My Favorite Paintings at the National Gallery (Schwarzenberg Palace) in Prague

I must confess that Prague itself was a living museum and the uniqueness and beauty of it overshadowed any artwork I saw in its museum.  However, it's National Gallery (Schwarzenberg Palace (Schwarzenberský Palác)) did collect some important and quite moving paintings, particularly those with dark and nationalistic works, documenting the endless struggle of the great nation.

The National Gallery in Prague had several locations, each host a specific group of collections.  Here in Schwarzenberg Palace, the collection was labeled as "Baroque in Bohemia - Permanent Exhibition of the Collection of Old Masters of the National Gallery in Prague".

Schwarzenberg Palace was a renaissance building, located near the Prague Castle, built between 1545 and 1576 for the Prague Count Jan Lobkowicz the Younger, and for that reason it was originally called the Lobkowicz Palace. The castle passed to the emperor then Petr Vok z Rožmberka, and the Schwarzenberg family, who owned the palace from 1719 until 1948.

My first favorite painting there is a diptych featuring four Saints - Wenceslas,Vitus, Sigismund and Adalbert, by Bartholomaeus Spranger (21 March 1546 – August 1611), a Flemish Northern Mannerist painter, draughtsman, and etcher.  The somewhat stiff poses of these saints gave these four figures an other-worldliness and timelessness.



Saints, Wenceslas, Vitus, Sigismund and Adalbert (after 1585)
Bartholomaeus Spranger (21 March 1546 – August 1611)

My second favorite was "Portrait of a Man" by Karel Škréta (1610 – July 30, 1674), a Czech Baroque painter.  Though produced rather early, the verisimilitude of this work was quite astonishing and the contrast between light and dark created a symphony of light, though in a minor key.


Portrait of a man (after 1640) 
Karel Škréta (1610 – July 30, 1674)

Finally, I must include a picture of the building - a marvelous palace with wonderfully characterful façade. 




My Favorite Museum Collection Series

>> My Favorite Museum Collection Series 37: My Favorite Sculpture and Painting at Strahov Monastery, Prague
<< My Favorite Museum Collection Series 35: My Favoritate Sculptures on Karl's Bridge, Prague

List of My Favorite Artworks in the Museums I've Visited

Best Transit Airport - Seoul/Incheon International Airport

My favorite transit airport is definitely the Seoul/Incheon International Airport, which I almost always made connections when I visited my family in Manchurian China.

My transit time there usually last about 3-4 hours, in the afternoon, or in the early morning when the shops were mostly closed.  Even during those wee hours, there were much comfort in that very considerate airport.

First, it was a modern facility with information clearly marked, at least in Korean and in English.  There were also many labels and brochures with QR codes and there were QR code readers in the airport for travelers' convenience:







There was a Shuttle Train down below which will lead people from Incheon to Seoul:



People could also sign on for half-day tour of Seoul, to sample its cultural highlights, or Incheon, including its modern medical facility, to have a health check up or a botox injection done.

If stay in the airport, one could see the cultural/art gallery in the lounge area at any hour, or visit the Cultural Experience Center in the concourse level during business hours:



The lounge and hotel were in the Rest and Relax Area, which had many comforts, either one checked into hotel or not:



The Transit Hotel charged by 6 hours and cost about US$100 per shift:



The Lounge had many sections, open or more private, gave more economical travelers many options, from club lounge to comfortable chairs to sleep on:







It also offered free Internet and massage chairs and a screening room for news and movies:





A very convenient facility was the free shower during business hours, which had a large room with a cabinet, toilet, basin and a shower.  A free towel was provided as well.  I pushed my cart into the shower room and still was able to move able without bumping into anything:





Next to the Shower, there was Massage and Beauty shop:



In the same area, a Luggage Service and Library desk operated during business hours:



There were several cafeterias in the area, opened fairly early:



They also had a large Kids' Zone in the lounge area and a smoking room on the concourse level, for people had special needs:






Smoking Room

There were naturally many fancy shops, many of them had great store design:





If inclined, travelers could deposit them currencies to make donations to the Korean Red Cross.  The container below I saw on the concourse held currencies issued from many countries:



All in all, it was a great airport with many human touches.  It was also a very "green" one.  For example, the escalators only operated when people were on it.  The still escalators started very gently when people approached it and it would stop automatically when no one was using it.

When I was there, I always felt calm.

 


Label: Shenyang Trip 2012

Pastel Rainbow Flag and Apple Company's Success

In last couple weeks, I went to San Francisco several times to attend concerts and saw numerous instances of saturate-colored rainbow Gay Pride Flag.  They were bold and eye-catching, however, design wise, quite dated.

Incidentally, one of the most sleek companies today, Apple, share the same color scheme on its original logo, which was iconic not only in its colorful bands but its shape as well:



However, by the time when Apple finally took the mass consumer world by storm with its pastel colored iMac and then platinum colored iPod, its logo had shed the colors and became sleeker, more appealing and harmonious, without losing the characteristics of instant recognition, largely due to its bitten-apple shape:



Yes, Apple have been producing high-quality, ground-break products, such as iPhone and iPad, etc., which contributed highly to its commercial and cultural success.  Yet, I cannot image the same magnitude of success if Apple Company had kept its original colorful logo.  The success of Apple was in many way a triumph of aesthetics, and its former CEO Steve Jobs was a visionary aesthetics.

Now, let's come back to the equally iconic and colorful Gay Pride Rainbow Flag.  Yes, it has cultural and historical value; yet, it is also quite dated and desperately needs a makeover for the modern era - the iEra. 



Perhaps, some pastel colored flag like the one below would be a starting point for a new design?



If the gay flag's colors have been updated to befit the new century, according to modern aesthetics, I can image that many more aesthetic-sensitive homosexuals would be more willing, even eager to hoist the gay flag and display such stickers.  Or even more eager to come out.

Festive San Francisco City Hall and Opera House

While San Francisco Gay Pride Parade is going on now, I would like to share some photos I took last night, when I attended the San Francisco Symphony's semi-staged concert performance of Béla Bartók's Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, I saw the Civic Center area was in full swing to get ready for the parade, including the beautifully lit City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House.

Several days ago, I posted pictures of the rainbow colored Opera House taken on the balcony, last night, I took a picture of the Opera House with the full spectrum of colors:



San Francisco City Hall was in full glory as well (the first picture was taken inside the Symphony Hall):





On my way the meet up my friends for dinner and the performance, I walked by the Civic Center, which was gearing up for the festive today:

Exhibit at Seoul/Incheon International Airport

The Seoul/Incheon International Airport is one of the best transit airport with many very considerately designed space and amenities to help travelers.

In the rest area, there always was exhibit, showcasing Korean art or Korean culture.  Last May, when I visited my parents in Manchurian Shenyang, I transferred in  Seoul/Incheon International Airport twice and saw a very interesting exhibit - From Birth to Adulthood, with traditional toys, costumes, hairpieces, hats, and tools for scholars, demonstrated the curve of Korean people from infants, children, adolescents to men and women, from a particular aspect.





   







 













The exhibit was concise, informative and beautiful to behold.  I had wonderful time looking at this exhibit, between my times spent in the free massage chair, free internet, free shower and free movie.

A very human airport.


Label: Shenyang Trip 2012