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Museum of Fine Arts Boston
by Rebecca Rabb
A little while back, I was lucky enough to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I was immediately impressed not only with the collections they boast, but also with the building itself (which is currently being enlarged), and the overall atmosphere. For the general public the admission price is $20.00. Seniors and students gain admission for $18.00. They have a great selection of works; from paintings to photography, to decorative arts, and sculptures - all in different periods and styles. Once you have bought your ticket, you are given a very helpful map. Immediately, due to personal interest, I was drawn to the European arts display.
Spending most of my life in Austin, Texas, where there is no access to a large, permanent fine arts museum, I was in awe of some of the works that were before me. Monet, and Rembrandt are just two of the big names that are housed in Boston's Fine Arts Museum. In fact, this museum has the largest collection of Monet's paintings in the United States; as well as the largest collection of paintings and pastels from Jean-François Millet. The European collection boasts approximately 1,600 paintings in total, including works from Dutch, English, Italian, French and Spanish masters, just to name a few.
If you don't find yourself in Boston anytime soon, the museum has an extensive website that has detailed, interactive photos of its works. The photographs are so detailed, you will feel like you are there... you might even catch yourself reaching out to your computer screen to try and touch the paintings. Be warned, though, touching your computer screen is a bad idea! Touching the works in the museum is far worse! As much as you may be tempted to feel it for yourself, you must keep your composure. As great as the documentation of the paintings are, there is no comparison to seeing the works in real life. For me, once I set my eyes upon Monet's masterpieces, it was as if I was traveling back through time and standing right next to Monet as he applied each careful stroke to the canvas. I was able to enjoy getting up-close and personal with many of the European master's works.
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After exploring the website further, I came across their collection of photographs. Photography was my major in college, so, of course, I was giddy with excitement! While the collection is extensive (including names such as Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Louis Jacques Daguerre, and William Talbot); I hate to say that I was slightly disappointed. Many of the works are not available for viewing at the museum. In fact, I was hard-pressed to find even one that was available for viewing. While at the museum, I was not even aware that the museum housed such a photography collection- or even a photography collection at all. This, to me was also a major disappointment. Even on the website, many of the photographs listed do not have an accompanying image. Those that are shown have incredible detail, similar in detail to the documented paintings. A major plus is that you have the ability of ordering exact replicas of many of the photographs themselves. To me this helped make up for everything else that was lacking.
Even with the photography set back, the museum as a whole (including their website) was extremely impressive- as any art lover will tell you who has been out to see what Boston's Museum of Fine Arts has to offer.
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