Thursday, January 26

Kunsthaus Zurich

After morning meetings I have the day to my own so visit the Kunsthaus on Justin's recommendation. The museum owns one of the most important collections in Europe, gathered by the local Kunstverein, covering the Middle Ages to contemporary art, with an emphasis on Swiss art (that I mostly ignore). I hang out with Paul Klee, Miro, Georg Baselitz, Calder, Hans Richter, Bruce Naumen, Cy Twombly, Picasso.  Manet, Monet and Degas .. van Gogh. Pierre Bonard, Heinrich Fussli, Nicolae Bercham, Rubens, van Dyke and Edvard Munch and many more.
 
My favorite : Matisse's four female bronzes , which morph from undefined abstract to muscular high-definition. It takes a moment then, wham : there it is. I find joy in the Monet-Rodin gallery with the famous lily pads+seven-sculptures. Giacometti also in the house : a wing dedicated to his work including 'Walking Man."

While surrounded by it all, a young couple, pictured,  catches my eye : they are nervous and awkward with each other and I think: first-date. He explains to her how the paint is, like, really thick.  Body language offers further suggestions : they lean in to each other then give space. Yep, it's the way it goes.