauset Light Beach, Cape Cod
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A Day on Cape Cod

Maybe its because I’m really ready for Spring, but I’ve been thinking a lot about summer in Cape Cod.  After 3 years in New England, I only got to the Cape this past year, and even then for only a day.  Like a lot of the coastal US, the communities along the Cape were filled with summer cottages, ice cream shops, fish fry stands and eclectic craft shops.  Everything seemed to exude the relaxation and fun of a summer vacation destination.  I enjoyed exploring the extensive windswept beaches, the sea-side trails and a chance to take in the crashing waves.  Cape Cod has had a rough winter with damaging wind and high tides.  Hopefully the erosion has been minimal and the beaches are still there waiting for Spring too.

Nauset Lighthouse Beach along the Eastern coast of Cape Cod:

Nauset Beach, Cape Cod Read more

Mar 7

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Celtic Gothic Figures

While I love Gothic art, there is something especially appealing about the Irish Gothic style.  The heavy infusion of Celtic design and the stylized figures energize this art and gives it a playful feel.  Many of the medieval ruins I found in Ireland where not particularly ornate which made the appearance of Gothic figures and motifs that much more enjoyable.

Doorway decoration from the Monastery at Dysert O’Dea (County Clare):

Doorway decoration from the Monastery at Dysert O'Dea. Read more

Mar 4

Robert Campin and workshop, "Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece)", 1427–32 (Photo: The Cloisters Collection)
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ArtSmart Roundtable – Medieval Europe at the Cloisters, New York City

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art history-focused travel blogs with a post on a common theme.  For March we are discussing Art Worth Traveling For.  You can find links below to all the group’s amazing destinations this month.  We also want to welcome the Roundtable’s newest member, Murissa from The Wanderfull Traveler!

I love medieval art and architecture.  In the back of my mind, I have the perfect medieval art itinerary planned: starting among the great Cathedrals of France, I move south through the Pyrenees into Spain and enjoy all the pilgrimage churches along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.  Someday I’ll do all of this!  But in the meantime, for an infusion of Medieval art without leaving the US, I have to recommend a visit to the hauntingly beautiful Cloisters Museum in New York City.  Going far beyond the normal concept of a museum, the Cloisters recreates the atmosphere of a medieval monastery by literally transporting parts from Europe and reconstructing them in Northern Manhattan.

Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloisters, New York City

The Cloister from Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, (ca. 1130–40) as can be viewed at the Cloisters Museum in New York City. This structure is Catalan in style but is from present day France. (Photo: The Cloisters Collection)

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