Went to the art gallery last weekend. I'm not particularly knowledgeable, so the critique will be in the realm of "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like".
Impressionism leaves me a little flat. I really wanted to like it, but it's just not interesting to me. One exception was James Tissot's "Juillet" - the detail is exquisite. However, I'm not sure it qualifies as Impressionist, so perhaps my opinion remains unchanged.
I liked Rodin's stuff - The Thinker was a lot smaller than I thought it was. Lori didn't care much for the bronzes, but really liked the marble stuff. They're all pretty interesting to me, and I'm glad I got the chance to see them.
I really dig Picasso, he didn't fuck around. Even the seriously cubist stuff that I don't really get was enjoyable for me. He used a lot of heavy lines and bold colours - some of the pieces are almost cartoonish. For some reason that spoke to me.
Something that I liked, and I have no earthly idea why, was Mondrian's "Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue". I still think abstract art is a bit of an intellectual put-on, but his other stuff was pretty forgettable, so I guess it's a good thing he decided to go with the lines and primary colours.
The prize for the most astonishing piece goes to Salvador Dali's La Reve (The Dream). Arguably as disturbing as any of his other surrealist works, the subject matter is either to your liking or it isn't. I'm not a huge fan of surrealism per se, but the painting itself is so beautiful and vibrant, it's hard not to like it. The guy did amazing things with colour, and nothing short of seeing it in person can really convey the raw power of this painting. Given the chance, I would definitely check out more of his work; if for no other reason than to see if they all have that same aesthetic appeal.
There endeth the tour. Go early on a Sunday and you'll practically have the place to yourself.
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