Feb 10
St. John’s Hospital in Bruges is an excellent example of when preservation and art exhibition are done correctly. A former pilgrim’s hospital, the grand hall and church have been transformed into a museum. The space exhibits art and medical objects from the history of the clinic, plus a very special section dedicated to Bruges’ most famous resident and Flemish Primitive painter Hans Memling.
Memling Museum, St. John’s Hospital, Bruges
Everyone knows the beautiful Library of Celsus, part of the the ancient ruins of Ephesus in Turkey. Frequently on the cover of travel guides or prominently displayed in collections of evocative travel photos, everyone dreams of seeing this place someday. Well, at least it seems that way once you get to Ephesus… As I watched crowds hustled through the ruins, it only re-affirmed my love of slow travel. I had an amazing visit to the archaeological site and am really happy that I spent the entire day there.
Me, some dedicated travelers, and the Library of Celsus in Ephesus.
The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme. This month we are focusing on Artistic Periods or Movements. Check our the other periods we’ve picked by looking at the all the ArtSmart posts below. This month we welcome a new writer to the ArtSmart team – Alexandra of ArtTrav! Alexandra is based in Florence, Italy and is an art historian turned blogger. We are super excited to have her in the group!
I definitely have my favorite and not so favorite periods of art (I’m looking at you French Rococo). I like drama without being intense. I like skilled painting but a step back from photographic realism. I definitely like good use of light and dark space on a canvas. And so I love the Spanish Baroque.
Francisco Ribalta – “Christ Embracing St Bernard”, 1625-27, Museo del Prado, Madrid
It’s actually pretty hard to find the World War I battlefields in Northern France. Infamous for the bloody stalemate that lasted there for years, the land has now returned to tranquil fields. While contemplating this change driving through the Somme Valley, I happened across the American Cemetery. The front gate and chapel door were unclosed, but there was not a single person to be seen. I thought it fitting on Veterans Day (also known as Remembrance Day in the UK and Canada, and Armistice Day in France) which commemorates the November 11, 1918 end of World War I, that we visit this quiet cemetery in the French countryside and think about these forgotten battles that took the lives of these soldiers.
The Somme American Cemetery and Monument seems to pop up out of nowhere, interrupting miles of French farmland.
The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme. This month we are discussing Color! Color has enchanted artists and art lovers for centuries and we’ve picked some exciting topics; you can find links below for the rest of the group’s posts. I love bright colors, contrasting color, subtle transitions of color, and rich tones, but this month I want to talk about one particularly unique color which is intrinsically tied in my mind to entire collection of objects. I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egyptian blue Faience.
The iconic Blue Hippopotamus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most well-known blue faience pieces. It was created in approximately 1981–1885 BCE in Middle Egypt.
Daydream Tourist 