For the final discussion in the three part series on selected works in New York City museums in the general vicinity of Rockefeller University, I will address the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in terms of the museum as experience.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Starry Night over the Rhône, 1888, oil on canvas, Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Source: Wikipedia

On a recent MoMA visit, I had the good fortune to see the other Starry Night by van Gogh. MoMA owns and exhibits the famous work by that name, but its sister painting, Starry Night Over the Rhône, was on view for a special exhibit at the museum. When taking in the work, I realized that this was everything one could want from a painting. It is simply a display of stunning beauty and the work of a top-tier genius. I also knew that without the museum bringing it to New York, I might never have had a chance to take it in so completely, with the added pleasure of it being surrounded by so many other precious paintings by the artist.

There are some art historians virulently opposed to the concept of the museum. Some of my own arguments against the way museums are structured center around crowd control. The same people who would never think of talking during a movie about superheroes sometimes have no problem laughing and speaking loudly about unrelated topics in front of the world’s most serious pieces of art. I once watched as small children ran circles around a large Buddhist sculpture, nearly climbing it, as other visitors tried to meditate on its spiritual significance. But a more serious argument against the museum is that some art is deadened when taken out of its natural environment. I am thinking, for example, in terms of sculptures from Medieval German or French cathedrals and churches, or again, Buddhist statues from Asian caves or temples. The museum takes on an almost zoo-like quality with visitors staring at captured prizes. Perhaps such art is truly best appreciated in situ in its native setting and country.

But in the long run, I believe that for people who can’t travel the world, the best way to learn of various cultural gems is through the museum experience. There is no doubt that Italian Renaissance art makes more sense to me because I’ve seen the Italian countryside and some of that nation’s major cities, but there are many destinations I’ll never be able to visit, and I am forever grateful to the museums, especially in New York, for bringing those places and their pasts to me.