One of the things that motivates my passion for travel is a love of art of all kinds. I find it so exciting to see art that I studied as an art history major, especially to see reflections of the history and people from the time when the art was created– the Gothic cathedrals of England, Art Nouveau in Prague, the altarpieces and frescoes in Italy, the temples of Japan and Indonesia, the paintings and sculptures in the museums of Europe, the Moorish architecture in southern Spain… I have even planned destinations according to art that I wanted to see there.
First Impressions: At the age of 15 and 16, I traveled in Italy, France, and England with my father, who was living in Naples. I saw a lot of art that I didn’t understand, but a few things made a strong impact on me for one reason or another:
Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Louvre
Piazza della Signoria and its sculptures in Florence
Delicate paintings by Raphael and Andrea del Sarto in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence
The Colosseum interior
Future Destinations: Of course, there are many places and things I would like to see, but here is a partial list of art/architecture that I would like to see in the future:
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has long been at the top of my list.
The Pyramids of Egypt
Chartres Cathedral and its famous stained glass in Chartres, France
Pompeii and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy
The 5th and 6th century mosaics of Ravenna, Italy
Angkor Wat in Cambodia
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City
What places made an early impression on you in your travels? And what places (art and non-art) are on your future must-see list?
(Photos from Wikipedia)
Washington DC has some pretty impressive architecture and contemporary museums that captured my young interest. I particularly loved the Smithsonians and the Capitol Buildings. Everything there is HUGE and it feels important.
I love that many of the museums in London are free. It makes going to the most expensive city in the world a little more affordable. The Tate Modern has provided DAYS of entertainment. Love the building as well.
I guess I have a thing for museums in re-use buildings: I also love Musee D’orsay in Paris. It is housed in an old train depot that rivals the paintings it hold for beauty.
Future trips:
Cambodia for sure
Vietnam
Italy
Great mentions, Tami. I agree that DC is a great destination in the U.S.– the Holocaust Museum there is fantastic. I don’t remember the Smithsonian, so I guess I haven’t been there. When I spent a month at my dad’s in London, I planned to visit a museum every day. That didn’t last long because it got tiring, but I definitely took advantage of the city’s treasures and the fact that many are free. I loved the National Museum.
I haven’t been to the Musee d’Orsay, but a return visit to Paris is on my list because I was last there at 16– I know I would really enjoy it now. Here in Sao Paulo there is a former train/subway station that now houses a museum.
Vietnam is high on my list. I have many Vietnamese students, and when they do their presentation of “great destinations in my native country,” I practically drool over the pictures of Vietnam. Plus, the people are awesome.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace was the first piece of art I fell in love with…it was in my first art history class, and I quickly change my major (it was originally architecture). And I had a deep grudge against Rick Steves for a bit cause he basically describe it as a pile of rocks in one of his books.
MOMA is high on my list too! It’s so hard for me to choose a short list, but I’ve been dying to see the Estorick Collection in London – it’s all Italian Modern Art (my favorite!). I haven’t been to any on your future list and hope to visit all of them. I also have to add the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Potala Palace in Tibet, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Taj Mahal in India…and I have to stop now or I’ll just keep going.
Ashley,
Thanks for leaving your ideas.
The Winged Victory is indeed impressive. So huge and majestic (and old!).
I’ve always wanted to see the Taj Mahal, and I thought about adding the Taj Mahal to my list but decided not to in the end because I have a feeling that it will be so crowded that I will barely be able to enjoy it. Pessimistic, I know. It’s so incredible that I’m sure it will amaze me, crowds or no crowds. I’ve never heard of the Estorick Collection– too bad because I spent a lot of time in London going to museums.
I agree that the Smithsonian complex in DC is well and truly outstanding (and free!). The modern wing of the National Gallery of Art is one of the best modern art collections I’ve seen, and the Renwick Gallery of American Craft, next to the White House, is also impressive.
My first foreign trip was to Rome, and of course the art there is magnificent, and my second was to Istanbul, which was easily the equal of Rome – I highly, highly recommend spending a week or two in Istanbul.
On my list, in no particular order are: NYC, Paris, London, Angkor Wat, India, Japan, Egypt, Morocco
It looks like there’s a lot I should see in D.C. (and I love modern art). It’s hard to go all the way to the east coast when you live on the west coast, though.
Istanbul and other places in Turkey are definitely places I want to go. Thanks for the recommendation of spending some real time in Istanbul.
Our lists have a lot of places in common. I’ve always wanted to go to Morocco because I am fascinated by the architecture and colors. I can’t wait to go back to Japan, which will be when I visit my dad in Indonesia next time. There were so many things that I loved about Japan, and it has such an old history. I’m sure you’ll love it. Even though there are a lot of things I have wanted to see in India, it’s off my list for now until my son gets older.
Good question. I’ve actually seen all the ones in your first impressions and none of the ones in your future destinations. I have never been a huge fan of art but I always look forward to the museums when I travel.
I liked the art in various places. For me, Renaissance art was the one that made the biggest first impression. So I like the classics in Italy. My least favorite is modern art. Always has and always will be. I like Realism and didn’t care much for Impressionism although I am “impressed” (forgive the pun) b the ability to paint a picture from with that technique.
Favorite art museum? I guess the Louvre would be up there and even though I didn’t like the city, the Prado in Madrid was great as well.
I think it’s great you visit museums even though you’re not a big art fan. What’s inside museums helps us understand about the society, perspective, values, etc. of the past. However, I often skip museums in favor of more outdoor time in cities I love! Modern art is an acquired taste for a lot of people (or maybe they never acquire a taste for it, which is OK, too– to each his/her own, right?!). I haven’t been to the Prado but of course have heard lots about it.