The Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer, also known as The Woman in Gold, by Gustav Klimt.
It's on display at the Neue Galerie in NYC, and when I saw it for the first time, I just started crying and I could not stop. I had seen pictures of it and the movie and knew the story, but seeing it in person was 10000000 times better. No photo can really show the intensity of the gold leaf. It is perfect and I love her so much. I visit every time I'm in New York, just a quick stop, and it's still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.
Wow this discussion is so moving. I'll never forget seeing Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Primavera, and Annunciation on my first trip to Florence last year. I was just completely unprepared for the experience. Also so many of the little artworks my kids made when they were little, which we have either hanging around our home or come across unexpectedly in some old box.
I was really excited to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. The day I went it was so crowded with tourists. She was under glass protection, rather small and hard to see. I love all the impressionists. I was wowed by Vincent Van Gogh's "the Starry Night" owned by MOMA, and was on exhibit at the MetMuseum. In 2023 they had an exhibit called Van Gogh's Cypresses. I have always loved Van Gogh and cypresses. Seeing the Starry Night in person walking right up to it was breathtaking. The paint strokes looked still wet and I wanted to climb right into the painting. That's how real it looked and alive. I think the museum guards frown on that type of thing so I just looked at it for a long time. What talent.❤️❤️
I went to college right across the street from the Cleveland Museum of Art, which had one panel of Monet’s Water Lilies. My freshman year, I would visit the museum and sit in front of the panel and just stare at it. And then my sophomore year, they had a special exhibit that brought all three panels together! It was breathtaking to see all three together, after feeling like I intimately knew that single panel.
I had a similar revelatory experience with the Haystacks series when LA Museum of Art had the Day in the Country exhibit in the 80’s. I’ll never forget being in a smallish room surrounded on all sides by those gorgeous works
The waterlily paintings are mind blowingly beautiful. My first thought when I saw one: "Well, how could you NOT paint something this beautiful? No wonder he was obsessed!" It's like every gorgeous pastel color you can imagine all in one painting.
My mom had discovered the artist in herself later in life. She drew these bright abstract paintings. We were going to go see this modern art masters exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, but then she suddenly died. I went to the exhibit by myself. I knew it was going to be hard, but I wanted to attend as a way to honor my mom. I came upon this Mark Rothko painting. It’s the one of 3 colors - different shades of orange and red. It seemed to be glowing. I sat in front of that painting for awhile. I felt both connected to the grief of my mom’s death, connected to my mom and the energy of life all through the throbbing colors of that paining.
I work in the museum field. Talking with a curator about the intricacies of lighting a Rothko was fascinating. Because the lighting can really affect the feel of the colors in that way. It’s very high stakes!
Also: if you ever get to Houston, go to the Rothko Chapel. It was a very cool experience for his work.
Have you read the novel Metropolitan Stories? One of my favorite bits was about the crew that managed the light directed at the art works. So fascinating!
Oh, I saw one of his at the Smithsonian, in a room with a bowl from like the 9th c or something that echoed the color...The only two things lit in a dark room. Took your breath away. Thanks for rekindling that moment...
Well this question took me immediately to the 1990's Impressionist Gallery at the MFA in Boston. I took my then 11 year old to see it. We both recall with pleasure Renoir's Dance at Bougival which is part of the permanent collection.
I also want to bring forth The Bayeux Tapestry which I saw in Normandy in early 90's. The history that is recorded is well-known and is as controversial as it is reverent. But for me the work of art was stunning. A very (very) amateur stitcher, I had such awe for the quality of the work. I think I stood for hours examining the stitches and then standing back to take in the drama. My husband who was never drawn to stitchery, but had a keen sense of European history was mesmerized as well.
The Bayeux Tapestry was one of my first thoughts as well. To think of the history it depicts, as well of the history of that piece of cloth itself…mind boggling!
This is a little on the darker side, but Guernica. Just...holy shit. The range and intensity of emotions that are in that painting that is just shapes and not even remotely realistic looking is wild.
