Today I had a lovely day out with my oldest companion, my father. We went to the Yale University Art Gallery to see an exhibition called “The Critique of Reason: Romantic Art, 1760-1860.” It was a combination of art from the Romantic era comprised of photographs, paintings, sketches, lithographs, and other pieces from the time period.
I have always loved visiting art galleries ever since I was a little girl. When I lived in England I used to visit the Tate Modern with my dad and bring along a little sketchbook and pencil to draw my favorite paintings/sculptures. Although I am mostly a math-oriented girl, I have always been drawn to the expression of moments and emotions through art. Each piece is made to capture a certain something that just can’t be put into words. That kind of rawness speaks to me, because I think sometimes you learn the most from moments and experiences that can only be expressed through something that speaks to your soul and senses instead of your brain.
Anyway, the exhibition was very well put together and I found a few pieces that really drew me in. One painting that put a smile on my face was Hadleigh Castle, painted by John Constable. Every time I go back to England to visit my family, we almost always take a trip to the historic site of Hadleigh Castle to play on the ruins and enjoy the scenery. It is amazing how something that has been there for so long is still enjoyed by normal people today. I guess that’s the beauty of art; it takes the ordinary and makes it into the extraordinary. A moment in time captured forever.
After the exhibition I was completely worn out (probably thanks to the help of my drowsy allergy medication), so we decided to find a place to eat and have some tea. We went to this joint café/bookstore called Atticus Bookstore/Café. If you are ever visiting Yale, I would definitely recommend it. I treated myself to a scrumptious banana and chocolate muffin and spent what felt like hours just perusing the bookshelves filled with what was an excellent selection of a variety of books.
My dad (being the lovely and kind person he is) actually treated me to two new books: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay and A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton. I am currently in the middle of reading The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith so hopefully when I finish that I can start on my new books and maybe do a few reviews..? We’ll see.
I’ll try and keep you updated but what with continuing to recover from mono and still having to study for finals I haven’t been up to completing everything on my to-do list when I planned to. Hopefully I can catch up this weekend and find the motivation to center myself and focus my attention on my work!
I hope you all get to take a day every now and then to just do something that interests you and maybe takes you back to a time in your life when you were nothing but happy. Until then, I wish you all the best 🙂
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