A week in Melbourne, Australia- 5/4- 5/10/2024
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Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
Day 6-Breakfast/Arts center Melbourne-5/9/2024
Breakfast at Lune
With its acclaimed "world's best croissants," Lune on Collins St is a highly recommended stop for a quintessential Melbourne breakfast, though patrons are advised to arrive early to avoid the inevitable queues and secure the full selection of famed pastries like the Almond Croissant and Kouign Amann.
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This long line we are in is completely normal for Lune, they are incredibly popular and have achieved a near-cult following!
The main reasons Lune Croissanterie is so famous because a New York Times food critic once posed the question, "Is the World's Best Croissant Made in Australia?" referring to Lune. This international publicity gave them massive worldwide recognition and drew huge crowds. The founder, Kate Reid, is a former aerospace engineer! She applies a scientific, meticulous approach (which she calls "reverse engineering") to the baking process. Their croissants are made over a precise three-day process. They use a very high amount of butter (43% compared to a typical 25-33%).
The Lune Croissanterie on Collins
Street is designed where the act of pastry creation is the main event.
The long line of displayed pastries is a key part of the Lune experience, and it's intentionally designed to maximize your viewing pleasure!
The pastries are from the classic Traditional Croissant to the Pain au Chocolat and the seasonal specials are often lined up meticulously atop a monolithic concrete counter.
We ordered a Morning Bun (croissant pastry baked with brown sugar, cinnamon and orange zest filling, and rolled in spiced sugar) and a Kouign Amann (traditional pastry from Bretagne, France, laminate with sugar and baked in a buttered sugared mold until caramelized).
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Both pastries were amazing! It is no surprise that customers rave about the perfect contrast of a delicate, crunchy, and shattering outer shell with a soft, intensely buttery interior.
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Excellent Cappuccino and pastries are perfect to start our day.
Arts Center Melbourne
We are headed to the Arts center Melbourne. From the street we could see a giant billboard advertised was Pharaoh, the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces for 2024. It was a spectacular, international-exclusive exhibition of over 500 ancient Egyptian objects, including colossal statues, exquisite jewelry, and architectural pieces, on loan from the British Museum.
We are standing at one of Melbourne's most recognizable architectural landmarks: the Arts Centre Melbourne Spire. While it has the latticework structure of the Eiffel Tower, the Spire's distinctive lower section is said to be inspired by the billowing folds of a ballerina's tutu, a fitting tribute to the performing arts that take place below. The Spire sits directly above the Theatres Building, which houses the State Theatre, Playhouse, and Fairfax Studio.
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The Spire reaches a height of 531 ft. and is an iconic part of the Melbourne skyline, especially at night when it is dramatically illuminated. The lighting system involves thousands of fiber-optic and neon lights, often glowing in purple, making it a symbolic beacon for arts and culture in the city.
Coles Fountain one of the most prominent water features in the Arts Precinct, located near the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and the Arts Centre Spire. The fountain is famous for its powerful, ever-changing pattern of water jets that can shoot up to impressive heights. The water seems to "dance," making it mesmerizing to watch.
The sculpture "Really Good" by British artist David Shrigley is currently on display right outside the entrance to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) International, which is directly across the street from the Arts Centre Melbourne Spire. A massive, 23 ft., high hand cast in dark bronze, making the universal "thumbs-up" gesture. The thumb is noticeably elongated and slightly disproportionate to the rest of the hand is becoming a huge icon of the whole arts precinct.
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The work is characteristic of Shrigley's style, which is rooted in dark humor and satire. Its meaning is intentionally ambiguous and open to interpretation. The most widely cited meaning is that the massive, definitive "thumbs up" is a sardonic gesture. By making the hand so oversized, simple, and slightly "off" (the exaggerated thumb), it asks the viewer to question whether things are actually "really good" in the world. It often acts as a satirical comment on contemporary life and optimism in the face of various social or political challenges.
The entrance of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).as
We are now inside the National Gallery of Victoria with two monumental sculptures of a Black man and a Black woman are by British contemporary artist Thomas J Price.
All in (the man) and Reaching out (the woman). Price created these works to confront the lack of representation of Black people in public statuary around the world, which has historically been dominated by figures of powerful white men.
The man is shown with his hands in his pockets, and the woman is looking down at her phone. By depicting ordinary, contemporary Black people in monumental bronze, the material traditionally reserved for heroes and kings. Price subverts traditional heroic sculpture and grounds these everyday individuals in a position of dignity and power. They are literally placed on the ground, without a plinth, to emphasize their presence in the here and now.
