Americas

[Visited: January 2024]

The walk from downtown Boston is pretty straightforward, and when I see the statue Appeal to the Great Spirit in the snow in front of a classical building, I know I have arrived at the Museum of Fine Arts. The statue depicts a Native American on a horse with his arms spread wide and his face towards the sky. Although it was supposed to be there temporarily, it has been standing in front of the museum since 1912. Inside, I decide to follow a chronological tour of the museum. For a few hours, I walk from room to room, with a very rich and wide array of items from antiquity to modernity. The first rooms have mummies from Ancient Egypt, reliefs from the Assyrians, a lion from the gate of Babylon, slabs of stone with hieroglyphs, and more in darkish rooms. There are explanations to assist visitors like me with limited knowledge of the period represented.
Then, I move to the art of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. There are fantastic objects on display. Vases with fragments of the Trojan War, the journey of Odysseus, and famous legends and stories from the Greeks and Romans. Marbles in which the legendary gods are represented. My childhood fascination with mythology helps me here, and revives thanks to the rich collection in the museum. Sarcophagi with classical scenes of Bacchus. Mosaics with deities. Fragments of temples. Room after room, I enjoy looking at the great collection. After taking my time for the great classical European period, I realize I will not be able to see the entire museum on this first visit. I start to walk through the museum, only stopping in rooms that appeal to me most.
I see a room with musical instruments from all over the world, which is another fascinating sight. I see paintings from various famous European artists like Monet and Van Gogh. I see medieval maps of the world, which are works of art in their own way, and I am thrilled to see how people thought the world looked like back then, without all the technical help we have now to make such maps. I see a large doll house from the Netherlands. Then, there are rooms with Chinese and Japanese art. There are illustrated manuscripts. There are entire chapels with stained glass windows. Rooms with American art. There is jewelry, wooden statues from Africa, fashion, drawings, art from Oceania, and then there is always more. After a few hours, my head starts to spin. I know it is time to go after soaking in the incredibly rich variety of the Museum of Fine Arts.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

inspiring you to travel

Boston Museum of Fine Arts (United States)

Boston Museum of Fine Arts > United States > Americas

[Visited: January 2024]

Around the World in 80 Clicks