We headed to Cambridge and Boston on a hot and summery day. It is a close escape from home, a drive shy of two and a half hours. We stayed on the Cambridge side of the Charles River and enjoyed traversing back and forth by foot over the Harvard Bridge into Boston, and on our way we admired the sailboats and rowers along the river. I am drawn to Boston’s distinctive look of red brick buildings and sidewalks and one of the most photographed streets in Boston—Acorn Street in Beacon Hill. We started with a walk down Newberry Street in search of lunch, and we took delight in the red brick buildings and bay windows, one with a verdigris facade. We popped into the occasional boutique, soaked up the local vibes, and landed in one of the cafes on the street, where we toasted to the start of séjour with an Aperol Spritz and for my son a beer.
Harvard Art Museums
Upon entering the light-filled Calderwood courtyard at the museum one finds Carlos Morales’s mobile, Triangle Constellation 2015, suspended from above. The first thing that hit me was the scale of the enlarged musical triangles that make up this mobile. It is also an instrument, and its melody permeates the space and adjacent galleries. The Harvard Art Museums are three museums under one roof, the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler. The collection is vast and varied. It includes well-loved artists such as Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Giovanni Antonio Canaletto, Gustave Klimt, Piet Mondrian, Constantin Brancusi, and many more.
Gallery of modern and contemporary Art
Italian Futurism looks like an offshoot of Cubism. In this context, I reference Gino Severini’s painting Yellow Dancers (1911-1912) with human forms reduced into geometric shapes. I was completely turned off and appalled when I learned of the artist’s fascist ties and the movement itself, and yet from a historical point of view, I understand its inclusion in the gallery. Constantin Brancusi’s sculpture Caryatid II (1914; reworked 1926), Brancusi’s sculpture draws from the classical architecture of a Caryatid—with draped a female figure that double as support columns.
One could easily overlook the subtle references to anthropomorphism in Brancusi’s Caryatid II, and the simplicity and rough-hewn qualities of Brancusi’s work nod to the vernacular architecture of his native Romania. These two works of art offer a glimpse of what this particular gallery includes. Room 1300 focuses on early twentieth-century art, an era known for eschewing the conventions of the previous one and as an era of political unrest and the devastation of World War I. This gallery is a visual summary of its era and includes many works of Picasso, Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, and others.
Imagine me and you
We caught this compelling temporary exhibit Imagine Me and You drawing one’s attention to the cultural exchange of the arts, culture, diplomacy, and mercantile of the Low Countries, and the Islamic World. This exhibition dispels the typical narrative of only religious discord between the two faiths of Christianity and Islam. It is a beautiful exhibition that spans three centuries and roughly one hundred and twenty objects. There were so many takeaways and to share one, it would be portraits of tulips which were big part of Tulipomania. The depictions are exquisite; the watercolor portraits are a visual delight. The tulip portraits of Jacob Marrel were included in the exhibition and they were depicted in transparent and opaque watercolor, with traces of graphite and painted on parchment paper. Sometimes artists painted from the tulips themselves and sometimes after another artists rendition. Either way they are very appealing.
The beautiful variety Semper Augustus was most sought after for its streaked red color against white petals. Sadly, this particular variety ceases to exist but fortunately its portraits do. Tulipomania was a cultural phenomenon that peaked around 1630. It was a time when fine arts, horticultural knowledge, and connoisseurship were flourishing. Portraits were collected by the status-seeking wealthy and their wannabes. The exhibition Imagine Me and You shows us that things have not changed despite in many ways, and the world continues to be largely at unrest. We continue to trade, exchange and share ideas, diplomatically solve problems, and to seek beauty in nature and in art.
After visiting a museum, I tend to read up on what I saw. I ask myself questions: What was it in the first place that caught my eye and lured me in? Was it the shapes, the color, the subject matter, the artist's skilled hand, or the materials used? And, yes it is a history lesson revisited through a myriad of objects, paintings and sculptures.
What’s for dinner?
Earlier that day, we drove by an Afghan restaurant in Cambridge called The Helmand, so we decided to give it a go, and we got lucky. Even though it fills up quickly, we got a good table without a reservation. I liked the energy of the restaurant. The diners were enjoying their meals and their company.
I ordered vegetarian Sabzi Challow, a flavorful sautéed spinach dish spiced with cumin and coriander served with rice and mushrooms. My son had Mourg Chicken breasts sautéed with spices, yellow split peas, yogurt with cilantro, and curry served with challow rice. The restaurant offers a broad wine list, and I opted for an alcohol-free drink. Doogh is a savory yogurt drink and is a perfect cooling drink for a hot day. We skipped dessert and finished our meal with a cup of tea flavored with cardamom. Since my return, I have been googling recipes for vegetarian Sabzi. I hope I will get around to making it.
Before heading home, we walked around Beacon Hill in the on-and-off rain and into the occasional gallery. Beacon Hill reminds me of the movie The Thomas Crown Affair with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway and the unforgettable kiss scene with stylishly dressed McQueen and Dunaway on Acorn Street. We grabbed lunch at Cobblestones, a cute place for a light bite. It was a brief visit, and I wished we could have lingered longer.