Yesterday was a day of good art and good food.

The art was at the Phillips Gallery. We went to see the current exhibit of Joan Miro’s work, which closes in early July. I was reminded of the time that we went to the Fundacio Joan Miro museum on Montjuic in Barcelona.

Digression: I know it is early for a digression, but you might have guessed that Montjuic, that tall hill that overlooks the city and contains the Miro museum is (if you translated it into English) Mount Jew. You may also notice (especially if you have been to Barcelona) that no one seems to care. But did you ever wonder why it is called that? Am I the only one? My guess is that if you guessed why, your guess would be as good as mine, which was pretty good. Yes, there was a Jewish cemetery on Montjuic back in the pre-expulsion days. It was actually destroyed in the 1300s. “Hardly a man is now alive……”. End of digression.

Back to the museum in Barcelona. It was designed by architect Josep Lluis Sert. And, it isn’t a bad building.

Second digression: You wonder why I added that “it isn’t a bad building” to the last paragraph, no doubt. It’s because Sert (who served for a time as dean of the Harvard School of Design) designed Harvard’s married student dorms, called I think Peabody Terrace, or Peabody Something, which was finished just in time (1965) for newly married Jeff and Judy Pass (if I recall correctly) to move in when Jeff started Harvard Law. Judy, correct me if I am wrong. The strange thing about this three tower development (each 22 stories) is that the elevators did not stop at each floor; they stopped between each floor. So, for example, if you lived on the 15th floor, you shared an elevator lobby with either the 14th or the 16th and had to walk up or down several steps to get to your apartment. This is weird (especially, so I assume, if you broke your leg or needed a wheelchair), but it was viewed as more efficient (who cares?) because it only had to stop 50% as often. End of second digression.

My memory is that the museum in Barcelona displays Miro’s work on two floors and the roof, where there is a large display of various pieces of sculpture. In the lower level of the building, there are many pieces not by Miro, but by others who had given their works to Miro for his private collection. My reaction was that Miro’s work was repetitive and corny, but the work of the artists in the basement was worth the trip to the museum.

Interestingly, the exhibit at the Phillips also shows the work with Miro along with the works of others. The other artists featured in this exhibit are artists who were somehow connected to, or influenced by Miro, and all were American, as this is the focus of the exhibit: Miro and the United States.

Yes, I still think that Miro’s work is repetitive and corny. But I had a revelation yesterday. I now think that Miro knew his work was repetitive and corny. And that is how he wanted it.

Why else would he call this painting “Woman with Blond Armpit Combing her Hair by the Light of the Stars”?

Or this one ” On the 13th, the Ladder Touched the Firmament”?

See what I mean? Both of these are part of his “Constellation” series, at the exhibit in full. They are, when seen together, with their seemingly random titles, fun. And corny.

Or take this one, if you don’t believe me.

What you call it? How about “The Beautiful Bird Revealing the Unknown to a Pair of Lovers”?

Apparently, Miro was very influential to a large number of well known American artists, whose works are also displayed in this exhibit. As to another artist whom I have a hard time appreciating, Willem de Kooning, two of his works struck me, especially because of his use of light.

De Kooning titled this last painting “Zurich”. No humor there.

There is a lot to see in this exhibition. Don’t go today. The Phillips is closed on Monday.

The food yesterday? Lunch at the Bread Furst Cafe at the Phillips. Highly recommend the Italian vegetable sandwich on a French baguette. A full baguette, so big enough for two, served with excellent home made-ish chips.

Dinner, down the street from us at Thai Pad (not to be confused with pad Thai). Salmon with Panang sauce (okay, not Thai), and basil fried rice with vegetables (very Thai). Highly recommended.