Herbals & Medieval Money at The Morgan Library

Kedrin and I met up to go see stuff at The Morgan Library.
It's so nice to have a museum-loving friend.

I renewed my AMA membership, so I can get in everywhere for free, and sometimes a friend too!

The membership is tax-deductible and pays for itself many times over, because I use it and get others in too.  It half-paid for itself just today alone!

There is a small but intensely wonderful exhibit on illuminated herbals.  I wanted to get the catalogue but it is a $90 tome that weighs like 20 lbs so no way.  Very disappointing.

Here are pics of the whole herbal exhibit and a few from the medieval money show (which was wonderful).

Furball the Wonder Cat

Here are some random pictures of Furball helping me at work.

My Memling is Gone

Ok, this is not ok and it's not right.

As it turns out, my favorite painting at the Met is no longer on view.

I'm genuinely very upset about this.

I have been visiting her for years and I love her.

I'm so sad she's gone.

I even emailed curators in 2021 about it when they were renovating and they assured me she would be back.

I'll send another email.

I have a troubled relationship with the Met in general.

It's a place that I love very much but it doesn't love me back, and has been, frankly, downright unkind several times through many years.

I don't understand how a place I love so much can be so assaholic.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437059

Kitty

Jackie's cat Kitty died last month.

She had him for 14 years and I was also friends with Kitty for all those 14 years.

Jackie and I have been friends for 18 years and Kitty was a special cat.

It's the kind of situation that needs a gift painting.  Jackie cried when I gave this to her, Kitty was really special and she misses him a lot.

So, here is Kitty in Egg Tempera, 8x10

About 5 1/2 hours painting time.

Some progress shots:

The Abuses of Wax, Manet & Degas

Kedrin and I met up today to go to The Strand, and then met up with a couple other friends to go to the Met.

Strand Therapy is sometimes exactly what a person needs.

They are the only store that puts out ladders for people to go through the top shelves and they are unconcerned if someone falls and kills themself, or some other disaster. (In contrast, if I stand on a damn milk crate in the grocery store the employees freak out if they see it. Says it's dangerous.  What the hell else are those milk crates for??)

So anyhow I went through the entire art technique section and the entire medieval section and got a few cool books.  One is about techniques of medieval art and has a (short) chapter called "The Abuses of Wax".

I had to get it.

I also told the cashier all about it and he now wants to read it.

(Basically, putting wax on frescoes is a horrible idea and the author vehemently dislikes wax for this purpose.)

The Manet/Degas show is wonderful, but it was so, SO crowded.  I'll have to go back at a more reasonable time to really see it properly. It's a good thing I live here and am a Met member!