Sunday... I took a break from where we are going to journey to where we have been...
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| the approach to The Cloisters... |
In almost 30 years of living in NYC, I have never visited The Cloisters.
I do remember vividly though getting to cut school when I was young to come into the city with my mother for the exhibition of The Unicorn Tapestries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art... Still spellbinding ...
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| 'The Unicorn in Captivity', late Middle Ages, France |
Immediately upon entering the museum, I was drawn to music in the 12th century chapel, where I came upon 40 speakers set up in a ring...
The 'installation' was by Canadian Janet Cardiff, the music from a choral masterpiece “Spem in Alium” composed around 1570 by Thomas Tallis.
Visitors were encouraged to wander between the speakers or to sit on the chapel bench to witness the sound. I can only say that the experience set a transformative tone for my morning...
I loved the gardens, quiet and lush with various herbs and flowers; and apples on the trees!
I thought it was strategic of Rockefeller to have purchased the land across the Hudson River when he assembled this site back in the 1930's, to protect the stunning views for the museum...
These were my 'picks', though the glass and copper and mother of pearl decorative objects and the religious treasures were equally magnificent to gaze upon...
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| Pouch, France, 14th century, embroidered, popular story or pastime theme... |
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| Playing Cards, 15th century, ink, tempera and metal foil on pasteboard, Franco-Flemish inspired models and hunt symbols |
The Cloisters celebrates its 75th Anniversary through 2013.
The magical Unicorn Tapestries live on....wool, silk, silver and gilded threads fit for the style of any great century!
