Monthly Archives: December 2017

Four Masterpieces

Posted by davidmc13 on

Here are four of the most recognizable artworks I’ve seen in the last couple of years. In the future, I plan on seeing a few more and I’ll be sure to post those as well.

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ABOVE: Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Luncheon of the Boating Party, The Phillips Collection, Washington DC

ABOVE: Claude Monet, The Japanese Footbridge, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

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ABOVE: J. M. W. Turner, The Slave Ship, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

ABOVE: Gilbert Stuart, George Washington (The Athenaeum Portrait), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Guillermo del Toro at the AGO

Posted by davidmc13 on

This past weekend, I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario to see it’s latest exhibition, Gillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. Here is a short review.

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Surprisingly, Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters is not the most depressing thing I’ve seen at the Art Gallery of Ontario (that award goes to Alex Colville) or the darkest (paging Francis Bacon). Believe it or not, it’s actually one of the gallery’s lightest exhibitions, and probably the one I would have enjoyed the most as a child. That may sound a bit weird (maybe I was a twisted kid), but it really isn’t as scary as it first appears.

Although some of the imagery may terrify a small child, for adults, it’s not a particularly haunting exhibition. I get the impression that beyond the imagery, del Toro is probably a decent dude. Many artists aren’t, although on the surface, they may appear to be.

At Home with Monsters provides an interesting glimpse into the mind of a supremely creative individual, but it is not all that heavy or intellectual. That’s okay, because it is well put together and visually stunning. In fact, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon looking at cool, if not creepy stuff. If you’ve got some time between now and the new year, I suggest you go.

Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters is at the Art Gallery of Ontario until January 7, 2018.