Just got back from a trip to Belgium and The Netherlands. Visited some of the most beautiful art museums in the world, and saw so many wonderful paintings. Many were works I have studied, and it was thrilling to see them in person, to closely examine the brush strokes and the layers of paint and to marvel at how much bigger or smaller they were than I imagined. Especially exciting was the chance to see Jan Van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece, arguably the most important group of paintings in the world, and we were the only two people in the room with it! But some of my favourites were the surprises, like this gorgeous post-impressionist windmill from The Mauritshuis, by the master of geometric abstracts, Piet Mondrian. Who knew this was where he started?
And did I mention that Angelina Jolie was at The Mauritshuis with us? The rooms there are so intimate, it was just Angelina and her guide, and my husband and I, hanging out with the Rembrandts. Later, my husband David pointed out that Brad didn’t have to go to any art galleries with his wife….