Greek, Romans and Germans at the Met

Perfect, perfect day. Cloudless blue sky, mild sun, mild breeze, fresh air. I set off for the Metropolitan Musuem -- met Eleanor who worked with me 15 or so years ago. She has new "bear" -- she likes big fuzzy dogs and had been walking her huge five month old pup. I haven't run into her for maybe three years but I know she lives on the street I was walking on.

As I was entering the museum I noticed a man and his daughter having a snack, sitting onf the flights of stairs, he was wearing shorts. I couldn't help noticing his prosenthic leg an wondering if he's a vet. My main destination was to see the new Greek and Roman display areas and newly arranged displays. I've seen a lot of Greek and Roman stuff in a lot of museums, especially, of cousre in Greece and Turkey, I thought I'd do a quick hike through. But, no, not to be. One of the first things I saw was this statue which seemed like the man I had just noticed, to have a proschenic leg -- lost in action. No disrespect meant to either.

I'm often drawn to unexpected things. In this case it was mainly some very complex glassware, all but one of the fascianting ones were fragments. Also there was this Mynaead dancing with a beautifully draped gown. Almost as magical as Bernini later did. I could feel it swirling around her body and her feet as she danced.

When I'd seen all I was prepared to look at I found the coffee bar and got coffee and a scone which I ate looking out at the park. A man at the next table struck up a conversation, said he was less than delighted with the Greek and Roman display and that I should go to the mezzanine above the modern art and see the German painter Neo Rasch. So I did -- a man who says he is not a realist or a surrealist --- but he paints his dreams. Very weird dreams! Well, worth looking at and wondering about and being glad I don't have the subconscious he does. Picutres that are not grotesque or violent but suggest violence and are full of the strange juxapositions that we associate with dreams. I'm glad the man sent me there. Casual conersations are good things. Of course I had to stop in the book/gift shop and, of cousre, found a couple of wonderful reduced price books, one about Asian/Western embroidery and one about the Tibetan Monasteries ... if I didn't have such diverse tastes it would be harder to find things that fascinate me ... ah, well, that really is not a compliant. I love the Met's section of reduced price books. They always have something beautiful that will enlighten me.