Top Comments: Titian poesies edition

A memorable museum visit, after-the-jump ….

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I usually try to make a day-trip to Boston at least once a year, and especially at holiday time: for an art exhibit, some window shopping and some music at the Black Rose restaurant (which didn’t happen last year). The weather was good, all the bus/subway connections clicked, and had some holiday spirit.

All went well, and with only three weeks left in its run: finally saw the special exhibit I had looked forward to. Near the large Museum of Fine Arts is the much smaller Isabella Stewart Gardner museum (of which I profiled three years ago). And as she had purchased one of the six Titian paintings noted below:

A series of six canvases commissioned by the young King Philip II of Spain from Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) — a suite of large mythological paintings inspired by Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.” Titian called them “poesie” (painted poems) — arguing that painting could be as elevated as poetry. Titian is one of true poets among painters, and each of these paintings is a virtual poem — heroic, tragic, exciting, poignant, even comic. The whole set has not been seen together for nearly 500 years. Boston — after London’s National Gallery and the Prado in Madrid — is now the last of its three rarefied stops. It’s a very big deal.

The museum had always been her old house, with all of the layouts noted in the previous profile. Nine years ago, they added a new wing to the museum (designed by the architect Renzo Piano) which now houses mostly non-art (admin offices, cafe, gift shop, etc.) — but also has an exhibition hall. And it is here that the Titian exhibition is shown — with timed entrances. The exhibit also has other works (both painted by and inspired by Titian), yet it is the six works, nearly side-by-side, that are the draw.

Many critics and historians have noted the sexual violence inherent in these works, which gives pause. Here is the museum guide link, with the six works for you (scroll down) to judge for yourself.  

Now, on to Top Comments:

From Lex Lurker:

In the diary by annielli about Sen. Rand Paul suddenly discovering the joy of federal disaster relief — if it affects his voters— I nominate too perfect doinaheckuvanutjob's precision smackdown of Massie, McConnell, Paul & Company here.

And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........

In the diary by News Corpse about the flop Trump/Bill-O tour— a take from mmacDE on who would attend (or not) such a sham. 

Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful (and now eternal) *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment featuring that photo.

TOP PHOTOS December 11th, 2021 (NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.)

And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:

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