Week 52: Dec. 29, 2024
Bysantine Art and The Genius of Art, Andrew T. Schwartz, 1931, Oil on canvas mounted to wall
A year of art…
The eastern stairway of the original Nelson Atkins building is a work of art in itself. The walls are covered in 11 murals representing great cultural epochs in the history of art, and surround them by representations of Truth, Beauty, and Genius.
I chose this picture as the final piece of my year-long journal because it was positioned in a stairwell - one I have travelled up and down hundreds of times this year, and over the past nine years in KC. Looking up the stairs is a reminder that there is still so much more, to see, to learn, to feel, and to appreciate.
Last week, we took our 13- and 14-year-old grandchildren to the Nelson Atkins and instead of trying to take it all in with younger guests, we instead said that we would go and find 4 things in the museum. Each of us got to pick out something that we knew of or wanted to find - - and then we went to see it. I recommend the tactic. It turned the trip into a treasure hunt of sorts!
David wanted to see the Knight in armor. He has always loved it and wanted the kids to see it. Isa chose to see ‘the mummy’ so we headed to the ancient Egyptian art and I shared the view that I had photographed a month earlier. Caden wanted to see ‘something from Japan’ so we headed upstairs and ended up being more intrigued by the view out over Roselle Court than the Japanese art. And I struggled with what to pick because I knew that there were 51 different things that I had come to know and love over the past 51 weeks - and we couldn’t go see them all. So I chose the Chinese Temple that has been a part of the Nelson since the 1930s but is made up of a coffered vault, panels, doors, and murals from the 14th-18th centuries.
What I take away from this year’s experience is a love for the exploration; the comfort of seeing my ‘old friends’ when I walk through the museum, and the joy of finding yet another surprise each time I visit.
Not sure what this diary will become in 2025, but I look forward to growing my skills in photography, having an excuse to explore, and finding beauty and surprises in the world.
