The layout of Venice, evolved over a thousand years, was unplanned and has grown organically by the needs of the city, the district, and each street itself, resulting in numerous short, narrow medieval lanes that dog-leg and reticulate between canals and campos. There are umpteen ways to get from here to there, yet surprisingly, it is not that easy to get lost. Heading in the general direction of somewhere will get you there, guided by signs tacked to the buildings pointing to Rialto, San Marco, or Alla Ferrovia, and a glance at a map now and again is enough.
I found my way to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection today, which includes a number of Picassos (I don't care much for Pipe, Glass, Bottle of Vieux Marc, but I do like On the Beach), Jackson Pollocks (meh), Salvador Dalís (pff), and three of my favourite pieces of sculpture in one place, which I was very excited to see: Giacometti's Standing Woman, his Piazza, and Brancusi's Bird in Space. Standing Woman is about four feet tall (130cm), but I was very surprised that the figures in Piazza are only about eight inches tall (20cm). Things look so different in books.
1 comment:
Hmm, for some reason I thought "Bird In Space" was part of the permanent collection in The Oz National Gallery in Canberra. Evidently I am mistaken.
They must have only proposed acquiring it.. and thus, in grand Aussie tradition, provoked such cries of outrage from the wise and visionary populace that it never proceeded. Australia already has enough desert, you would think they'd welcome a few pieces of art to help fill the void.
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