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THINGS
TO DO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA |
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Norton
Simon Museum Pasadena
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By Matthew
Martz |
Located in Pasadena, the
Norton Simon Museum boasts a highly respected collection
of art that gives aficionados a unique opportunity to
witness treasures one can only dream of owning and is
an example of the small, and sometimes unseen, wonders
in our own backyard.
From the moment you see the museum's entrance flanked
by enormous Rodin sculptures, you quickly realize you
are about to enter an unforgettable and almost sacred
place.
The museum has assembled a historical collection of European
and Asian sculptures, paintings and woodblock prints,
and rivals many a high caliber European museums. There
is nary a single art genius not represented here, besides
da Vinci.
Completed in 1969, the museum was designed by Pasadena
architects Ladd and Kelsey with a distinctive and modern
curving exterior, faced with nearly 115,000 glazed tiles.
The varying brown tones on the tiles were a painstaking
effort by the famous ceramic artisan Edith Heath. Positioned
as the only modern art museum between San Francisco and
La Jolla in California at the time, the curators aimed
to house progressive art exhibits.
Norton Simon sought a permanent location his collection
of over 4,000 pieces. In 1974, Simon gave that collection
to the museum and it was renamed in his honor. Architect
Frank Gehry performed a redesign in 1995 to create more
intimate galleries and improved lighting.
The garden area was redesigned to house the 20th century
sculpture collection with the final element of the renovation,
the theater, being added for lectures, film, and performance.
Norton
Simon Museum Print at Home Tickets
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Norton Simon Museum |
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The basement is dedicated to Indian/Hindu Art,
collected by Simon’s wife, the actress Jennifer
Jones featuring many statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
From the Indian subcontinent, a massive stone sculpture
from the Kushana and Gupta periods has drawn eyes from
around the world. Bronzes from southern India, and Buddhist
religious paintings, called Thangkas from Tibet develop
the breadth of the collection.
Masterworks of the Early Renaissance, the High Renaissance
and Mannerism period form a robust collection of 14th
to 16th century European art. Masterworks by Paolo Veneziano
and Giovanni di Paolo, including the exceptional Guariento
di Arpo altarpiece, anchor the museum’s collection
of gold panel paintings. Bassano, Botticelli, and Raphael
provide a presence with their richly painted oiled canvasses
of religious scenes.
Stunning examples of the Northern European masters like
Cranach, Bouts, and Memling provide a Scandinavian appeal,
while the portraits of Giorgione, Bellini, and El Greco
provide diversity with their varied subject manner.
The Northern Baroque collection is expressed clearly with
works from Peter Paul Rubens, and crowned by Dutchman
Rembrandt in several key pieces. Rounding out the 17th
century presentation is Flemish and German still life’s,
while the religious aspects of the period are represented
by French masters Lorrain and Poussin.
Anyone who spent their college years in a dorm is sure
to recognize the modern art movement. Often the point
of focus for posters and coffee table books, the museum
provides a glimpse at pieces from some of the most noted
figures. Seminal works by Pablo Picasso are sure to be
recognized by even the casual observer, while Henri Matisse
and Diego Rivera are less a household name but vital to
the movement.
Post-War Contemporary Art draws strength from it’s
delve into collage and sculpture. Pop art collectors tend
to focus on Warhol, and his spirit is represented. Blurring
the line between pop and minimalism, Roy Lichtenstein
and Robert Irwin provide an alternative take on the popular
genre. Local artists made their way into the collection,
and rightfully so. California has been home to many an
artist in its history and is represented in all forms
the 1950s through the 1970s.
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Norton Simon Museum Lobby |
Gardens Norton Simon Museum |
The lily pond and cafe
also provide a welcome refuge from urban Pasadena, and
you can sit here sipping tea, and contemplating bamboo
and sculpture. The tranquil sculpture garden is beautiful,
especially during spring and summer.
The bookstore also has a sophisticated, erudite point
of view in the books it offers, which includes many
critical works. The gifts are witty and lovely, and
feature motifs from some of the works in the collection
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The Norton Simon Museum is located under an hour’s
drive from most points in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
The museum is located at 411 west Colorado Blvd where
the 134 and 210 freeways meet.
Parking is free and ample, with accommodations by arrangement
for tour busses and the disabled. The Metro and rail
system offers stops nearby. An award winning audio tour
is available and highlights 400 of the key pieces to
the collection, all for a reasonable $3 price. Images
from wikimedia.org
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Nixon
Library and Museum final resting
place of Richard Milhous Nixon. Yorba Linda. |
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Getty
Center located on a 24-acre hilltop
campus that is part of a larger 110-acre site |
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Muzeo
Museum Anaheim features a unique
variety of changing exhibitions. |
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