Rembrandt- A Sassy Influencer

Rembrandt- A Sassy Influencer by Leticia Marie Sanchez Cultural Cocktail Hour® is a registered Trademark There’s a new gentleman in town who has recently arrived from England. Hailing from London’s National Gallery of Art, Rembrandt van Rijn’s Self Portrait at the Age of 34 has arrived at the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena. At the opening night preview, Norton Simon Chief Curator Carol Tognieri revealed that this is the London gentleman’s first trip to the United States. Several attendees at the opening observing the painting up close, commented on the young man’s dewy skin. Rembrandt van Rijn, Self Portrait at the Age of 34; 1640; Oil on canvas; 102 x 80 cm,  On loan from  London’s National Gallery of Art Unlike Rembrandt’s later self-portraits depicting wizened, furrowed brows, this is a dashing subject. The sumptuous gold frame itself warrants admiration. But

The Christmas fruitcake fiasco: Puccini versus Toscanini

In her revealing book, Secret Lives of the Great Composers, Elizabeth Lundy described a fruity fiasco between two rivals: opera composers, Giacomo Puccini and conductor Arturo Toscanini: “During the years of Puccini and Toscanini’s feud, they had very little contact- except for one Christmastime incident. That year Puccini forgot to remove the conductor’s name from the list of friends to whom he sent the traditional Italian holiday gift, a pannetone cake. When Puccini realized his error, he sent Toscanini a telegram reading: “PANNETONE SENT BY MISTAKE. PUCCINI.” Toscanini replied, “PANNETONE EATEN BY MISTAKE. TOSCANINI.”

“Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor” at the Norton Simon- a MUST SEE exhibit

Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor A MUST SEE exhibit at the Norton Simon By Leticia Marie Sanchez Stepping into the Norton Simon Museum for a new exhibition, the foresight of collector Norton Simon never ceases to impress me. Last year, perusing the sea of Picassos for the States of Mind exhibition, I felt fortunate to have the opportunity to delve into myriad iterations of Picassos work and thereby his creative process due to the deep collection acquired by Norton Simon. This month’s exhibition Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor once again felt like a seemingly boundless collection of a single artist, this time Edgar Degas.  With the exception of one loan by the Getty Museum, Norton Simon’s massive collection of Degas’ sculpture, drawing, and painting comprised the entire exhibition. A deep collection affords a viewer a rich window into the of the art of

Wise Man: George Bernard Shaw

You use a glass mirror to see your face;  You use works of art to see your soul.”   – George Bernard Shaw                           Caravaggio, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome

Dazzling Lights on Travertine at the Getty Center

Celebration     at the Getty Center in honor of Pacific Standard Time L.A/ L.A Photography © 2017 by Leticia Marie Sanchez  dazzling lights on Travertine…    

For a Halloween Treat- Karl Richter performs J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

Two MUST SEE EXHIBITS: “Giovanni Bellini” and “Sacred Landscapes” at the Getty Center

 By Leticia Marie Sanchez Imagine being able to teleport yourself through time and space to imagine life as a spiritual Venetian noble in the 15th Century. Or as a believer in 15th Century Bruges. Two intriguing exhibits at the Getty Center allow museum goers to take those journeys. Firstly, Giovanni Bellini: Landscapes of Faith in Renaissance Venice offers insight into the work of a Venetian master. What is astounding about this exhibit is that it is the first monographic exhibition in America devoted to Giovanni Bellini. This gifted and prolific artist, who when he was already in his seventies, was praised by Albrecht Durer as “still the best in the art of painting” despite the fact that Titian and Giorgione were already on the scene. In one room, viewers are fortunate to be able to view Bellini masterpieces loaned from

A truly Cultural Cocktail: The Bellini!

by Leticia Marie Sanchez Cultural Cocktail Hour® is a registered Trademark And now, for a delicious libation that epitomizes the Cultural Cocktail! You can share this trivia the next time you are at a cocktail party and become the toast of the fete! Did you know that the Bellini cocktail was named after the Venetian Renaissance painter, Giovanni Bellini? The history of this popular drink harkens back to Harry’s Bar in Venice.  A Who’s Who of artistic luminaries frequented this bar including Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Orson Welles, Arturo Toscanini, Peggy Guggenheim, and Alfred Hitchcock. In 1948, Harry’s Bar owner Giuseppe Cipriani created a concoction blending peach puree and Prosecco. He named the refreshing cocktail a “Bellini,” after the sumptuous peach hue on the toga of a saint painted by Giovanni Bellini. This exquisite painting (Virgin and Child with Saint John the

Classical Music for healing

Hopeful music during these dark days of violence and tragedy. Thank you to Brian Lauritzen – KUSC for sharing this inspiring piece of music on his program. The St. Olaf Choir, Anton Armstrong, Conductor, performs “Even When He Is Silent” by Kim André Arnesen.

10+ Facts About Marc Chagall

The #1 Search Term on Cultural Cocktail Hour has consistently been—- Marc Chagall!! To reward my faithful readers for their curiosity, here are 10+ FACTS ABOUT MARC CHAGALL 1. Real Name: Moyshe Segal 2. Birthplace: Vitebsk, Russian empire 3. Artistic Style: Chagall invented his own style, blending Cubism, Fauvism, Surrealism, and Expressionism with images from Jewish folklore and legend. 4. Family Background Chagall was born into a Hassidic Jewish family living in Russia. His father, Zakhar, assisted a herring merchant; His mother, Feiga Ita, ran a small shop. 5.  Wife Bella Rosenfeld: a cultured woman with a passion for theatre, painting, and poetry 6. Paris “My art needed Paris, like a tree needs water.”- Chagall When Moyshe Segal arrived in Paris he changed his name to Marc Chagall. The resourceful painter did not let his lack of money stop him.