Introduction
The San Diego art museum is one of the oldest in the country. The museum has a lot of exhibits which showcase art from different places such as Asia, Latin America and Europe. The exhibits displayed in the museum range from renaissance, baroque and impressionist eras as well as contemporary art from different places.
Therefore, the museum offers art lovers a chance to go back into time to discover the historical progress of artistic ideas. This paper will discuss the relevance of San Diego Museum of Art to the city and how it highlights different artistic eras.
The museum has been in existence since 1926, and has gone through several phases of expansion ever since. It is located in Balboa Park, San Diego and it is estimated that it receives close to 500,000 visitors annually. The outer design of the museum’s structure is influenced by Spanish renaissance style, which makes it stand out in the area. It has a sculptural exterior with its outer spaces decorated with Spanish sculptures.
The museum has several galleries which display different art exhibits. The west wing was added to the museum in the mid 1960’s, while the east wing was constructed in the mid 1970’s.These improvements increased the museum’s gallery space and made it possible for more art exhibits to be displayed.
In the beginning, the museum’s relied on donations from its benefactors. Appleton Bridges, Archer Huntington, Henry Timken, Alice Klauber, George Pratt, Henry Everett and Amy and Anne Putnam, donated high quality art works to the museum. These benefactors made it possible for the museum to get its first art pieces which were displayed to the public (Swanson 83).
Major Collections
The museum’s collections highlight different artistic styles from different historic eras. It has prestigious old master collections from Spain and other parts of Europe. One of its most famous exhibits is the “El Marques de Sofraga”, done by Francisco Goya. It also has a portrait done by Giovanni Bellini which adds to the repertoire of classic art exhibits displayed to the public.
The “Infanta Margarita” by Spanish artist Diego Velasquez, is one of the most magnificent art works on display. These classic collections strengthen the museum’s appeal to art lovers, because they document a crucial era in European art history.
The museum also exhibits art works done by other Spanish artists from different eras. Therefore, the museum has some of the largest collections of classic Spanish paintings, in the state of California. It is one of the few museums that show how artistic ideas from different eras developed (Swanson 88).
The museum also has art exhibits from the German expressionist movement, which has enables it display artistic ideas from this period. These art pieces were obtained from Vance Kondon and Elisabeth Geisberger, a married couple. The art works displayed were done by Egon Schiele, Gabriele Munter, Otto Dix and Alexej von Jawlesnky. It also has several exhibits from Italian and North European artists.
The museum has a lot of significance because its exhibits show continuity in art ideas from different periods. The museum also displays South Asian art dating back several centuries ago. One of its notable collections is the Buddhist sculpture from China which has a lot of cultural and religious value.
It also exhibits Japanese art in form of wood prints, ceramics and metal art works, which are more than three centuries old. My visit to the museum opened my eyes to the rich cultural heritage on display here (Swanson 90).
Relevance
I did not know that there was so much I can learn about art in such a short period of time. I discovered that there is a lot of artistic treasure that has been well preserved in the museum. This visit improved my understanding on the relevance of art displayed and environments in which artists created these works. I was able to analyze different art works displayed and their meanings.
The museum improves visitors’ experiences by adding information describing backgrounds of artists that created these works and what motivated them (Swanson 92). The museum displays art from the renaissance, baroque and impressionist eras. These eras were dominated by artists who were culturally aware of their surroundings who expressed their emotions through their works.
The visit I made to the museum improved my knowledge on art history. The museum also displays contemporary art from the US, Latin America and Asia. The museum’s displays create linkages between the past and the present, which make a positive impression on art enthusiasts who come to explore these exhibits.
I also learnt that the museum intends to expand its collection to include contemporary art from other regions, whose art has never been exhibited there before. The museum will in future display art from Africa and Oceania to showcase rich artistic and cultural heritage from these two regions (Swanson 105). The museum has also introduced a photography section, which allows visitors to explore more options in the museum whenever they visit.
Works Cited
Swanson, David. Frommer’s San Diego. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2004. Print.