Puppets from Indonesia.
We are now entering the Asian art section. The collections include works from East Asia, South and South-East Asia, dating from the 2nd millennium BCE to the 21st Century, in diverse media: paintings, calligraphy, prints, bronzes, sculptures, ceramics, lacquer, jade, glass, furniture, textiles, and video.
Originating more than a thousand years ago, wayang performances remain a popular form of entertainment in Indonesia
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The treasure, color woodblock by Paul Jacoulet (French 1896-1960, emigrated to Japan 1906).
Living most of this life in Japan, The French born artist Paul Jacoulet is most noted for his works that resulted from travels to the Korean Peninsula, china and the South Pacific Island. Working in close collaboration with experts carvers and printers, he acted as his won publisher and exercised a high degree of control over the quality of every print. He enjoyed greeting guests at his home and studio to show his print production and became known as the "Frenchman of the woodblock print". The treasure depicts a Korean mother in traditional hanbok costume with her child who is celebrating his first birthday, noted by his auspiciously embroidered socks.
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Guardian Spirit from Tang Dynasty-AD 700-750, from Henan/Shanxi province, China
This extraordinary creature with a human face is created from the powerful attributes of different animals. It also represents "Tubo", the earth spirit, or lord of the underworld. Tubo acts as a tomb guardian that wards off evil spirits and ensures the deceased not to leave the tomb to make trouble for the living
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The art of China
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Chinese Bodhisattva, Northern Qi dynasty, AD 550-577
Mahayana Buddhism was introduced to China from India via Central Asian trade routes as early as the 1st century. It brought with it a complete religious system: holy scriptures, sacred images, monks and ritual observances, all new to the Chinese.
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This incredible piece is called "Apple" by the artist Li Lihong. It is one of the standout works in the NGV's Asian Art section, and it perfectly embodies a clash between tradition and modern global culture. It is a large, ceramic sculpture shaped like the globally recognized Apple Inc. logo (the bitten apple), made from traditional porcelain, decorated with the beautiful, brightly colored "One Hundred Flowers" motif. This flower pattern was famously popular with the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong Emperor (18th century). The Apple Logo represents modern-day Western consumerism, technology, and global mass production, which rapidly entered the Chinese market in the artist's lifetime.
By putting the flowers of a fading empire onto the symbol of a powerful new global empire, Li Lihong is creating a commentary on the tension between ancient Chinese culture and the overwhelming forces of globalization and consumerism.
Tea and porcelain in 18th century Europe.
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Porcelain cups were first produces in China, which had discovered a method of producing porcelain by 200 CE. Small handless cups were used to drink a range of beverages, including wine an tea. In the 17th century, both tea and porcelain began to be imported into Europe in quantity, as exotic porcelain was deemed the ideal material from which to drink equally exotic tea.
in the 18th century, when Europeans finally masters porcelain production, manufacturers began to modify the size and shape of porcelain cups to suit European drinking habits.
We are now in the art gallery
 Mary, Lady Vere-1612-15, oil on canvas by William Larkin William Larkin is among the most enigmatic and accomplished portrait painters of Jacobean England. Larkin's portraits are about the status and wealth of his sitters and the outward image they wish to project. The sitter here is Mary, Lady Vere, a highly distinguished member of aristocracy whose wealth is signified by deep black fabric she wears, the rich dyes needed to create this dark hue were prohibitively expensive at the time. |
 John Ashburnham-18128-30, oil on canvas by Daniel Mytens Daniel Mytens was one of numerous Dutch painters attracted to work in England by the wealth of the court of King Charles I. John Ashburham, and English Royalist, was a close confidant of Charles during the Civil War. After Charles's escape from Cromwell's army in 1647, Ashburnham advised the king to flee to the Isle of Wight, where he was betrayed by the Isle's governor, Robert Hammond. The bad counsel which led ultimately to Charles's execution as well as Ashburnham's offer to kill Hammond in revenge, aroused the suspicions of Royalist and Cromwellians alike. |
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Mother and Child-1624, oil on wood panel by Cornelis de Vos (Dutch/Flemish c. 1584-1651)
Exhibition room
Cushion cupboard (Kuseenkast)-1659, Oak, ebony, rosewood, elm, ebonized wood-The Netherlands, Amsterdam manufacturer.
