Yesterday, we were in Boston which gave me the opportunity to wander and wander as I so often do in London.  In the afternoon, we were hit with a strong Northeaster, so I was fortunate to do my walking and photographing during the morning and afternoon.  By time we returned to Nahant, there was six inches of snow on the roads and no power for 14 hours.  But my stay in Boston was productive and lots of fun.  Since my wife’s Boston family home is on Beacon Hill, we are here often;  but usually I have no time by myself for wandering the streets.  As I walked down Beacon Hill, I could see so much of Regency England–called the Federalist period in Boston.  The bow windows and balconies are everywhere.  The Cabons and the Lodges lived on this grand street in historic times in Boston, and the atmosphere is one of grace and power. I photographed some of the stately homes on Beacon Street, even where Longfellow was married, and ended up with my camera glued to my face as I stood in front of the most magnificent State House with its gold dome–magnificent with its views over the Commons.  Tourists from all over the world were taking photographs of each other and enjoying the scene, just as I was doing.  I made my way through the lanes to the cemetery to visit the memorial of Ben Franklin and tip my hat at the graves of John Quincy Adams and Thomas Paine.  I don’t like the writings of Thomas Paine, but I certainly understand his part in the revolutions in both America and France — England withstanding the temptation to throw off its King;  that’s another story.  I continued on to the old South Meeting Hall and stood back and admired the confident, colonial, red brick building with its steeple.  When I see these colonial churches, they so remind me of St. Martin’s on Trafalgar Square in London.  The colonial churches were less grand, but the basic design is the same.  One of these days, I am going to write a paper about the influence of the architect Gibbs who designed St. Martin’s on colonial architecture.  I am certain there is a definite link.  From the South Meeting Hall I carried on to the STATE HOUSE which is a gracious, magnificent colonial building with all the adornment of a Royal building:  lion and unicorn, gold, and beautifully built.  Of course, this was the place of the BOSTON MASSACRE which was one of the final straws in the Revolution’s “camel back.”  As I took my photos, I could not get over how the new government buildings scream from behind.  I thought to myself:  PRNCE CHARES, WHERE ARE YOU?  I found it painful.  But at least the State House is saved and is in beautiful condition.  Finally, I was feeling hungry, so I headed to the Quincy Market for chowder and then to Faneuil Hall which is often considered the “home of the American Revolution.”  The huge painting of Webster, the Windsor Chairs, the full portraits of Washington and Mr. Faneuil and the exquisite design of the room with its lovely lighting and balconies is breathtaking.  I sat in the room and listened to the guide give the history of this historic building and thought to myself how close our two countries–Britain and America–are.  Our histories are often so parallel, and America and Britain’s histories have been so fortunate.  We speak the same language, we have a similar legal system, we share an architectural heritage, we have been faithful tourists in each other’s land.  Boston is clearly the most English city in America, and I think this similarity is the reason I feel so comfortable here, wandering down the lanes and through the squares and parks.   Copley Square just sounds English, doesn’t it?  Enjoy the photos.  They were taken on the run to avoid the northeaster which was right on my tail!

The Statehouse

The Lion and the Unicorn – the State House

The State House, Boston  – The Boston Massacre site

Exquisite detail of the old State House –Such a “Georgian” building

The Old South Church

The Glorious Faneuil Hall

Daniel Webster – the great debate

John C. Calhoun unfortunately cropped off the left side of the image.  My wife and I own the Connecticut highboy of the 18th century Calhoun family.  That’s another story.

Faneuil Hall – the arrangement of space is so similar to St. Martin’s in London and in other London 18th century ecclesiastical buildings.

A 19th century copy of the Stuart full figure of Washington, now located in the Boston Fine Arts Museum

Quincy Market – so similar to the Covent Garden Market in London

Remembered here, but not buried here

The Magnificent Statehouse.   Regency, Federalist –whatever!  It is glorious.

The truly stately houses along Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill facing the Commongs

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Today, as I wandered through the Boston Fine Arts Museum, I realized how closely connected Boston and Britain have been for several generations.  When I found the AMERICAN ART WING at the museum, the greeting painting is this enormous portrait of the Prince Regent by Copley who left Boston in the 18th century to return to England to learn from other great painters of the age.  Of course, every painter made attempts to paint these huge narrative royal portraits of which this is an example.  These Americans were British subjects and had great ties to Britain.  I have to admit that I was startled to see this impressive royal painting as the first painting in the gallery–painted by a colonial artist.  It made me think.

