Growing up, the thought of visiting a museum bored me, I only liked traveling to sightsee landmarks and of course to eat lots of food. But then something changed, even I don't know or can't exactly describe when the sudden interest arose in me to just slow down and gaze at some of the most memorable masterpieces in the world. It started with the Louvre, yes of course for the Mona Lisa, maybe it was the hype behind it or maybe it just drew me in, but I can still vividly recall the amazing feeling I had in me as I gazed at that beautiful painting. That feeling was unlike anything else, like I was the luckiest girl to lay eyes on such a significant painting in history, I felt pure joy. I had the opportunity to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam during my day visit there. However, one of his most famous paintings, the one I had grown up hearing about and seeing featured in many places was The Starry Night, which was housed at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. Hence I decided that I would visit MOMA instead on my next vacation to New York. I had already been to the MET and the MET is more vast with a larger cross section of history. The MOMA on the other hand has a more focussed collection and I feel both museums have their merits. I made a list of the paintings I wanted to see and headed there on a Saturday afternoon.
The MOMA tickets were not timed, one could visit at any time during their operating hours. We first visited our favorite Italian sandwich shop close by called All'Antico Vinaio on 6oth Street (originally from Italy but it has opened up many branches in New York as well) for brunch and had one of their hearty and absolutely delicious fresh focaccia sandwiches. We then took a much-needed walk after that large meal for a few blocks to reach MOMA. We reached there in the afternoon at around twelve thirty. After a quick security check, we were in.
The first thing I noticed about MOMA is how modern and contemporary the design was as compared to the Louvre or the MET which looked ornate. I first headed to the fifth floor to see the Starry Night. After getting a little lost on that floor through all the rooms and with some guidance from the staff, we finally reached the particular room on that floor and I finally laid my eyes upon the painting. One thing that differed between visiting the Mona Lisa and this painting was the amount of crowds. The Mona Lisa had hundreds of people lining up to get closer for good shots with the painting and you only got a couple of minutes once you reached the front before you were asked to leave by the ushers. Here apart from a guard, there was a much more relaxed environment where if one wanted, one could have stayed and stared at the painting for several minutes. There was no line, no overwhelming crowd and that gave me more chance to get close to the painting and actually see the intricacies of the painting, right down to the thickness of the paint used on the trees, the types of colors used, the style used to create the stars and how the houses were painted and more. In the case of the Mona Lisa, the barrier was so far from it, I couldn't really notice much about the painting style. Here I was hardly a couple of feet away and I could appreciate the painting so much more!
I really appreciated the simplicity with which such major masterpieces were displayed here, it made it more approachable somehow and less overwhelming. Once I had my fill of this beautiful painting, I proceeded to see some more great artwork.
I saw the Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Head of a Sleeping Woman, Woman with Pears, Three Women at the Spring, Three Musicians and the Girl Before a Mirror all by the famous Pablo Picasso. There was even a sketch and design of Picasso's study for Les Demoiselles D'Avignon.
I also saw another Van Gogh masterpiece the Portrait of Joseph Roulin.
Umberto Boccioni's Dynamism of a Soccer Player felt like the painting was alive like it was just going to step out of the frame!
Madame Kupka between Verticals by Frantisek Kupka was just in one word - wow!
The Street, Berlin by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner took me right into the painting. I felt like I was walking by these elegantly dressed ladies and gents on the streets of Berlin in 1913.
Francis Picabia's Je revois en souvenier ma chere Udnie really made me ponder what a unique imagination this artist must have had to create such a detailed intermingling of objects which looked perfectly intertwined.
Piet Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie was unlike any art I have ever seen!
White on White by Kazimir Malevich confused me but I guess it taught me that art does not have to just be colorful or too complex to make it impressive, it's the thought behind it that counts and whether it resonates with the viewer or not.
Monet's Agapanthus was so soothing.
And of course, the famous Water Lilies was so grand both in scale and in serene beauty, that it stretched to three walls! I am no expert at art but the skill and deep thought that it must have taken to make a painting of this scale was incredible.
I enjoyed some of Henri Matisse's paintings like The Musketeer, Woman on a High Stool, La Danse, The Moroccans, and the famous Piano Lesson.
But I especially loved his Interior with a Violin Case, Nice Painting.
I absolutely adored L'Estaque by Paul Cezzane.
Andy Warhol's art was refreshing, loved the Gold Marilyn Monroe and ofcourse the Campbell's Soup Cans, 1962.
Mike Kelly's Deodorized Central Mass with Satellites was a sight to behold!
Honestly one could spend an entire day here, everywhere I looked there was another carefully curated piece of art at this amazing museum. I can safely say even though I am no museum expert, but out of all the few museums that I have visited, the Museum of Modern Art really resonated with me, it made the art feel more accessible due to the simple yet modern decor and it was a pleasure to see the work of so many world-renowned artists under one roof.
Don't miss out on visiting their amazing MOMA Design Store before you leave. It is far from just about boring souvenirs, they do have many really interesting and unique things. Even if you don't want to buy anything just viewing their collection will fascinate you. I especially loved this wonderful Author Clock, which instead of just giving you the time, incorporates the time in quotes from books spanning several centuries. The items at this shop are not your regular souvenirs, each has a modern twist. Just like their carefully curated museum, the design store has been given the same kind of attention as well.
I can't believe I waited this long to visit MOMA. But as they say when the time is right! I had a spectacular time at the Museum of Modern Art and if you are anything like me, you will too!
Thank you for reading ❤️
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