A museum is an institution that displays different and previous artworks such as paintings, pictures, and sculptures. Individuals are advised to visit the displayed galleries rather than reading newspapers or viewing photos. Birmingham Museum of Art contains the finest galleries in the Southeastern part of the United States of America. Utterback states that the collection consists of more than twenty-four thousand paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and decorative arts representing numerous cultures globally (4). From Victoria Square, turning right at the end of the Council House, the entrance is located on the right side exactly at the New Street Station.
Inside the building, there is an Egyptian grey ibis in color. Its body is oval with a long neck and legs. According to Ness, illustrations of kingdoms and rulers in the African culture capture one’s attention due to their proximity (245). The painting consists of black and energetic individuals, tall and young, holding sticks. Next to the ibis is a Chinese black wine vessel. There is also an illustration of Chinese culture, a pear-shaped bottle decorated with banana leaves, a lotus pond, and lotus petal motifs. Ahmady indicates that the pear-shaped bottle is categorized as porcelain with glaze blue decoration (6). Museum paintings and prints indicate how African and Chinese cultures are rich.
There is the Dream of Italy by Robert S. Duncanson which is located in another room and illustrates how Italians were longing for peace and tranquility. The painting reveals a bright yellow sun far from the west, green plants, clear blue water, and scattered clouds. The image of Margaret George McGlathery is another painting available here. She is in a long black dress, with long black gloves, and a white veil covers her. The painting is believed to be one of the nineteenth century’s most expensive paintings, which offers an exquisite view. Her family comprises seven children and a husband; the painter targeted painting all of them in one picture but seemed impossible due to financial constraints.
On the project of doing more research, it is worthy of finding paintings of tracks done by hand. The hand is folded with black tracks on it, illustrating rails drawn on the hand’s backside. These tracks run from the wrist through the knuckles to the nails. However, due to digital limitations, the display of the paintings is incomplete and it is hardly possible to feel the same emotions as while taking a real-life tour around a museum. Another painting in this building shows the Ascetic Shakyamuni made of wood and seated, wondering about many events. Ascetic Shakyamuni sculpture displays a painting in gold, worried and lost in so many directions. The Buddha image, with long curly hair and a beard, indicates a man full of life’s frustrations.
In conclusion, visiting museums has been one the enjoyable activities over the years. Now that the globe is experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, it is risky to pay a physical visit. Social distancing has to be exercised for safety purposes. Doing virtual visitations has remained the only option that can be performed anytime. Pieces of art attract people by their shape, length, and color. Once the globe declares COVID-19 free, individuals should find time to see the amazing paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Works Cited
Ahmady, Youmna, and Yamuna Kaluarachchi. “The Influence of Lighting Settings on Museum’s Brand Image and Human Satisfaction in Exhibition Halls Using Virtual Reality.” International Conference on Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies. Springer, Cham, 2020.
Ness, Caroline. “Dressed to the Nines,” Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.” Textile History vol. 51. no. 2, 2021, pp. 254-257. Web.
Utterback, Camille. “National Portrait Gallery’s Black Out exhibition travels to Birmingham Museum of Art September 28, 2019-January 12, 2020.” Camilleutterback. Web.