The Hispanic Society of America: Broadway and 156th St

Statuary in Audubon Terrace in front of the Society with iconic equestrian statue of El Cid
by American sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington

 WHAT A HIDDEN JEWEL!

The Hispanic Society of America has an amazing collection of tin-glazed earthenware, tiles, and ceramics ranging from 3000 year old Bell-Beaker pottery to contemporary works.  Their 150 piece Spanish luster-ware collection is considered the finest in the U.S. (see right--ok, the plate I chose to feature was one that I was personally drawn to because originally I thought the dog pictured was a poodle, like my beloved Biscuit, but I think, given that this is the Hispanic Society (and not the French one), it is probably a Portuguese Waterdog)  Other decorative arts include silver, glasswear, ivory-detailed furniture, silks and embroidery, and jewelry.

If your interests lie in sculpture or archeology, the Society's collection of Spanish antiquities, which is considered the most important outside of Spain is simply amazing.  There are Roman mosaics, statuary, Islamic and Christian works from the Middle Ages.  What sets the Society's display apart from others (like the fantastic one at The Cloisters -- see my prior blog), is that visitors can really get up close and personal with the pieces (see detail in an architectural remnant at left). 

Actually, I think that they receive such few visitors -- I was the only visitor there for over an hour! -- that the guards don't really do much of anything.  Please give these guys something to do and visit this magnificent art collection; it's always FREE!

But really, the crown jewel of the Society's collection are its paintings.  They have original paintings by, among others, Diego Velazquez, Francisco de Goya, Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco -- see right), and Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida.

The Sorolla paintings are my absolute favorite--it reminds me of the Sorolla Museum (which was once the painter's home) where I spent countless afternoons when I lived in Madrid during my junior year in college.  The way Sorolla captures water and sunlight on skin in summer time beach scenes is something that I have never forgotten and believe no one can match (see left and right--yes, I know these pictures are terrible, but hopefully that will encourage you to come see them for yourself).


The Sorolla Room's breathtaking panoramic series of 14 canvases illustrating life in Spain in the early 1900s is a beautiful way for the Society to share with visitors a celebration of Spanish culture, costumes, and pastoral life.  I have included some pictures below, but really they do not do the paintings justice and you should really visit the galleries here (Hispanic Society Info).

I can't emphasize this enough.  After several months of exploring NYC I think this place is really one of the best kept secrets and hidden jewels of the City.  Please visit The Hispanic Society of America.  You'll be abundantly rewarded for the effort of coming all the way up to 156th Street.

Asia Society: Park Avenue and 70th Street

The visit to the Asia Society was just about perfect.  Friday evenings after 6 are free (normally $10 for adults and $7 for seniors) and they provide a guided tour at 6:30.  I don't know if it was because this was a holiday weekend, but the museum was also relatively empty--with just those several people who were really interested in the exhibits.  I would highly recommend dropping by for an hour or so and taking the guided tour. Currently the museum is only exhibiting pieces on their 3rd floor and a small video exhibit on the main lobby floor.  Check the website also for other information such as coming exhibitions, films, and talks at Asia Society Info.

I am not very interested in manuscripts and the hand-drawn illuminations therein -- I recognize that this is a true art form but it is just not my taste.  However, the current exhibit of the 15th century manuscript called "A Prince's Manuscript Unbound: Muhammad Juki's Shahnamah" surprisingly piqued my interest.  This U.S. premiere of one of the finest surviving Persian manuscripts of all time includes over 30 gilded miniature paintings illustrating Persia's most famous folk tales and "super heroes."  There is kidnapping, rescue, battles, demons and more--all graphically shown, some in gruesome detail.  I tried the cell phone audio tour, which added some color, but I thought you could get more at your preferred pace by just reading the accompanying descriptions.

The other main exhibit is a portion of the museum's permanent ceramics collection, donated by John D. Rockefeller III (see example above).  The ceramics currently displayed are from China and include some of the finest imperial ware (versus commercial ware or export ware).  Here, the guided tour was really helpful.  Our guide really knew her stuff and shared her information graciously.  We went through the entire room and she pointed out the progression of ceramic advancements, how each emperor affected the ceramics of their time, and the beauty and details of each piece.  I don't think I would have appreciated this collection nearly as much if I had just walked through on my own.  This guided tour was fantastic.

There are also a few items on display on the lobby floor.  I particularly enjoyed a video of black and white hand-drawn animation.  Something about the little girl jumping and dancing around in her dreams was appealing.  Of course, the lobby also includes some more permanent, "serious" art like the Indian statue of Ganesha (see left), but even that piece has a little whimsy, don't you think?  There is something about the way six of the 10 hands are "dancing" that is joyful.

I really recommend a museum visit to anyone interested in Asian art.  You'll learn something (like I did about how art in the Middle East and China are related in style and by imperial blood) and hopefully like at least some of what you see.