Art History | Daydream Tourist

Jun 14

Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

Basilica Cistern entrance view, Istanbul (Photo: Daydream Tourist)

How does a city surrounded by the ocean get enough fresh water to support a population of nearly half a million people? The answer for Byzantine Emperors Constantine and Justinian I was a 19km aqueduct that emptied into a massive reservoir beneath Constantinople. Today you can visit the Basilica Cistern; the entrance is about a block away from the Hagia Sophia. The cavernous pool is cool, dimly lit and a quiet retreat from the tourist commotion above. I thought it was incredibly beautiful and peaceful and spent about an hour very slowly wandering through it.

Jun 6

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Back from Turkey

Aphrodisias Agora theater frieze, Turkey, ancient Roman

Aphrodisias Agora theater frieze (Photo: Daydream Tourist)

I just returned from two incredible weeks in Turkey! I’m still processing the experience and my impressions of the country. But on a more practical matter, I’ve only just started looking at my 1300 photographs!

I’ll start with a detail from the Agora at Aphrodisias. The ancient Roman market there was encircled with this Theater Frieze depicting known mythological characters and dramatic masks linked with a floral and fruit garland. The blocks are stacked near the entrance to the site forming a wall of quirky and unique faces. Aphrodisias itself was one of the most impressive archaeological sites I have ever seen and we had it almost completely to ourselves.

May 9

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Picasso and Françoise Gilot Exhibit in NYC

While in New York City this past weekend visiting friends, I happened across a lamp post advertisement featuring one of my favorite portraits ever, Femme au collier jaune (1946) by Pablo Picasso. (This image should be familiar to anyone who reads my blog!) Turns out this privately owned work is in New York as part of the exhibit, “Picasso and Françoise Gilot: Paris–Vallauris 1943–1953” at the Gagosian Gallery from May 2 – June 30, 2012. Having not previously heard about the exhibit, I stumbled upon the poster around the corner from the gallery; clearly this was fate!

May 3

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Munich Secessionists Catalogs

Embossed logo on the cover of the Munich Secessionist catalog (Photo: Princeton University Library)

Having decided that Wahle was part of the Munich Secessionist art movement based on his circle of friends, I sought out the catalogs for the Secessionist exhibits to see if he ever did show his art with this group. While I didn’t find many specifics about this paintings, I did find some key biographical information.