There’s Nothing to See Here
Well, that’s not entirely true. While the Queen Nefertari traveling exhibit just ended at the Kimbell Museum of Art (3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, 817-332-8451) and the next great thing has yet to begin, there are some interesting — and very famous — things to see in the permanent collection. (For starters, ask them about the super-secret Vincent Van Gogh painting they have on loan.)
Did you know that the first known work by Michelangelo is right here in Fort Worth? Believed to have been painted when the artist was just 12 or 13 years old, “The Torment of Saint Anthony” (1487) is on display in the world-renowned Louis I. Kahn Building. This space is home to African, Asian, Ancient American, and European collections crossing time, place, and medium.
In the same building in the North Gallery resides “L’Asie” by Henri Matisse (1946), a bright oil painting of a female figure clothed in rich, exotic costume. In 1948, Matisse wrote that he wanted his work “to have the lightness and joyousness of a springtime.” As spring begins on Sat, start here.
While across the room from each other rather than positioned together, “Man with a Pipe” by Pablo Picasso and “Girl with a Cross” by Georges Braque (both from 1911) appear to be a matched set. Both are painted with somber gray and ocher hues with mostly abstract but also geometric-shaped imagery. I had an ah-ha! moment upon learning that the two artists were acquaintances.
Monets are scattered around North Texas, including four at the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 N Harwood St, 214-922-1200), but two are at — you guessed it — the Kimbell, including one of the 10 Weeping Willow paintings that Monet created as a mournful response to the tragedies of World War 1.
The second Monet at the Kimbell is “La Pointe de la Hève at Low Tide” (1865), a dark, stormy beach scene near Le Havre where the artist grew up. As this is one of the landscape paintings that launched Monet’s career when exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1865 — a well-attended art event sponsored by the French government — it’s a must-see.
The Kimbell Art Museum is open noon-5pm Sun, 10am-5pm Tue-Thu, noon-8pm Fri, 10am-5pm Sat. Admission to the permanent collection is always free. For a complete list of the artifacts, paintings, and sculptures on display, visit KmbellArt.org/Collection.
