Convening with the Masters, Again!

Starry Night over the Rhone by Vincent van Gogh

I was first introduced to the art of the great masters by my sister when I was barely ten years old. Those days, we did not have glossy art books or the internet. My sister's precious collection consisted of a small pocket sized book of works by the great impressionists, another one of Picasso, and a collection of watercolours by Dufy. These little books lit a fire in my heart and I have been in love with the impressionists ever since.

I can hardly contain my excitement whenever I visit an exhibition of impressionist paintings. I had the good fortune of visiting such an exhibition twice in the last couple of years. Last April, I was in Canberra for  Masterpieces from Paris. My friend and I had to queue for hours before we could go in. The highlight of that show for most people including me, was undoubtedly Van Gogh's "Starry Night over the Rhone". Yesterday, less than a year since, I saw this masterpiece again! This time, no crowds, and I could linger before it for as long as I please. The place - National Museum of Singapore, the exhibition "Dreams & Reality" Masterpieces of painting, drawing & photography from Musee D'Orsay Paris.

I feel so privileged, to be convening with these great masters of art! When I was a little girl of ten thumbing through the pages of those pocket books, I never imagined that one day I would be viewing those masterpieces face to face, not just once in a lifetime, but sometimes even repeatedly!