Jan & John Maggs
Antiques and Art
A visit to Ottawa and the National Gallery of Canada
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We had purchased tickets on VIA Rail from Montreal to Ottawa. Because the difference between coach and first class fares was moderate, we opted to pay a bit more for space, comfort, and service. After a relaxed wait in the comfortable and quiet first class lounge, we boarded.
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During the two-hour journey, we were served a freshly cooked Canadian breakfast, served by a very accommodating staff member. It wasn't quite Paris, but it brightened our morning.
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The train took us through the Canadian countryside at a speed averging 80 to 90 mph. We arrived at the Ottawa train station and took a tram to the museum.
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We arrived shortly before noon and were treated to a grand concert of change ringing from the bell towers of the massive Notre Dame Basilica.
We recorded a bit, which you may hear by clicking the picture.
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Maman
Louise Bourgeois (1911 - 2010)
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Several years ago, we had driven to the Cloisters to experience the wonder of Janet Cardiff's adaptation of Thomas Tallis's legendary motet Spem in Alium, a truly spectacular musical creation for eight five-voice choirs. Cardiff recorded each of the forty singers with a dedicated microphone. The subsequent "performances" are realized by playing each individual part through one of forty speakers, arranged in a large oval around the performance space. After its original tours, the motet now resides in the National Gallery in the Gothic Revival Rideau Chapel that was rescued and preserved after the convent in which it was housed was demolished in 1972. The Rideau Chapel, in its original majesty, is now the home of the ten-minute motet, which repeats after a slight interval. Unlike our visit to the Cloisters, we had the chapel to ourselves, but for the young couple who left soon after our arrival. It was the unexpected highlight of our day and an overwhelming emotional high for these two aged singers. Click the picture for a tiny sample of this monumental piece.
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A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE WORKS OF ART IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY
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Sunshine in the Drawing Room
Vilhelm Hammershøi (Danish, 1864 – 1916)
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Woman with an Umbrella
Edgar Degas (French, 1834 – 1917)
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Amour et Destin
Gustave Doré, (French, 1832 – 1883)
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A Jewish Heroine from the Hebrew Bible
Rembrandt Van Rijn (Dutch, 1606 – 1669)
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The Lacemaker
Nicolaes Maes (Dutch, 1634 – 1693)
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We left the museum and rode the tram back to the station, pleased with our choices for the day. Our experience has convinced us that Ottawa is an exceptional city. We hope to return.
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