Art. Paintings and Sculptures
- Hi, I'm late a bit, sorry. What is the entrance fee.
- Hi. I've already paid for both. Let's go.
- What is being exhibited today?
- There are about ten halls with paintings and several halls with sculptures. They all come from different European galleries and also from private collections.
- Will there be any impressionists' paintings?
- I think, yes.
- Oh! Let's start with them. Look at the combination of colours in the Sunset by Claude Monet. I find them utterly astonishing! And you?
- For me, these colours are rather vivid and at the same time evocative. I'd prefer something more tranquil and relaxing. For example, this landscape with poppies in the meadow. It looks really calming.
- If you ask me, landscapes with water are absolutely fascinating. Especially with the sea. The painters of the seascapes, like Aivazovsky, seem to feel not only the mood of the sea, but could convey even a breath of a single wave.I'm always taken with the tinges of green and blue, and the blinks of light in these pictures.
- And I also love animal painters' works, but only when are made with oil on canvas, not with watercolor.
- I agree. Watercolor is a good choice for painting the weather, water, the sky, plants and flowers, but not animals.
- I think modern artists are not as good at painting animals as the old school representatives. For example, Medival Italian, Dutch or Flemish painters. Modern pictures seem to be lacking in dynamics.
- What I don't really like is portraits and still lifes. In my opinion, they look too accomplished and immovable. Photography can express people's faces and different things much better nowadays.
- Let me not agree with you. When it comes to history, we often admire the portraits of Kings and Queens, royal family members, important individuals, and simple people and children who lived long ago. Photography didn't exist in those times.
- Oh! Sculpture halls! I'm dying to see something bizarre.
- I'm afraid to disappoint you. Most of the sculptures here are more classical ones. They are made of different sorts of marble and show the beauty of the human body. Some of them are from bronze.
- And what do we call those small and graceful sculptures?
- They are called figurines or statuettes. If you do want to stare at something unconventional, let's proceed to the hall with installations. Be ready to have strong impressions about them.
- Wow! They are magnificent. What do you think the materials are?
- There is some metal, leather, ropes, and some glass elements. But it's difficult for me to understand what the artist really meant. For me, it looks pretty appalling.
- Don't be such an old hat. Modern art is sometimes obscure, but it has a right to exist. Let's go further.
