To See and to Know
Our son John and his family visited the wonderful Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, last weekend. Ray and I had the privilege of visiting the Nelson in April of 2014 after we attended a homeschooling convention in the city’s twin city of Kansas City, Kansas. The two of us parked across the street from the Nelson and played in the playground first.
Then we walked by the spring grass and daffodils . . .
. . . toward the grand William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art . . .
. . . and read the motto below the crown: IT IS BY THE REAL THAT WE EXIST. IT IS BY THE IDEAL THAT WE LIVE.
We enjoyed seeing the two 5,500-pound badminton shuttlecock sculptures that stand on the lawn in front of the museum, as if giants were in the midst of a game on the wide, green lawn. The sculptures, completed in 1994, are almost 18 feet tall and about 16 feet across. American artists, Claes Oldenburg, who was born in Sweden, and Coosje van Bruggen, who was born in Norway, designed the aluminum, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, and paint sculptures.
After John visited there with his family, he told about being pleased when he saw two of the artworks in the vast collection and knew who had painted them without needing to read the label, but simply by observing the styles.
The works he recognized were by John Singer Sargent and Frederick Remington. I am not sure about the copyright status of images at the Nelson-Atkins museum, so I am sharing public domain works by these artists from the Smithsonian Institution.
Catherine Vlasto by John Singer Sargent, 1897
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC,
Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1972
Hunting Antelope by Frederic Remington, 1890
Smithsonian Institution,
Harry T. Peters “America on Stone” Lithography Collection
Ray’s and my hearts were touched when John shared his joy and when he added that he wants people to be able to know whose image he is made in by observing his life.
Therefore be imitators of God,
as beloved children; and walk in love,
just as Christ also loved you
and gave Himself up for us,
an offering and a sacrifice to God
as a fragrant aroma.
Ephesians 5:1-2
A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another,
even as I have loved you,
that you also love one another.
By this all men will know
that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35