The coolest piece of art I've ever experienced was in Quebec City in the summer of 2016. (So not sure if it still exist.) After visiting the Musée de la Civilisation, we walked not far into an art installation called Je me souviens d'un hiver. (I remember a winter). There were a few chairs strewn about a grassy area, with a faint mist. It didn't look like winter, but it smelled like I bet it would for a Quebecois!
The placard read, "I remember the Chateau Frontenac and the maple syrup eggs of Catherine's grandma. But most of all, I remember the first numbing snows, the crackling ice of the St. Lawrence, or the sugar loaf and its iced mist."
Yes, you could smell the maple syrup as that brush of cool air hit your face while walking through that little park area. Art for all the senses!
David! After a tour of the Carrara marble mines in Tuscany, we had a whole new appreciation for what was required for the creation of Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
I think Michaelangelo said he doesn't carve into the marble, he frees them from it. Or maybe that was DaVinci. I don't remember. I just love that glimpse into the mind of a sculptor!
I have to second a lot of these choices, Starry Night, the statue of David, Guernica, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, The Garden of Earthly Delights. I will also add the Bernini sculptures at the Borghese Gallery. If I had to pick one it would be Apollo and Daphne. I would also add the marble tombstones which make up the floor of St. John's Cathedral in Malta. Just stunning. And, to add something from Asia, The Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho in Bangkok. I could go on. So many wonderful artworks.
I have seen Apollo and Daphne in person, too! Bernini has so much movement in his works!! Huge sculpture with ability to stop you in your tracks. Breathtaking.
The Sistine Chapel. Yes, I cried, because really, is there any other correct response? But then I want to say, any and every piece of art - whether a scribble by a child or a masterpiece in a gallery - all are lovely, sublime, heart-wrenching, and worthy.
The first piece that comes to mind is Sargent's El Jaleo. I love Sargent's work, from the portraits to his incredible water colors. Living in DC, we are fortunate to have the National Gallery of Art that has a few Sargents and has had exhibits of his work in the past. I will always remember when they were able to have on loan El Jaleo from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Fortunately, there was a very comfortable seat in front of it and I would gaze for as long as I could taking it in. Unforgettable!
Sargent's paintings are really incredible. We saw an exhibit of his works with the fashions alongside them — so cool. The way he could depict both satin and velvet in a portrait is just beyond the beyond. How did he do that?
You had me going through my pics of The Louvre and I have one with my husband in front of The Wedding Feast - now I remember. What really captured my attention amidst all of that glorious art was the Islamic Art room - I couldn't get enough of the designs.
I also remember loving the Kehinde Wiley exhibit at a local museum - I didn't realize how huge the pieces were in scale until I saw them in person. They were magnificent.
Kehinde Wiley paintings are a feast for the eyes. They are huge. And he is a very small man! Wears very eccentric clothes and is very high energy and gregarious. ( I was at an opening once when he was there. Seeing artists in person is so interesting, kind of like seeing authors in person.)
The Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer, also known as The Woman in Gold, by Gustav Klimt.
It's on display at the Neue Galerie in NYC, and when I saw it for the first time, I just started crying and I could not stop. I had seen pictures of it and the movie and knew the story, but seeing it in person was 10000000 times better. No photo can really show the intensity of the gold leaf. It is perfect and I love her so much. I visit every time I'm in New York, just a quick stop, and it's still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.
Don't you love when a painting IRL makes your face explode in tears? What a feeling! I haven't seen that one in person, but I would love to.
Oh seeing that one is on my list!!!
Wow this discussion is so moving. I'll never forget seeing Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Primavera, and Annunciation on my first trip to Florence last year. I was just completely unprepared for the experience. Also so many of the little artworks my kids made when they were little, which we have either hanging around our home or come across unexpectedly in some old box.
I love this comment for pointing out that masterpieces come in all shapes and styles :-) So sweet.