Furniture craftsmanship flourished in the Dutch Republic during the 17th century. Pieces of furniture were made and appreciated as works of art. The monumental cupboard developed early in the 17th century, functioning as a linen press or storage cupboard.
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Self portrait of Rembrandt-1660, oil on canvas by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Jijn-Dutch painter (1606-69)
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Two old men disputing-1628, oil on wood panel by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
This painting reveals the individuality and brilliance that distinguished the young Rembrandt as Leiden's finest artist. There has been much speculation regarding the subject of this painting. It has been suggested that the 2 men are philosophers, possibly Hippocrates and Democritus, or the apostles Peter and Paul. However, in 1641, the painting was referred to in the will of Jacques de Gheyn III, a friend of Rembrandt, simply as "tow little old men disputing". Rembrandt has included objects associated with learning, books, quills and a globe, thereby an emblematic essay on the wisdom of age.
Hoa sitting down to contemplate all the paintings.
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Bust of renowned French philosopher, poet, dramatist and historian Voltaire.
Jean Antoine Houdon- French (1741-1828) worked from life, obtaining numerous sittings from Voltaire between February 1778 and the writer's death in May that year. Voltaire proved to be one of Houdon's most popular subjects. The sculptor developed several variants of his conception of the philosophe, and continue to produce them long after Voltaire's death.
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Venus sculpture-1782, Marble by Francois Marie Poncet-French 1736-97
Here, Venus, the Roman goddess of love, stands supported mainly on her left leg in an elegant contrapposto. She is set against a twisted cloud, which also bears two tussling doves, giving the scene a sense of playful eroticism that identifies her as the deity of love.
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Weeping woman-1937, oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso-Spanish 1881-1973
The weeping women compositions of the 1937 belong to what have been termed the "postscripts" of Picasso's famous painting Guernica. The common stark motif in these disturbing images, that of a woman's grief laid bare for public scrutiny, derived from the figure at the far left of the Guernica mural. A woman who screams uncontrollably and attempts vainly to escape the bombing, grasping her dead child to her chest. Aspect of Picasso's turbulent love life have also been read into Weeping woman, a complex web of relationships involving his former wife Olga Koklova, and concurrent new lovers Marie Therese Walter and Dora Maar.
 Reclining Nude on pink couch-1919, by Henri Matisse-French 1869-1954 |
 Portrait of the painter Manuel Humbert-1916 by Amadeo Modigliani-Italian 1884-1920 |
Boulevard Montmartre, morning, cloudy weather-1987 by Camille Pissaro-Danish/French 1830-1903
In February 1897, Camille Pissarro began a series of painting of the great boulevards of Paris. Between February 10 and April 17, he painted fourteen views of the Boulevard Montmartre as seen from the window of a hotel room.
In these canvases Pissaro was less concerned with topography than with observing and capturing the constantly changing effects of light and weather. In addition, the fixed viewpoint afforded by this hotel's upper story window allowed him to record not only the effects of weather patterns and light on the boulevard but also, and just as importantly, the ever changing configurations of the crowds and traffic below.
Rough weather at Etretat-1883, oil on canvas by Claude Monet, French 1840-1926
The popular seaside resort of Etretat, on the Normandy coast, was situated directly above the beach, immediately to the right of the view depicted in Claude Money's painting, but no indication is given here of the bustling town. The view has been framed instead to focus upon the awesome power of nature, whose majesty is underscored by the tiny scale of he waving figures at the water's edge. There are, however, reminders of the relentless tourist paths beaten around Etretat, which are seen in the heavy zigzags of the walking trails in the cliff in the distance.
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Untitled (Red)-1956, glue, oil, synthetic polymer paint and resin on canvas by Mark Rothko, Russian/American 1903-1970
With its brilliant color chords Untitled (Red) invites the envelopment on the viewers senses. Rothko's overlapping blocks of pigment seem to oscillate in constant motion, while the predominant hue, red, is elementally emotive. This aspect of arts' emotional engagement with the viewer was central to Rothko's search for meaning with abstraction.
Rotko on the left and on the right is a painting by Pierre Soulages, French 1919
Our visit is now over and we are leaving the building.
As we were leaving we took the Waterwall entrance/Exit which is
large glass sheet with water
constantly cascading down it, creating the effect of a waterfall.
The waterwall view from the exterior.
NEXT... Downtown (CBD) Melbourne
