From the Sands of Egypt to the Gardens of France

that was the trip we took on our Day at the Museum.
First strolling through the well displayed and arrayed exhibit about the Boy King, starting actually long before the titular center of the show, we ended up in a lecture about the Gardens of Paris, an adjunct lecture the the current exhibit at the MFA.

Parc Monceau, Paris

Which was presented in such humorous way that we decided to spend an extra hour or so on the second floor wandering through the Exhibit "Life and Luxury, the art of Living in 18th Paris",
a formidable example of excesses of  luxury is the "lit a laTurque"on loan from the Getty Museumwhich extended to also large private gardens of dreamy, (see Parc Monceau pictures in today's Paris -sadly only a small remnant of the original), not to say excessive landscapes, seemingly on the rebound from the formal life at Versailles with its geometric gardensand open vistas. And perhaps a last "dance on the edge of a volcano"-
since shortly after, Madame Guillotine and the Sans Culotes took over life in France for while until Napoleon!

But back to Egypt and its most seductive Pharaoh.. the boy king Tutankhamen, who died young.
Ever since Carter discovered his tomb and the huge treasures in it
we have lusted for more information on this gilded boy.
Several years ago a similar exhibit toured here and was a similar success - for the reason stated above. AND boy did we get it! Including to an array of trinkets, headcoverings,  magnates, imitation jewelry, books, and more - all for sale at the cunningly located exhibition gift shop at the end. One simply could not avoid it!

Yes, Tut's mummy stays in Egypt, but through advances in medicinal research we are credibly informed (at the exhibit via video) that TUT's papa was Akhnaton, the revolutionary founder of the Sun=Aten religion, whose colossal statue is featured in the show, as well as other rulers of 30 dynasties that reigned in Egypt over 2,000-year, such as the Pharaoh - queen Hatshepsut.
and we see one of her statues.
And there is the sarcophagus of Tutmosis' cat (BTW if you have ever read any of the 'Amelia Peabody'  serial books by Elizabeth Peters placed mostly in Egypt -  the family's cat Bastet comes to mind ;-)!

 the simple wooden bed

We learn about the way of life- presented in easy read plaques,
 the numerous attendants to the court, the importance of scribes, and architects... all Pharaohs upon coronation immediately start building tombs.
The expectations of an after life with all the luxuries (represented by miniature, even life sized, funereal gifts which upon rebirth would miraculously spring to life as the full sized boat, servants etc.) certainly caught our imagination. And the bed which is rather plain and simple-compare that to the bed of 18th Paris? :-)!! But never fear there was also found a gilded bed in the tomb... not on display here!
The huge number of shabtis (servants, followers of the king to be there for him after rebirth) was mind boggling, even though only a few were actually shown, but each distinctly different as humans would be in real life.
And a thoroughly modern looking item a pole encased in an alabaster jar with animal skin attached that ends in a papyrus, representing the god Anubis, really caught my attention.
I went back several times to look at it, walk around it to admire its simplicity and clean lines.
A trip well worth taking!

Rio Taxi from and to SAMA

On a sunny day - perfect weather, just enough of a breeze, enough of warm sunshine and not too many crowds strolling the Riverwalk. We treated ourselves to the RIO TAXI ride round trip down to 9ft lower river achieved by using a gravity lock and dam system to lower the barge the 9ft, and then back up reversing the feat..that extension is new and pristine, that is there are NO restaurants, bars and shops, just a pleasant walk along the San Antonio river on paths edged with flowers and native Texan plants...or ..by Rio Taxi.

 One View of Riverwalk Extension

 Before we sat and enjoyed the views of and on the RIO (photos by artandhockey to be posted next week)
we strolled through the exhibition of Live Forever..or so the ancient Egyptians believed.
Stocking their tombs with mummified animals, jewels, scarabs, statuettes of ;servants' and much more.

"To Live Forever" photo courtesy Brooklyn via San Antonio Museums enews
This exhibition features many objects from the Brooklyn Museum's Egyptian collection, including stone and painted wood coffins, a remarkable linen shroud, jewelry and protective amulets, and the mummy of a wealthy man named Demetrios.
No photos allowed.

"No Escape"..well really adequately named, these photographs are truly absurd, weird, but colorful and so really hit your eyes, there IS no escape from their impact, one way or another...art in the eye of the beholder, as was also the Contemporary Art wing (artandhockey's photos from the permanent exhibitions to come)... very contemporary.. I think no artist was born before 1945 or later!
Photographs of the Brothers Montiel Klint - source the SAMA enews

Gerardo Montiel Klint de Tehuacan, Puebla, Mexico "La inminente caida del ciego".

A partir de una obra de Pieter Bruegel,  from the series 'Desierto Tehuacán Puebla' (after Brueghel



Although ten years apart in age,
Fernando (born 1978) and
Gerardo
Montiel Klint (born 1968) use staged
photography with provocative scenarios' In Gerardo’s photographs, figures are usually alone, both indoors and outdoors. By contrast, Fernando’s photos show people who look  fearfully claustrophobic in enclosed areas.



The SAMA
San Antonio Museum of Art

After the round trip ride...how it HAS changed from when we saw it 30 years ago..lush landscaping, public art on display, hotels and more hotels facing the river, Bexar Courthouse towering above.
The, then not existing, River center complete with Christmas Tree, and all along candelarias ready for lightening at night, and lights strung from every conceivable tree branch to be lit at dusk.
We've been told that the new extension will be lit from beneath the water!
Bridges are studded with birdsong sounds.
Cunningly installed mirrors are ready to make waves at dusk, literally.
And everywhere along that new stretch, there are condos and apartments springing up - although not for  monetary handicapped wanna be owners or renters!