Souvenirs from the Norton Simon Museum
The Norton Simon Museum is a fixture of LA’s vibrant arts scene. Its collection of over 12,000 works of art spans from the Renaissance to the 20th century, with a strong focus on European art. The museum also houses a significant collection of Southeast Asian art that dates back 2,500 years.
The museum had humble beginnings as the Pasadena Art Institute in 1922. It was founded by a group of local citizens who were interested in promoting the study and appreciation of art. The Institute's first home was a 22-room Victorian house in Carmelita Park. The Institute's collection grew rapidly in its early years, and it would eventually outgrow its home. In 1969, a new 85,000 square foot structure was built on the original site.
The museum would spend the next few years struggling to pay off the debt it incurred from construction. In 1974, Norton Simon took over management of the museum in exchange for footing the bill. He combined his significant art collection with the museum's existing collection, and the museum was renamed the Norton Simon Museum.
Simon was a world-renowned art collector, and had purchased over 8,000 works of art. At a time he was one of the wealthiest men in America, having amassed a net worth of 10 billion dollars. His first success was when he invested in a juice bottling plant which he would later develop into Hunts Foods Inc.
Simon believed that art had the power to help us understand ourselves more fully. The gift of Simon's collection transformed the Pasadena Art Institute into one of the most important art museums in the United States.
The corridors of the museum are open and airy. A pond lies in a courtyard outside. There's geese, songbirds, and insects crawling everywhere. Flowers patches line the perimeter. It's like a sampler of paradise. It’s breathtaking to see Van Gogh paintings up close. His name is talked about to the point of abstraction. In person you can appreciate the skill. You catch every detail in The Mulberry Tree. The bright colors bubble with energy. Each stroke is a window into his thought process.
The museum stands as a testament to the importance of preserving art. The ability to dive into different cultures should not be taken for granted. It gives us the opportunity to see others' perspectives and reflect on our own. Art can help us make sense of the world around us while also untangling the feelings we have inside.
“One of the most profound means of human communication is the visual arts. By establishing a meaningful dialogue between an artist’s vision of the world and our own perceptions, art can help us to understand ourselves more fully. Moreover, art at its finest gives us a deep sense of history, tradition, and the true potentialities of man’s creativity. In today’s world where often scientific development is regarded as the highest goal and where the individual frequently feels alienated from himself and those around him, the role of art becomes increasingly important in keeping open the lines of communication.”
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https://www.nortonsimon.org/about/about-norton-simon
https://www.nortonsimon.org/about/museum-history/
https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/history-of-the-collection/
April 22, 2023
