As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the fauvist movement, I was delighted to see such an extensive collection of two of my favorite artists, Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne, at the Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore exhibit at the New York Jewish Museum. I also enjoyed seeing some of Picasso and van Gogh’s work. Overall, this was an impressive collection including exotic textiles and jewelry from Europe and Asia.
However, despite the extraordinary exhibit, it was one of the worst museum experiences I’ve had in a while. I have not been in such a crowded museum since viewing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. I suppose it’s excusable because admission is free on Saturdays, the day that I went, but it was not crowded with respectful, quiet art enjoyers,
Festival of Flowers by Henri Matisse
but with obnoxious, oblivious snobs. Personally, I like to view artwork from a distance and then, perhaps observe it under closer speculation. However, I am always mindful of my surroundings, careful not to block anyone’s view. Clearly, with these people, that was not the case. Everyone was standing inches from the artwork, hovering over it, pretending to read every informational plaque while grunting and nodding. I thought, who are you trying to impress? Isn’t the point of immersing yourself into a cultural experience just that? It shouldn’t be to brag about where you’ve been or what you’ve seen, but that was the impression these people made upon me. By the time I worked my way to the end of the exhibit, I was so frustrated that I curtly asked two ladies to move as I was trying to view the painting that they were standing in front of. They weren’t even viewing it, but having a loud conversation in front of it.
After I was pushed by a man who was trying to leave claiming that he “already knew everything about the Cone Sisters,” I had decided that I had had enough. I went to the other permanent exhibits on the upper floors and basked in the silence and unobstructed artwork. It’s a high price to pay to see your favorite artist’s works if it means being exposed to so many snobs in a confined space, but for Matisse and Cezanne, it’s a price I’d pay.
Your experience is the unfortunate consequence of a strong show, free admission and a small museum. The perfect storm. I suggest you make an effort to get to some of the museums when they are quieter, though the rapid rise of the Art world and museum viewing (“Hey, Let’s go get some Kultcha.”) have seemingly conspired to turn a museum visit into an hours worth of looking at the back of someone’s head, preceded and followed by travel by overcrowded streets and subways. Sigh. I think if you just keep going back, the crowded experiences will be tempered by the lovely ones where you find yourself in a room by yourself with a beautiful piece of art and 15 minutes to spare. (Try the Frick. It is rarely very crowded and has a nice collection.)
Oh, Anna! Since we went on the same day, we shared the same experience. The ever-so-loud, “Oh yes, this painting reminds me of the time when I went to see…” comments did detract from the Museum experience, but oftentimes you just have to brush it off and focus on the main objective at hand. I did however, find it ironic that after just recently discussing snobs, we found a nice group of them ourselves!