A DAM Crowded Museum

It was a pretty cold and rainy day this past Saturday, so I decided to visit the the Denver Art Museum.  The place was jam-packed, many there to see the Degas Exhibit, which is set to close in less than a month.  The last time I was at the museum, for Final Friday, the place was pretty empty.  I didn't look around too much, and didn't stay long. This time, people crowded all around the paintings, making it harder to look at the art, but for some reason I was bound and determined to have a look at everything.  I think that is because I am too tired after working all week to enjoy Final Fridays.  Perhaps they could do Final Saturdays instead?  I think I am going to suggest that.

In any case, I was particularly impressed with the modernist works from the museum's Western American Art collection.  Most of the paintings feature scenes of New Mexico by early 20th century Taos artists, but several pieces, like the one of Long's Peak in the photo on the right, are of Colorado. This particular painting is by Sven Birger Sandzen, a Swedish-American artist who taught at Bethany College in Kansas, but who traveled to Colorado to paint several times a year.  I am not sure why Sven continued to live in Kansas until the end of this life after actually seeing it, but it  takes all kinds, I guess.

I was particularly impressed with the painting on the left, by German-American artist Arnold Ronnebeck, titled North From Chappell House, a brownstone mansion once located at the corner of 13th and Logan here in Denver and an early home of the Denver Art Museum, not to mention the University of Denver Art School. Ronneback  paints a scene that shows the Denver cityscape, including the spires of  the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.  I must say from both  my and others attempts to capture the Denver skyline, this is definitely the way to go.  Denver is a great city to live in - don't get me wrong - but it is just not quaint, and no matter how much you try, you can't make it that way.  And one other thing about my visit to the museum.  I kept calculating the age the artist died  each time I looked at a painting.  It is just as bad as reading the obituaries.  Being just 13 weeks away from filing for social security and medicare, I don't need a psychiatrist to figure out why I am doing this, but it has to stop.  Morbid is morbid, after all.  Feel free to quote me on that.