Art Appreciation

The Great Purge of a lifetime's worth of pack-rat indulgence, notwithstanding an international move almost twenty years ago, has reached a milestone: the corner of my bedroom formerly occupied by piles of papers, letters, and photos, is now empty enough for me to set up an easel and start drawing again! From now on, every time I throw away a bag full of the papers hiding behind that screen (thanks to the city of Tel Aviv for finally instituting paper-recycling), I reward myself by going to the easel and making a drawing. I'm starting on an old newsprint pad, and then on to the backs of old drawings, a huge pile of which also currently occupies precious real estate.

I'm not much of an art tourist, because most grand museums overwhelm me. The small museums with priceless collections are much more appealing. Here are my three favorites that can be "done" in an hour:

Fondation Beyeler, just outside of Basel, Switzerland. The building, by Renzo Piano, in its setting is at least as beautiful as the collection. It feels like it "grew" there.

Fondation Maeght in St-Paul de Vence, France. I'd like to spend a week every year in the Giacometti sculpture garden.

Frick Collection in New York, New York, USA. This former mansion shows the best work of every Old Master, with no room for anything else.

I would love to hear of other "gems" you recommend.