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| - The largest collection of Monet art on display outside of Paris!!!!
(at Bellagio through January 6, 2013)
We just happened to stumble upon a poster advertising this Monet exhibit. How lucky was I since Claude Monet has been my favorite painter ever since I was first introduced to his work in 2nd grade!!! You bet I was freakin excited! (Especially since I've never been to Europe so I have yet to see his most famous works...so far I have only been able to see only a handful of his original pieces).
The gallery is open until 8 pm, with last admission at 7:30 pm. We allowed ourselves a good hour to spend in the gallery. The tickets were reasonably priced: $11 for students, $16 for general adults. Though the gallery was small and comprised of about 4 rooms, there were probably at least 20 paintings on display. We were told they were on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. There is a complimentary audio tour but I personally declined the option, so I cannot give much feedback on that.
I was slightly disappointed that not all of the works were by Monet, though it was still nice to see some variety (other works included those by Boudin, Pissarro, and Corot). They showcased a lovely selection of both famous and less-known Monet pieces. However, they did not have any water lilies or Japanese bridge, which I would have loved to see.
Some of my favorites from the gallery were:
Grainstack (sunset)
Meadow with Haystacks near Giverny
Meadow with Poplars
Antibes Seen from the Plateau Notre-Dame
Charing Cross Bridge (overcast day)
Entrance to the Village of Vetheuil in Winter
There are a couple of security guards, as one would expect. But I was pleasantly surprised (and most appreciative!!) that they did not reprimand me when I peered fairly closely at each painting (framed behind glass) to view the intricate textures and brushstrokes, which I have unfortunately experienced in the past at another museum.
A superb exhibit -- if you are you a Monet fan, you mustn't miss this! The orchid-colored gallery walls really set the mood and complemented the art.
THANK YOU, BELLAGIO!! =)
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