I woke up this morning and what did I spy outside the living room window but some rain. However, I figured it would still be the perfect day to go to the Miró Museum like I had scheduled for myself (yes, I have a schedule made for my remaining 10 days here). Getting there was another thing as I realized Miró is up on Montjuic but I didn’t remember how far up. I ended up taking the metro to Plaza Espanya (yes, they spell it like that without the squiggly thing over the “n”) and walking up and up and up and then down and around and then up. In the rain. At least I had my umbrella, I thought to myself, and at least once I get to the museum I will be in shelter and out of the rain. Well, not only did I think that rain in Barcelona seemed a good idea to head to the Miró Musuem because the rest of the tourists in this beachfront city also thought the same. I ended up having to wait in line for an hour! I am not going to say it was worth every minute of the rain, considering I kept getting jostled by the umbrella behind me, which belonged to a three-person French family, but I am glad I went.
I didn’t know that Miró is a true Catalan artist and I learned there is more to his childlike paintings of birds and women (two common themes in his works) with their bright elementary colors; a lot of work had to do with speaking out against the Spanish Civil War as he had a lot of pride in his Catalan heritage. Another part of the museum that I really enjoyed (which my aunt and uncle had told me about when I saw them as they had just been to the museum) was that there was a whole section of artwork which was a collection from various artists of the 20th century who donated their work to the museum after Miró passed away. Joan Miró himself was the one who had the idea to start the museum and it was designed by his friend, Josep Lluis Sert, a Catalan architect. The building itself is fun to look at from the outside but figuring your way around the inside was not so much fun. And I am not just saying that because I have zero sense of direction; the ordering made no sense in terms of seeing the collections and getting a better insight of his chronological working as I prefer to see a museum dedicated to one artist (a la the Picasso Museum which was curated PERFECTLY in my opinion). All in all, it was a good trip and I am glad I stood in the rain for it; just not glad my umbrella and the one behind me were at war for space in the air.
There is no photography allowed in the museum so here is a sampling of the outside for you. This sculpture (the last photo) was loved by this boisterous 7-year old in line near me who kept running over and holding it’s arm or crawling through it’s legs. I of course realized there was no way I would be getting a photo of the sculpture without the boy so took my photo of it afterwards.
I didn’t know that Miró is a true Catalan artist and I learned there is more to his childlike paintings of birds and women (two common themes in his works) with their bright elementary colors; a lot of work had to do with speaking out against the Spanish Civil War as he had a lot of pride in his Catalan heritage. Another part of the museum that I really enjoyed (which my aunt and uncle had told me about when I saw them as they had just been to the museum) was that there was a whole section of artwork which was a collection from various artists of the 20th century who donated their work to the museum after Miró passed away. Joan Miró himself was the one who had the idea to start the museum and it was designed by his friend, Josep Lluis Sert, a Catalan architect. The building itself is fun to look at from the outside but figuring your way around the inside was not so much fun. And I am not just saying that because I have zero sense of direction; the ordering made no sense in terms of seeing the collections and getting a better insight of his chronological working as I prefer to see a museum dedicated to one artist (a la the Picasso Museum which was curated PERFECTLY in my opinion). All in all, it was a good trip and I am glad I stood in the rain for it; just not glad my umbrella and the one behind me were at war for space in the air.
There is no photography allowed in the museum so here is a sampling of the outside for you. This sculpture (the last photo) was loved by this boisterous 7-year old in line near me who kept running over and holding it’s arm or crawling through it’s legs. I of course realized there was no way I would be getting a photo of the sculpture without the boy so took my photo of it afterwards.
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