Just a quick update this week. Took a little day trip over to Frankfurt Saturday where we finally got to see the Städel Museum, a small treasure trove of Renaissance, Flemish and later Impressionist and modernist work. The place is bejeweled with work by Vermeer, Hans Holbein, Hieronymous Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, and Botticelli. It still blows me away how every European city has a collection the likes of which we Americans only see in big cities like New York and Washington.

And yet, I get fatigued by all of the religious and historical painting…. oh no, please not ANOTHER Madonna and child! I always gravitate toward small still life works (no surprise there), Flemish snow scenes, and landscapes. I guess I like to see how people lived and what their world was like, not their fantasies about biblical times and greek myths.

As you may have figured out, I’m a tough critic when it comes to the religious stuff and this painting stood out above everything else. It just has something that makes it great, at least to me. So much so, I’m still thinking about its shimmering, transparent blues and the gentleness of the Madonna’s expression. My eyes are drawn to her face. She looks like any contemporary woman… any young mother. I guess that’s why I like it so much. However, this picture does not do it justice. Go see it for yourself if you ever have a stopover in Frankfurt!

Here are a few other favorites from the collection: