Day 5: Beautiful Art

Have you ever seen a scene so beautiful that it took your breath away?
Have you ever seen a piece of art that had the same effect?
Today, Erin and I visited the National Gallery of Art. What a magnificent place. Not only were the paintings gorgeous, but the architecture was stunningly beautiful. Every room added to the power of the paintings. I highly recommend that you attend if you enjoy peaceful beauty. It's very different from the Capitol or the Natural History Museum, but very moving.
Erin and I talked about how amazing it would be to have coloquia in that art museum on some of our favorite paintings. Some works have been so carefully crafted to portray a message, and reading them and discussing them is like reading and discussing a book, but like just discussing the 2 most important paragraphs of the book. All the superfluous is gone. It's just you and the thesis.
One of our favorite paintings was Thomas Cole's Journey through Life.
I hope these pictures are at least semi-visible. You can always google them and look at a larger scale.
The work is a series of 4 progressive paintings, that tell the story of a man. First, it shows him as an infant, being guided by an angel through beautiful and clear waters, flowing peacefully through a flower lined stream.
Next, he becomes a young man, full of ambition and dreams, he is in control of his life. The angel is still there, but watching close by
as the young man sails off to conquer life and fulfill his dreams.
Then, he matures. His youth turns to full manhood. His light boat becomes burdened with cares and responsibilities. The helm of the boat is lost, the boat heads towards dark and dangerous waters and the man's eyes look heavenward, pleading for help. I loved this painting best of all. Sometimes I've felt like that in my life: the upcoming trial is too big for me and I don't have the power to steer or control my life. My life is out of my hands and I have relied


completely on Providence to guide my boat through the roughest
waters, where I am unable to steer.
The last painting is simple and beautiful. At the end of life the man sees the angel that has been with him all along, unseen, helping and protecting him. The man has finished his journey and heavenly concourses come to meet him and carry him to the clouds.
What a beautiful perspective on live. I love art that inspires me and makes me appreciate the good and the lovely and the virtuous. In fact, I think that is what true are is; the use of media to inspire goodness, virtue, truth, and beauty.