For those thinking this is a guest post by Rocky Balboa, sorry.
Although the resemblance is uncanny, it’s me, your Framing Godmother!
And, like Rocky, I did some framespotting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art!
Framespotting at Philadelphia Museum of Art.
My first stop, upon hitting the ground in the City of Brotherly Love, was the Philadelphia Museum of Art (the main building).
First off, the museum itself is magnificent. Large and grand, as you can see behind me in the photo above. I especially loved the expansive staircases and the voluminous spaces. It made me feel small and the art engulfing (in a good way).
Inspired by all I was taking in, I opened an Instagram account, so I could share my experience.
There are so many great framing ideas to be found at museums.
Henceforth, my Instagram feed will flow with framespotting and art history. Such as these samples from my visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
What can I say?
I like a good picture frame.
While others wondering around the Philadelphia Museum of Art ooo and aaah over the artwork, I’m checking out the displays. My phone is full of photos of warped painted panels and spectacular frames.
The photo below is of Gallery 259.
One of my favorite things about the Philadelphia Museum of Art are the galleries.
Literally everything in this room, the furniture, the paintings, the tapestries, the wall coverings and the flooring, all originated in faraway places in Europe. The museum painstakingly resituated it on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.
This particular gallery is Room with Paneling for the Hôtel Lauzun, 17 Quai d’Anjou, Île Saint-Louis, Paris, c. 1655-59. That’s during the reign of King Louis XIV. Imagine, people stayed in the Hôtel Lauzun and likely visited this room in Paris, as the monarch built the Palace at Versailles twelve miles away.
Wild, right?
First of all, the opulence in this gallery envelopes you. As if a reminder is needed not to touch anything, this room gives the impression that everything in it is very, very expensive.
For good measure, I clutched my purse.
The arrow shows where the art hangs that I posted on Instagram.
In Gallery 259, with its ear-jarring red damask and overstated detail everywhere, this Renaissance painting called me to it with its lovely darkness. And it’s ORNATE frame!
I did a little research in writing this post and still believe this painting is NOT “Saint Peter Weeping.” No one weeps, no one has a halo and Jesus met Saint Peter when they were adult ~ plus the crowned gentleman admirers and that castle out the window look more like European folly. Still, I could not find the artist or the painting on the museum’s website. If anyone can enlighten us, please do so in the comments. xo
The reason I mentioned on my Instagram post about why the frame works so beautifully, I stand by.
Other snapshots from the Philadelphia Museum of Art
A few tips when visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Admission is good for two consecutive days. In our case, our first day was Sunday and the museum is closed on Mondays. Our second day was Tuesday. Oh. Plus, you can save a few bucks by purchasing online.
There are five different sites where you can use your two-day ticket. Be sure to check the website to see if the site you’d like to visit is open. We tried to visit Mount Pleasant. It is currently closed for renovation and the sign by the door is tiny. On the bright side, our excitement at getting such a great parking spot was not dashed until we walked up the front steps and saw the sign.
You can stand close to the exhibits, but the no touching rule applies (as well it should!) I like to check out brushstrokes, and could all day long. Museums that allow close inspection are hard to find. So for me, I thought this was awesome.
Have you ever visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Which was your favorite frame?
