My newest book:
Van Gogh and Expressionism: an exhibition at the Neue Galerie
Neue Galerie, a wonderful little jewel of a museum, is housed in a beautiful mansion on Fifth Ave. The exhibitions there are always small and exquisite but the current one, "Van Gogh and Expressionism" is a perfect gem! I hadn't known that Van Gogh had a big influence on German and Austrian Expressionists and it was a revelation to see his paintings juxtaposed to works by artists such as Kokoschka, Schiele and Kandinsky.
Sometimes you see a painting you just wish you could take home, and the painting above by Kandinsky is one of them. It's called "Murnau Street with Women" (1908) and I discovered that it is part of a whole series of paintings done in that town in the Bavarian Alps in the years around 1908, all with this rich saturated palette of glowing colors. This particular painting is so inspirational to me: as I'm working on my own pictures I am trying to learn some lessons from it, and hoping that it will exert its influence on me!
The entire exhibition is contained in just a few rooms, but it seems much bigger because there are so many fantastic paintings to see, including "The Bedroom" (1889) by Van Gogh. We see this painting so much in reproduction, but it is thrilling and startling to see it in person. The colors are so vivid and and the brush strokes so vigorous. (This is another favorite painting of mine and if you know my book Night City you might recognize how it inspired me!)
And the perfect finish to a visit to the Neue Galerie is a stop at their Cafe Sabarsky. The cakes are some of the very best in the whole city! Klimtorte (chocolate and hazelnut cake), Sachertorte Viennese chocolate cake), Schwartzwalder Kirschtorte (chocolate cake with cream and cherries)and many more...irresistible! For more about the museum, exhibition and cafe, go to www.neuegalerie.org
The Van Gogh show is on until July 2 - don't miss it!