Spain: Montjuic

To continue on the story of Spain, this post is Day 2.  We went to Montjuic, translated to "Mountain of the Jews."  It is a small hill where the Jews first were pushed to and then driven out.   The architecture was truly awing, and we went into a few museums to which I had the same reaction.  

The stadium

This is the Palau Nacional (National Palace) which was built for the International Exhibition in 1929.  It is now the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, or the MNAC.  

(Quite appropriote)

After walking up many beautiful stairs we were able to enter the MNAC.  We, two art historians, spent most of the early afternoon here, starting with Romanesque and working our way up to Modern (which we ran through very quickly because one of us was getting bored... (not me!))

There are about to be a lot of photos of artwork, be warned. 

Ceraphim

John - "patron saint of cellphones"

Zurbaran

Dante

(I love the reflection)

After taking our sweet time we refueled with coffee and wandered outside to admire the wonderful view.  

The Gaudi Cathedral

We then saw the Museum of Miro (where we were not permitted to take photographs).  Again, Mom wanted to move quickly through it.  We had a discussion about the elitism that formed with abstract art - and how partly became something that was not meant to be for the common man, it was something to be studied, or to be on the inside to know what the purpose of the artist was.  That was Mom's argument.  I don't think I completely agree with that.  So much of non-representational art has to do with the process of making it for the artist.  And there is always beauty in one's own interpretation.  She did begin to appreciate certain works.  Miro uses words in his paintings, that is one thing I was able to use to pull her in to liking it. 

The next thing we saw was the Glass Pavilion - It is also from the International Exhibition in 1929, built by Mies van der Rohe, however this not the original.  

Mom did seem to enjoy this, even though it was 'modern'.