A Return to the Met, Then a Debate-Night New York Times Newsroom Barbecue

Today it was back to the Met for my third (and clearly not last) visit. Up today: Modern and Contemporary Art, European Paintings, and the “Epic Abstraction” special exhibit.

I started with Modern and Contemporary Art, featuring Bridget Riley’s optical illusions, more Jackson Pollock, Picasso, Braque, Miró, and Matisse.

Then it was on to the floor-dwarfing European Paintings wing, where I saw the famous self-portrait of Van Gogh in a straw hat. I also looked at a number of his cypress paintings — it’s always cool to think that the swirls I see before me were made directly by Van Gogh’s fingers (he didn’t use a brush in many of his pieces).

I also was drawn to this Pierre-Auguste Cot oil painting, “Springtime,” from 1873. I learned from the placard that the work was considered his greatest success, and I can see why. It reminds me of Fragonard’s “The Swing.”

But then I got faked out by this one — I was sure it was a Cassatt from across the room, but it turns out it’s actually by the Swedish artist Anders Zorn.

Then I came across this Constable, which was especially neat because I’ve stood at the spot where this was painted, looking over at Salisbury Cathedral in England. Of course, now it’s surrounded by market stalls and streets, not farmland and sheep.

Next up was Daumier’s “The Third-Class Carriage,” followed by a black-and-white Ingres study for the “Grande Odalisque” at the Louvre in Paris.

And then I came upon an entire hallway full of Rodin sculptures, with a room filled with 100+ Degas sculptures next door (ballerinas, horses, more ballerinas, more horses …). The museum is drowning in Degas (maybe it could share with some other museums?). There were three or four rooms full of just Degas paintings in addition to the sculpture trove.

Then, before heading out, I headed to the Monet room, where I saw one of the famous paintings from his Rouen Cathedral series. I’m always struck by how his paintings are indistinct and shapeless a foot from the canvas, but when you step across the room, they’re masterpieces of color and light.

Then it was on to a Flex Desk meeting with Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger, who’s meeting with all the desks across the NYT newsroom this summer. This was the second time I’d gotten to meet him, so that was pretty cool.

And then it was time for debate-night editing, round two. Forget the famous election-night pizza, tonight’s debate editing has been brought to by a New York Times barbecue (feat. lots of pickles, chicken and pork, and random salmon).

Up next tomorrow evening: Sierra Boggess at Feinstein’s/54 Below!

*Cue Phantom of the Opera vocalizing*

Aaaaaaaaa … aaaaaaaa … aaaaaaaa … aaaaaaaa … AAAAA … AAAA … AAAAA!