About Me

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Washington, United States
loves: you win if you guessed "pets" and "museums". Also books, art history, travel, British punk, Korean kimchi, bindis, martinis, and other things TBD. I will always make it very clear if a post is sponsored in any way. Drop me a line at thepetmuseum AT gmail.com !

Sunday, April 24, 2016

zzz neko

Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich, www.mfa.org
I should confess right up front that I'm devastated by Prince's death (here's what I am listening to as I write this post).  Like David Bowie, Prince was a huge part of the culture that shaped my youthful outlook; unlike David Bowie, Prince was behind some of my least smart but most enjoyable decisions.  (Bowie was behind the most tasteful.)  All that sounds very analytical.  What actually happened was that I found out at work and promptly burst into tears.
This led me to look for something elegant and serene today (now I'm listening to this), and here's the result: a woodblock print of a "Sleeping Cat" by Gyosai (Kawanabe Kyosai, 1831-89).  Gyosai was known for the gusto and exuberance of his nature and much of his work, but was also capable of quieter work that showcased his technical excellence.  This is one.  There is not one false stroke in this print, and the choice of a simple fade in the background is perfect.  Anything more complicated would spoil its peace.

3 comments:

parlance said...

It's a huge planet but there are some people whom we all think we know personally, and who affect our lives immensely. Prince was one of those people. He will be missed, but his music lives on.

Unknown said...

I was upset by Prince's passing too. But cats do help make things seem a little better.

curator said...

It's absolutely true that his music stays with us. He's everywhere on the media over here now, and I'm realizing all over again how unparalleled a force he was. We won't see his like again.