My Trip to the De Young

Sometimes I really just miss discussing art. I loved do that in high school, and then when I took humanities classes during college. I love visiting really any exhibit (except Native American art. Does that make me racist? I just do not like it). The most amazing exhibit I had ever seen was this last January when my then-boyfriend (now-husband) Landon surprised me with a trip home and tickets to an Impressionism and Post-Impressionism exhibit. The main attraction? A series of Van Gogh paintings. I know it is super cliche to say, "My favorite artist? Who is the guy who was such a tormented artist that he cut off his ear? Van Gogh, that's right. He is legit." But seriously, he is an amazing artist that there is so much reason why he is famous. And I got to see his paintings.

Being in a room with such exquisite artwork is indescribable. Its like, you know you are going to leave and it will still be there, but you want it to disappear all together because you know other people are going to be looking at it. It needs to disappear or come with you. But it doesn't. So you move on and get to look at other beautiful paintings, but you know you just have to come back to that painting again and again so you can savor every inch of it.

I was like that with a few paintings. I just loved the way I felt when I came back and interpreted it so different every time. I loved hearing Landon's insights on the paintings and feeling his passion for it as I expressed my thoughts on them. I especially enjoyed looking at Van Gogh's, "Starry Night Over the Rhone," as seen above. Do not get this mixed up with the super famous, "Starry Night."

As Landon and I just stood there, we took turns just taking note of different details and perhaps what the artist was telling us. I liked to think that the couple in the foreground were so in love they didn't want to be within the bustling city behind them. We also talked about how the light man created from the city was similar to the light coming from the sky. Perhaps Van Gogh wanted to show the aliveness from both heaven and Earth and the power that mankind has in its participation of creation. I love how the lights in the sky and the lights in the city serve to put emphasis on the couple, that despite the beauty from those sources, nothing is as beautiful as the simple couple walking away from their homes.