What: Manet’s circa 1865-1870 large masterpiece depicts the 19th-century equivalent of today’s homeless man pushing a shopping cart full of tin cans. Dazzling yellow, vivid blue, green and red make this work, painted in August 1888, perhaps the artist’s most daring coloristic experiment to date. What: Van Gogh’s portrait of a shepherd from Provençal is one of the most famous works of art in the museum’s collection. This 1633 painting is considered by many to be his masterpiece in the still-life genre and the only one he signed and dated. What: Francisco de Zurbaran might not be a household name, but his work is revered by art lovers and he was one of the most acclaimed artists in 17th-century Spain. Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose This is also the only painting by Rafael on display west of Chicago. One of the highlights of the painting is the inscription in the book that introduces the Nones of the Canonical Offices or ninth hour honoring Christ’s crucifixion and death, which is recited daily by monastic communities. What: Raphael created this intriguing meditation piece circa 1502-1503. Our “things to see” series continues with a look at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, guided by director of external affairs Leslie Denk. I think that he became feverish about art in the same way.Time may be at a premium these days, but that doesn’t mean you will have to miss out on some of the best and most beautiful sights in Southern California. It was almost as if he collected companies. "One of the practices in his business was to acquire companies that were not doing well and to turn them around. Simon was an industrialist, a businessman," Campbell says. But Simon was above all a businessman - and he collected art like one. His tutors in art education were important art dealers in New York. He was a quick learner and a big spender. Over the next years, Simon bought 80 works of art, spending about $1.5 million. Every Saturday morning, when he went to have his hair cut, he'd see art in the window display. There happened to be an art gallery next door to his barber shop in the old Ambassador Hotel. His wife and a decorator had picked out some art for the new home in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He bought the works to decorate his new house, Campbell says. He paid $16,000 for a late Renoir and $300 for a painting by 20th century American artist Dan Lutz. He purchased the rare, 15th-century work for $4.2 million.īefore the Bouts and the Rembrandts, Simon's earliest purchases were comparatively modest. The most expensive piece Simon ever bought was Resurrection, by Flemish painter Dieric Bouts. And the museum is rarely crowded, so there's no need to fight for a closer look at Degas' dancers, early Flemish tapestries, 14th-century altarpieces or Rembrandt's Portrait of a Boy - thought to be his son Titus. You won't fall victim to common museum perils - sore feet or exhaustion. No more than 800 or 900 of those pieces are on display in his Pasadena museum at any one time, so visitors can't see everything in a single visit. His accomplishment is measured by some 8,000 works of art, collected over three decades, starting in 1954. He wanted to be the best and have the best - and often, he succeeded. So Simon asked Togneri to pass along this question: "Of all the Raphaels in the world, where does mine come in among the top five?" He had come to the Getty in search of her boss, but that curator was unavailable. Enlarge to see the full wool tapestry, woven with silk and gold threads.īut after gathering the information so democratically, Simon would do whatever he wanted, Campbell says.Ĭhief Curator Carol Togneri met Simon when she was working at the Getty Museum. Above, a detail of a 16th-century tapestry, Holy Family With Music-Making Angels, by Flanders.
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