I was really excited to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. The day I went it was so crowded with tourists. She was under glass protection, rather small and hard to see. I love all the impressionists. I was wowed by Vincent Van Gogh's "the Starry Night" owned by MOMA, and was on exhibit at the MetMuseum. In 2023 they had an exhibit called Van Gogh's Cypresses. I have always loved Van Gogh and cypresses. Seeing the Starry Night in person walking right up to it was breathtaking. The paint strokes looked still wet and I wanted to climb right into the painting. That's how real it looked and alive. I think the museum guards frown on that type of thing so I just looked at it for a long time. What talent.❤️❤️
Van Gogh's paintings are *so* alive — all that paint layered on the canvas. You're so right that it looks like it's still wet.
I went to college right across the street from the Cleveland Museum of Art, which had one panel of Monet’s Water Lilies. My freshman year, I would visit the museum and sit in front of the panel and just stare at it. And then my sophomore year, they had a special exhibit that brought all three panels together! It was breathtaking to see all three together, after feeling like I intimately knew that single panel.
What a great story!
I had a similar revelatory experience with the Haystacks series when LA Museum of Art had the Day in the Country exhibit in the 80’s. I’ll never forget being in a smallish room surrounded on all sides by those gorgeous works
Me too with Haystacks, when they had them all in Chicago.
The waterlily paintings are mind blowingly beautiful. My first thought when I saw one: "Well, how could you NOT paint something this beautiful? No wonder he was obsessed!" It's like every gorgeous pastel color you can imagine all in one painting.
I’m also a CWRU grad! The Cleveland Museum of Art is amazing, I took it for granted growing up nearby.
Hi, fellow spartan!! 💙🤍
My mom had discovered the artist in herself later in life. She drew these bright abstract paintings. We were going to go see this modern art masters exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, but then she suddenly died. I went to the exhibit by myself. I knew it was going to be hard, but I wanted to attend as a way to honor my mom. I came upon this Mark Rothko painting. It’s the one of 3 colors - different shades of orange and red. It seemed to be glowing. I sat in front of that painting for awhile. I felt both connected to the grief of my mom’s death, connected to my mom and the energy of life all through the throbbing colors of that paining.
Phew, what an experience. How beautiful and poignant!
I work in the museum field. Talking with a curator about the intricacies of lighting a Rothko was fascinating. Because the lighting can really affect the feel of the colors in that way. It’s very high stakes!
Also: if you ever get to Houston, go to the Rothko Chapel. It was a very cool experience for his work.
Have you read the novel Metropolitan Stories? One of my favorite bits was about the crew that managed the light directed at the art works. So fascinating!
https://strongsenseofplace.com/books/metropolitan_stories_coulson/
I have not! I’ll have to add it to my list.
Thanks for the tip! It looks amazing !
Oh my gosh, what a wonderful story! Now I'm crying. And yes, Rothkos do look like they are glowing! I know just what you mean.
Oh, I saw one of his at the Smithsonian, in a room with a bowl from like the 9th c or something that echoed the color...The only two things lit in a dark room. Took your breath away. Thanks for rekindling that moment...
Well this question took me immediately to the 1990's Impressionist Gallery at the MFA in Boston. I took my then 11 year old to see it. We both recall with pleasure Renoir's Dance at Bougival which is part of the permanent collection.
I also want to bring forth The Bayeux Tapestry which I saw in Normandy in early 90's. The history that is recorded is well-known and is as controversial as it is reverent. But for me the work of art was stunning. A very (very) amateur stitcher, I had such awe for the quality of the work. I think I stood for hours examining the stitches and then standing back to take in the drama. My husband who was never drawn to stitchery, but had a keen sense of European history was mesmerized as well.
I would really like to go see The Bayeux Tapestry. I love textile works so much, and I feel like they don't get as much attention as other media.
It’s got to be one of the first graphic novels ever!
The Bayeux Tapestry was one of my first thoughts as well. To think of the history it depicts, as well of the history of that piece of cloth itself…mind boggling!
Oh wow that sounds amazing.
This is a little on the darker side, but Guernica. Just...holy shit. The range and intensity of emotions that are in that painting that is just shapes and not even remotely realistic looking is wild.
