Art, History and Theatre in Boston

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This is my 100th published blog. I started the blog when I retired and it is a good record of our travels.

We arrived in Boston by train. A short trip from Providence. We take an Uber to our hotel. It is 3:00 and raining so we decide to go to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The day is almost over and admission is $27 but we decide to go anyway. Yea, we arrive and find out it is one of the few free days. I thought the museum would be crowded but it is not. Since we are short on time we will focus on European art, our favorite. The museum also has the Obama Portraits and the cost is $25 but since today is free day entrance to the Obamas's portraits are free too. Barack's portrait is better than Michelle's portrait. The artists did not capture her spirit. The European collection has many of our favorite artists Rembrandt; Frans Hals; Anthony van Dyck; Claude Monet, Degas; Vincent van Gogh; Canaletto and Renoir. The collections we did not have time to visit were Art of Africa and Oceania; Art of the Americas (we saw some of this); Art of Ancient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East; Art of Ancient Greece and Rome; Art of Asia; Contemporary Art; Jewelry; Photography; Prints and Drawings and Musical Instruments.

We walked back to our hotel and stopped for pizza on the way. Since we enjoyed theatre so much in New York we checked to see if there were any Broadway plays in town. We lucked out The Tina Turner musical was in town and a short walk from our hotel. It was opening night and we got great seats. We enjoyed the show and it added a lot to our short visit.

Our only full day in Boston and we decide to walk the Freedom Trail. The trail is marked by a row of red brick going down the sidewalk. If you are in a hurry take a Freedom Trail tour which is faster than going alone and reading all the signs along the way. Our hotel was near the start at #1 Boston Common, America's oldest public park.. #2 Massachusetts State House, the seat of Massachusetts government. #3 Park Street Church founded in 1809. #4 Granary Burying Ground is a cemetery with esteemed residents from the 17th century. #5 Kings Chapel and Kings Chapel Burying Grounds, founded in 1686. We spend a lot of time reading all the information found in the cemeteries. #6 Boston Latin School, founded in 1635 is the oldest public school in America. It was for boys only when it opened. Benjamin Franklin went to school here and there is a statue of him. #7 Old Corner Bookstore, Boston's oldest commercial building. #8 Old South Meeting House. The Meeting House was colonial Boston's largest building and was used for public gatherings as well as for worship. #9 Old State House, was built in 1713. #10 Boston Massacre site, five civilians were killed by the British. #11 Fanevil Hall, hosted America's first town meeting. It is currently is host to shops and restaurants. #12 Paul Revere House, he owned the house from 1770 to 1800. #13 Old North Church, on April 18. 1775 the church sexton climbed the steeple and held high two lanterns as a signal to Paul Revere. #14 Copp's Hill Burying Grounds. #15 USS Constitution also known as Old Ironsides launched in 1797. Military persons were on and around the ship training for a competition. #16 Bunker Hill Monument, the site of first major battle of the Revolutionary War.

Our short trip to Boston is over, we catch a train to Portland Maine.

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Photos

Dance at Bougival by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
The open-air cafes of Bougival, a town on the Seine outside of Paris, was a popular recreation spot for city dwellers. An amateur boatman in a straw hat sweeps his partner along in a waltx.

The Obama Portraits
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery commissioned portraits of the Obamas. The portraits are on tour before returning to the Portrait Gallery.

Using the toilet on Old Ironsides
At the head (front) of the Constitution are 8 seats. The facilities are little more than planks with holes. The splashing waves kept the hull clean but not the seats. Washing the seats was an unpopular job.

Little Fourteen-Year Old Dancer by Edgar Degas
This is Degas's larges surviving sculpture and the only one he titled and exhibited, The sculpture was shown at the 1881 Impressionist exhibition in Paris. The excessive naturalism of the work offended viewers.

Twelfth Night Feast by Jan Steen
Twelfth Night, in early January marks the end of the Christmas season. It celebrates the arrival (12 days after Jesus's birth) of the Three Kings. In Catholic households this was a time for celebration.

Dolls'd house made in the Netherlands
Since the 17th century fine miniature objects were popular amount the wealthy Dutch. They used the object to furnish elaborate doll houses.

Portrait of a Woman with Arm Akimbo by Frans Hals
Hals often pictured male sitters with an outthrust elbow but this is his only portrait of a woman in such a pose. Hals was one of the greatest Dutch portraitists.

Canal of Venice by Canaletto
Many of Canaletto's paintings were sold to Englishmen of their Grand Tour. In the 17th and early 19th-century it was a tradition of the upper-class European men to travel to Italy and other countries.