Madrid

The 2nd day in Madrid


I didn´t need to find a different hostel to stay as there´s a bed for me in the morning and tomorrow will be the same though I should move to a different bed. I´ve been to El Rastro flea market in the morning; it is held every Sunday morning but it was disappointing as it was not so different from Khaosan or somewhere similar in Bangkok. Well, I mean there were full of oriental stuffs such as cheap cotton colourfully dyed clothes, bags and accesories. Ok, I´ve asked the receptionist of the hostel in the morning if it´s a worth visit and she said it´s not typical Spanish market but everything would be there. I could see why she said like that. However, the size of market was very big with similar stuffs and lots of people holding their bags as they were always asked to be careful with pickpockets.

I took a metro and went to Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, first. I wonder how happy the couple with great collection were then. Well, I don´t really know how they could do it and how much they enjoyed it but it´s quite big as private collection. I expected a lot of Impressionism artworks as it´s my favourite genre of Fine Art. What´s more, there´s temporary Exhibition of Van Gogh, my hero. Spending 3hrs to look around each section and finally the special exhibition at the end. Oh, my God...
It reminded me of the Special Exhibition Van Gogh & Gauguin in Amsterdam 5yrs ago which made me cried while listening to the radio guide. This exhibition in Madrid is for his last 2-3months work. There were some parts of his and his brother Theo´s letter written on the walls between his artworks and it was so touching and impressive. I was nearly crying again in the middle of the hall way.

"I´m working in good deal and quickly these days; by doing this I seek to find an expression for the deperately swift passing away of things in mordern life..."
-Letter from Vincent to Sister Vil. June 13, 1890-

"Well, my work, I am risking my life for it and my reason has half foundered because of it..."
-Letter from vincent to his brother Theo dated July 23, 1890-

"He himself wanted to die; I was sitting with him and told him we would try to cure him and that we kept hoping he would be spared this sort of despair, he said ; ´Sadness will last forever.´ I understood what he meant. Shortly afterwards, he gasped for breath, and a moment later closed his eyes. He found tremendous peace, and did not regain consciousness..."
-Letter of Theo Van Gogh to his sister Elizabeth, August 5, 1890-


I remember his letters to Theo and Gaugin and all what he wrote was about his craziness and passion and jealousy of art. The display in the gallery was so great and the explanation... I still vividly remember the moment there. The day he cut his ear... all the works of same subject with Gauguin...
I was a budget traveler as always but bought a book of them there and my backpack was stollen in the bus station just before I got on the bus to England.
Anyhow,
I may visit Auvers-sur-Oise on this trip when I get to Paris for a couple of days or at least a day trip. I can´t go to Arles but it´s just 30km away from Paris!

I´m crazy about his strong touches and colour and common people´s portrait and of course different landscapes. Time doesn´t allow me to tell more about it.

Afterwards, I went to Museo del Prado but I didn´t really enjoy it. First, I don´t really like portraits of the noble or royal and religous art is still difficult to understand. However, I could get some images of each saints after the pilgrimage as my friends explained some and any work related to St. James or pilgrims were much more familiar than before. I liked Karabajo´s works with strong contrast and Goya´s later work, Black paintings.

Anyhow...
Time to go now.
Tomorrow... to Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.
the day after tomorrow to Toledo.

To be continued...