0b2a3efcb0aa7cbe6d312c1e8d93f768ff3c356d Bangladesh Tourism

Bangladesh: Art and the Solo Traveler Art and the Solo Traveler - Bangladesh

Art and the Solo Traveler

I was going back and forth with a fellow traveler about visiting a museum on her travels and I'd like to share some thoughts about art museums with my fellow solos.

Not all of you are into art. That's fine. I will make an observation later.

Two anecdotes, because Reddit: I wanted to see the Mona Lisa. Yes, it is cliche. The sophisticados say it is overrated. That's not the point. You see this image in memes, calendars, pop culture and hear it in songs. I wanted to go. I brought my companion to the Louvre before it opened, just like everyone else, waited a while to get in, and made a beeline to the room (which was as far from the entrance as you can get, IIRC - I'm sure someone will correct me).

I got there and noticed it was much smaller than I thought, and I stood there closely examining every brushstroke and texture (which you can't with a print or meme) and contemplated the process of making the painting. I burned the image into my brain. My companion huffed and sighed and roamed around the room. Being female, I felt Emotionally Responsible for his sense of amusement and pleasure (not thinking he's a grown-ass man and can say, "I'm going to wander, be back in a half hour). Why did I have to feel apologetic for having great pleasure for a half hour on an 8 day trip? I did things he liked for hours and did not huff and puff and sigh.

As a solo, I got a museum pass in Amsterdam and spent three days... ENTIRE days at the Van Gogh museum. The third day, I got to the museum early, made new friends in line, got in, and raced to the third floor to examine "Langlois Bridge at Arles". 45 minutes of examining every brushstroke, contemplation, and letting my pupils dilate with joy.

So, if you are travelling solo, especially if it's urban and it's cold outside, please consider a day at a museum. They have places to sit, bathrooms that work, and art that you only see in poster shops and books. The colors in posters and books are usually all wrong. It's great to see the real colors.

If you are not into art, think about this... there are certain images that are baked into our brains, like the Mona Lisa, Michaelangelo's "David", etc. Go see them. It's an indoor version of the Grand Canyon. You get bragging rights. But, while you are there, getting bragging rights, take some time to focus in and look at the thing and try to wrap your mind around how a person actually does it. Brushstrokes, the paper or canvas peeking through the medium, textures, size. It's pretty mind blowing.

I figure since Sister Wendy is not with us, I'd step in at least just this once.

Do take a day or half day, get out of the cold (or hot if you're in the Southern Hemisphere) and see what the fuss is about, while not having to listen to a restless companion huff and whine and sigh.



Submitted January 03, 2019 at 07:29PM by iliketodrawcats http://bit.ly/2F6dGqf

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