The reason I go back and back to the Fine Arts Museum is to see the Stuart portraits of Martha and George Washington.  They really touch my heart.  As I was taking photos without flash, knowing I would get rather sad images, a young child came up to me and said:  ”Did you know the reason they are not finished is because Martha didn’t like the portraits.”  I smiled and thanked the child. Martha may not have liked them, but the world knows this portrait of George Washington on every one dollar bill and on almost one hundred other portraits.  It is truly beautiful.

I have to say that I like the unfinished portraits;  perhaps, it is that I am used to all the glorious  empty canvas.  This pair of Washington portraits are magnificent and are displayed in Washington D.C. half the time and in Boston the other half–funny arrangement which I am sure has quite a history.  I am disappointed when I go to the museum only to find the portraits are on a trip to Washington.

The full length portrait of Washington and his horse by Stuart is inspiring.  I could look at it for hours.  It has been recently glazed and is in splendid condition.  In style, it is certainly a royal portrait.

Sully’s  portrait of  ”Washington Crossing the Delaware” is overwhelming.  It covers an entire wall.  Imagine, this magnificent painting was in storage for decades until they realized that the Fine Arts Museum owned the original frame.  When they put it all together, the museum had to raise the ceiling to accommodate the tremendous size.  Confident, determined, and magnificent–almost “divine”–Washington upon his horse stirs one’s soul.  Goodness, it is beautiful.

This original newspaper clipping of the “Boston Massacre” reminds us of tension between the colonies and Britain which erupted into the Revolutionary War, or the American Rebellion as my 18th century English history book calls the conflict.  Fabulous image.

The “ceremony of tea” was an English tradition which was also very much a part of colonial life.  The furniture was made in Boston in the 18th century, and the silver was made by Paul Revere, but the love of tea was as much British as Colonial Boston.  I love the cups without handles and deep saucers where the tea was often poured and consumed.  Handles came at the very end of the 18th century and certainly in the beginning of the 19th century in the porcelain production of Chelsea, Derby, Spoke, Rockingham, and Newhall.  Beautiful image.  Tea was very much a part of American history, especially in Boston Harbor.

Benjamen West was a colonist who painted narrative images about great events.  When he left the colonies, leaving man splendid images behind, he arrived in England to become the favorite painter of George III who filled Buckingham House with the narrative classical paintings that West loved to create.

As the colonies came closer and closer to the Revolutionary conflict, many of the rich Boston merchants left the colonies and returned to Britain.  They felt their loyalties were with the King and had no desire to break those ties.  These families had earned great wealth in the New World, and they felt it was time to return to England.

When I saw this chair which was made in 1790 in Boston, I could readily see British taste which was expressed in the decorative items in a Boston household.  Adams?  Prince of Wales feathers?  Amazing.

Examples of Kandler’s Meissen MENAGERIE are beautifully displayed in the European Art Wing of the Fine Arts Museum.  I see them from time to time in places like the Victoria and Albert and in the Porcelain Museum in Paris, but these examples were really stunning examples.

Can you imagine an entire table set with Meissen with figures from Furstenberg, Hochst, Frankenthal, and Kandler’s Meissen factory.  It is almost unimaginable.  Fabulous.

The other reason for our visit to the Fine Art Museum today was to see the Degas exhibition:  DEGAS NUDES.  Room after room of amazing Degas studies and finished paintings as well as wonderful Degas bronzes dazzled a visitor.  Degas’ female figures in twisted and unflattering positions are not my favorites, but the exhibition was very worthwhile and extensive.  I was standing next to an elderly lady who was looking at the same pastel as I was when she said:  ”I don’t think he liked women.”  Made me chuckle.   Some of the images I really enjoyed:

I particularly enjoyed the small bronzes:

Every time I return to the Boston Fine Arts Museum, I have to spend some time enjoying the fabulous John Singer Sargent frescos which I think are the treasure of the museum.  For me, they are spectacular.

As I was leaving the Museum in a heavy rain, I thought to myself about the close ties between the Fine Arts Museum and the London museums.  There is a DEGAS EXHIBITION in London soon.  John Singer Sargent is one of the great attractions in the National Gallery London.   Copley, West and other colonial painters found their way to London.

For me, Boston is the most British city in America.  The city, the parks, the sense of history, the architecture all remind me of being in London.

It is a great feeling.

Today

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Good morning.  I am off to the airport.   Boston Harbor and the Massachusetts Coast Lighthouse tours, here I come!

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com