A Day n St.Louis- the Art Museum and a Piazza

The St.Louis Art Museum currently has a wonderful exhibit on Paul Gauguin (French post-impressionist artist who lived from 1848-1903).  The exhibit is titled The Art of Invention"- very true for this artist as he become known for his writing, ceramics, printmaking, wood engraving and woodcuts.  It seemed that over his lifetime he was always creatively reinventing himself!

Pictured above is a wood carving Gauguin did of Eve with the serpent, a Biblical story of the first sin.  He created this with oak wood and paint.  There was a fair number of his wood art displayed in this exhibit, as well as a variety of other objects which he collected over his lifetime. While living and painting in Tahiti he became interested in the Maori culture and collected items pertaining to that tribe of people, which  included in the exhibit.

Gauguin seemed to be a restless soul, he did not want to paint urbanized Europe, and instead wanted to find more uncivilized places where he could find luminous vivid colors- which he certainly found in the lush tropical foliage of Tahiti.    He left his five children and wife in Denmark, traveled off to paint and find an alternative life style on that island.  He first spent two years there, returning later and spending 6 more years on Tahiti.   The painting above is titled "Landscape from Tahiti"   Over all, this was a very fascinating exhibit about an unusual, talented off-beat painter.  We enjoyed it a lot.

After spending our morning at the art museum we headed for lunch in the historic Italian Hill area of St.Louis.  A few of our favorite restaurants are located here.  After eating we walked a couple of blocks, past St.Ambrose church- a large Catholic church important to this community and built by the first Italian immigrants to St.Louis.  Piazza Imo, pictured above, is across the street from the church.  It has massive ornamental gates, benches, chessboards, as well as the marble fountain and granite walkways- very European in flavor.  It was paid for by private donors, and just dedicated this past summer.  It is a wonderful addition to the historic hill area!