Albert Park ; Auckland Art Gallery – The Corsini Collection

In October I flew up to Auckland to visit my brother. With several spare hours before our rendezvous, I decided to enjoy two activities in my favourite part of the city. First, a picnic lunch in Albert Park. I have fond memories of this park from 1965, my first year at university: breathing in sweet scented night stock on spring evenings; earnest conversations with my room-mate as we walked back to our hostel; eating lunch with my friend Bill Holt …

“Remember lolling in the sun

          in leafy Albert Park,

both eating our packed sandwiches

          as you dolled out dry jokes.

Then I would ponder over heavy texts,

          while you waved in the air

a paperback on Stalin that, relaxed,

          you’d swallow in one bite.”

Ann Barrie

Now, more than fifty years later, there is no need to take a packed lunch, as there are many inexpensive eating places nearby. I bought sushi from mama san, and settled myself onto a bench in the park. I had time to photograph my sushi (shown at end of blog) before the heavens opened and I dashed to the covered area behind the Auckland Art Gallery. As I ate my sushi, a little drama unfolded in front of me.  A security guard, tall and fine-looking, approached a motionless man enveloped in a sleeping bag on one of the steps, and gently touched his shoulder. The man stirred, and the guard spoke to him and then went away. For the next five minutes the man, still in his sleeping bag, tried to get to his feet. Time and again he got so far, then swayed on his feet and sank back onto the steps. Eventually he gave up, and resumed his prone position. As I made my way down the steps toward the gallery, I noticed another guard observing the man from inside, and I wondered if the sleeping man was a regular.

I love the Auckland Art Gallery for its architecture and collections, and the bonus for me on this visit was The Corsini Collection. The exhibition features Renaissance and Baroque paintings drawn from the private art collection of Florence’s Corsini family. Here are some of the objects that I lingered over; the notes beneath are a combination of text from the gallery's captions and my own comments:

This door curtain from the mid-18th century has the emblem of the Corsini family embroidered in the centre. Door curtains were used to furnish the walls of presentation rooms while also helping to keep the huge spaces warm. Two of my personal friends have thick, rich door curtains in their homes; these create a cosy atmosphere.

This portrait by Cesare Dandini (1596-1657) is of a young woman from the Corsini family cast as the Roman mythological figure of Flora, goddess of  plants, flowers and fertility. Her hair is softly curling over her shoulders suggesting that she is not yet married, and she holds a bouquet of anemones, peonies and jasmine. A pensive young woman holding flowers -- timeless.

Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (1483-1561) painted this portrait of an unknown man. He appears to be someone of simple and aesthetic tastes. On thinking this over later, my mind has made the leap to a recent Breast Cancer NZ campaign using models in similar poses to those in paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt; and I wonder what this man died of when his time came.

Pier Francesco Foschi (1602-1567) painted this portrait of Cardinal Antonio Pucci. It appealed to me because he is depicted wearing informal garments instead of church attire.

This painting had a helpful little notice alongside it: "You can see lots of stories in this painting. How many people can you find? What are they doing? Are these stories all happening at the same time?"

This painting by Matteo Rosselli (1578-1650) shows the triumph of David. The colours are jewel-like.

I viewed this painting with horrified fascination. Matteo Rosselli (1578-1650) portrays Jael and Sisera from the biblical Book of Judges. Jael, determined to kill the enemy of her people, loom over Sisera, her hammer poised, ready to drive the nail into his head. 

This portrait is of Princess Elena Corsini, painted in 1950 by Pietro Annigoni; the princess was responsible for saving the Corsini art collection from the German armed forces in 1944. The portrait made me think of my Scottish grandmother -- she wore a similar colour when working with the Royal Belgian Red Cross in London during World War I. 

The Corsini Collection continues until 21 January 2018.

*

Here is the sushi I enjoyed that day (salmon & avocado and brown rice):

Photo: Ann Barrie

And these are my modest baking efforts: Christmas cakes for my church, St Andrew's on the Terrace, organ-restoration fundraiser:

Photo: Ann Barrie

I will take this opportunity to wish you:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia

Joyeux Noël ! Bonne Année !

Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr

Blog by Ann Barrie