Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Monet, and More

Turned out to be a very special, and very artsy, 2-day trip to Denver for Nana and Papa. We got a special deal at the Downtown Sheraton that included a VIP pass to the Monet exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. Craig joined us for the Monet day.

Here's part of their description: "More than 100 paintings created throughout Monet’s life will go on display at the Denver Art Museum next fall. “The Truth of Nature” traces Monet’s work from early landscapes and then to his fascination with single subjects, such as water lilies and haystacks, in different light and times of day. The show includes the first painting Monet, age 18, ever exhibited, in 1858 (“View from Rouelles”) and one of his last works (“The House Seen Through the Roses”) done a few months before he died in 1926. The museum partnered with an impressive list of museums and private collectors to create the show that will only be seen in the U.S. in Denver." #MonetatDAM

I was the last one of our threesome to finish the exhibit. That never happens at an art thing. We were all taken by the story told and the fact that the paintings had been pulled from so many collections far and wide to tell Monet's story.

The trip started the day before with another wonderful art discovery, the American Museum of Western Art - The Anschutz Collection. The location is a little hard to spot as the signage is only readable close up; look for Navares on the building. It's right across the street from the Brown Palace (where we'll stay on our next Denver adventure). This museum houses three floors of a great western art collection. You'd recognize Wyeth and Thomas Hart Benton, but maybe not the dozens of others. You may recognize Philip Anschutz as a very successful business man who, among other things, was heavily invested in railroads. And railroads invested heavily in western art to attract easterners to travel west. The Santa Fe Railroad is well know for having western art on the walls, on menus, everywhere. In September 1996, Anschutz became Vice-Chairman of Union Pacific Railroad.

On our walk to the Denver Art Museum, we walked between the State Capitol and Denver City Hall. We understand there is a step leading up to the entrance of the State Capitol that is marked 5,280 feet, the Mile High City.

All the photos are here, including a couple video clips (at the end) from the Monet exhibit.

Navares Building - American Museum of Western Art

In the Brown Palace

La Loma Mexican Restaurant

Just outside the Denver Art Museum with Lynn and Craig.

Leven Deli - great find!

First Monet, chronologically.

Last chronologically.

Great dinner at the Palace Arms in the Brown Palace



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