PS I also love Las Meninas.
YES to both of these!
Sorta related: We were very into (and disturbed by) Goya's black paintings at the Prado. Holy schmoley.
I'm not a big Picasso fan, but Guernica is a super powerful painting. I bet that was intense to see in person. It's huge, right?
enormous. like an entire wall.
My husband and I would visit Guernica every time we were in NYC while it was still there. A very intense experience.
The coolest piece of art I've ever experienced was in Quebec City in the summer of 2016. (So not sure if it still exist.) After visiting the Musée de la Civilisation, we walked not far into an art installation called Je me souviens d'un hiver. (I remember a winter). There were a few chairs strewn about a grassy area, with a faint mist. It didn't look like winter, but it smelled like I bet it would for a Quebecois!
The placard read, "I remember the Chateau Frontenac and the maple syrup eggs of Catherine's grandma. But most of all, I remember the first numbing snows, the crackling ice of the St. Lawrence, or the sugar loaf and its iced mist."
Yes, you could smell the maple syrup as that brush of cool air hit your face while walking through that little park area. Art for all the senses!
That sounds so magical! I love how some exhibitions are ephemeral — like a stage production or special moments in real life. So cool.
David! After a tour of the Carrara marble mines in Tuscany, we had a whole new appreciation for what was required for the creation of Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
A tour of the Carrara marble mine? What a cool idea! Putting it on my bucket list!
I think Michaelangelo said he doesn't carve into the marble, he frees them from it. Or maybe that was DaVinci. I don't remember. I just love that glimpse into the mind of a sculptor!
I have to mention one more that I haven't seen listed on this thread. The Pieta in St. Peter's is Rome is stunning.
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. 50th Birthday- Chicago Art Institute at time of my birth. 11:32am
WHAT?! That's so cool.
I have to second a lot of these choices, Starry Night, the statue of David, Guernica, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, The Garden of Earthly Delights. I will also add the Bernini sculptures at the Borghese Gallery. If I had to pick one it would be Apollo and Daphne. I would also add the marble tombstones which make up the floor of St. John's Cathedral in Malta. Just stunning. And, to add something from Asia, The Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho in Bangkok. I could go on. So many wonderful artworks.
I have seen Apollo and Daphne in person, too! Bernini has so much movement in his works!! Huge sculpture with ability to stop you in your tracks. Breathtaking.
The Sistine Chapel. Yes, I cried, because really, is there any other correct response? But then I want to say, any and every piece of art - whether a scribble by a child or a masterpiece in a gallery - all are lovely, sublime, heart-wrenching, and worthy.
Strong agree.
We saw the statue of David in Florence last summer. It was sublime.
I love how marble statues look like they glow in person.
The first piece that comes to mind is Sargent's El Jaleo. I love Sargent's work, from the portraits to his incredible water colors. Living in DC, we are fortunate to have the National Gallery of Art that has a few Sargents and has had exhibits of his work in the past. I will always remember when they were able to have on loan El Jaleo from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Fortunately, there was a very comfortable seat in front of it and I would gaze for as long as I could taking it in. Unforgettable!
Sargent's paintings are really incredible. We saw an exhibit of his works with the fashions alongside them — so cool. The way he could depict both satin and velvet in a portrait is just beyond the beyond. How did he do that?
I bet that is a stare- worthy painting!
You had me going through my pics of The Louvre and I have one with my husband in front of The Wedding Feast - now I remember. What really captured my attention amidst all of that glorious art was the Islamic Art room - I couldn't get enough of the designs.
I also remember loving the Kehinde Wiley exhibit at a local museum - I didn't realize how huge the pieces were in scale until I saw them in person. They were magnificent.
Oooh, it's so fun to see paintings in real life to see their dimensions. I love that!
Kehinde Wiley paintings are a feast for the eyes. They are huge. And he is a very small man! Wears very eccentric clothes and is very high energy and gregarious. ( I was at an opening once when he was there. Seeing artists in person is so interesting, kind of like seeing authors in person.)