Michelangelo: Quest For Genius

 Last Weekend, we visited the Art Gallery Of Ontario (AGO) to view their latest exhibition about Michelangelo: Quest For Genius. The exhibit showed several of Michelangelo's drawings from his Casa Buonarroti Museum in Florence. These drawings showed Michelangelo's creative process in completing his masterpieces. In every genius there were torment, struggles and then mastery. Michelangelo learnt to draw people from actual live models and cadavers. He drew every human body part, down to the muscles and individual features of the model. He used these drawings as practice to create the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Last Judgement, his paintings and sculptural works like the Pieta and David. This exhibit showed Michelangelo's humanity and at the same time his master genius. Michelangelo is for me the best artist of them all just because he created the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the last Judgement, the Pieta and David. These are priceless masterpieces that show the history of mankind and connects us to the great power of God. 

 

 Michelangelo's drawing of the head as his practise to create the Sistine Chapel.

The drawing on the right is the Madonna and Child. 

 

French sculptor, Auguste Rodin, greatly admired Michelangelo. Rodin traveled to Florence and Rome to study Michelangelo's technique. Rodin applied what he learnt to his bronze sculptures that are displayed in Paris at the Musee Rodin. The Exhibit here at the AGO included some of Rodin's sculptures to compliment Michelangelo's drawings. View here Holt Renfrew's tribute to the Exhibit titled Renaissance Woman which celebrated these masterpieces by Michelangelo and Rodin with Fashion. (Photo credit: Holts Muse)

Michelangelo Exhibit is now at the AGO till January 11, 2015. 

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Weekend in Toronto: Picasso Exhibit at the AGO

Painting of Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso.
Picasso Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.

Last weekend, my friend and I visited the AGO here in Toroto to view the special exhibit Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso Paris. The Exhibit is at the AGO until August 26, 2012. It is a very educational and interesting exhibit of over 150 painting and sculptures from Picasso's own collection. The Musee Picasso in Paris is currently in a two year renovation. So Picasso's art collection from the Musee was able to travel to Toronto for this Exhibit. I  have visited Picasso's Museums in Barcelona, Antibes and also the previous exhibit of Picasso and British Artists at the Tate Gallery in London last April. But this one is different because the collection is from Picasso's own collection. It tells more about his life before World II and after World II. The war definitely changed the Artist. I learnt that Picasso was trully an icon, a visionary and a rebel. He did not hesitate to experiment on different styles which we now  call Cubism and Modern Art. He painted according to how he felt, like if he was feeling blue which started his Blue collection and how he remembered things. Picasso also painted all of his women, whether they were his wife or mistress. He also used dancers, prostitutes, Circus performers as his own models. Wow, Picasso had several mistresses, even 2 mistresses at the same time - Dora Maar and Marie Therese Walter. Francoise Gilot was the mother of Claude and Paloma Picasso but he did not marry Francoise. Olga was his first wife then several mistresses thereafter. All of these women inspired him and we are fortunate to see them all in his art which also tells us his own story. 

A view of Paris in Toronto.

A Pablo Picasso doll. Will you fall in love with an Artist? Be his mistress?

Dora Maar was one of Picasso's mistress.

A poster of Pablo Picasso.

A sculpture by British Artist, Henry Moore, titled "Warrior with Shield."

AGO Gift shop.

View of CN Tower and the modern Ontario College of Art Building.


Thank you to Connie of Snow in the Air blog for the feature about my blog for the the Liebster Blog Award.  It was a very touching tribute.


Have fantastic Weekend everybody!

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Weekend in Downtown Toronto

Welcome to Toronto.

I am sharing here my home sweet home, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto is a huge city. I am sharing here my visit one weekend in Downtown Toronto. Actually, the purpose of my trip there was not to shop but to visit my dentist in the Sheraton Centre. As you know, a visit to Dentist is not always fun. But I decided to have some fun after my appointment to visit my city. So I walked around, took some pictures,  and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Being a blogger now, have heightened my awareness of my surroundings. Whether I am travelling overseas and most of all here at home. As I walked around Toronto, I noticed some other details that I would have ignored before. Just like the Welcome sign in the picture above.  My city is a friendly place and helpful when you ask for directions. Canadians are known to be very polite and helpful.  Not just because I am biased and live here but overall, as a city, I am proud and happy that our Municipal government or Tourism Board have Welcome signs like these, also promotions of our City events in bus stops, in our cable cars and even a Charity campaign in a building. Toronto is a beautiful,clean and safe city to visit. It is not as historical as European cities but it is more of a modern and contemporary city. We have the mix of the old and new here as you can see in our City Halls. We have an Old City Hall and the new retro City Hall built in the early 1970s. Our city is also diverse with many different parts like the China town, Greek Town, Italian section etc. One thing about Toronto that I enjoy are the summer festivals. So all throughout summer, I will try my best to attend most of them and share them with you.  So I hope you will enjoy this little tour of our Downtown Toronto.

The Rocket.

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is known as The Rocket here.  It is the best way to travel around the city. We have have buses, cable cars and the subway system.



Toronto Landmarks

Current City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square.

Old City Hall which is now a Court Building.

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