The art of Lucknow and a tuna melt

I don't even remember when was the last time I visited LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). It may have been as long as a year ago, but certainly too long to be away from one of my favorite places in LA.

There is something very satisfying about standing in front of a piece of art (whether it is a painting, a sculpture, a textile or...). Of course, there is a considerable amount of "art" I don't want to be standing in front of... but usually in any exhibit or gallery I can find one piece that resonates with me and makes the whole experience worthwhile.

On this very rainy past Sunday, my good friend BG and I decided to spend the afternoon at LACMA. Neither of us had checked the website so we really didn't know what exhibits were available. That can be fun, just wandering around seeing what there is to see.

Rain in LA is like a blizzard in other parts of the country: nobody wants to venture outside. So the museum was lightly attended, which was fine with me!

The first exhibit we noticed was India's Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow, so we decided to give it a shot, not knowing what to expect.

From the LACMA website: "Lucknow was an extraordinarily elegant and sophisticated Indo-Islamic kingdom that flourished in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This is the first exhibition devoted to the opulent art and culture of the city, which boasted the wealthiest court and most ostentatious cityscape in northern India."

Need I say more? Well, this is my blog, so I will anyway!

First of all, I was amazed at the size (approximately 200 pieces) and depth (paintings, costumes, jewelry, weapons, decorative arts, glassware, and more) of the exhibit. Very impressive. Walking from gallery to gallery it just kept on going.

Although I enjoyed all facets, I was most taken by the intricate paintings executed in water color and gold leaf... exquisite renditions of the architecture, people and life in general of that era. We commented that the work must have been done under very powerful magnifying glasses by artists with extraordinary eyesight and tiny hands. You have to see it in person to appreciate the delicacy.

Equally impressive were the portraits by Tilly Kettle, especially in his rendition of the rich fabrics worn by his subjects. (I looked him up on Wikipedia as I had never heard of this artist who died in his early 50s. Out of money, he returned to India in the hope of replenishing his bank account but traveling overland through Asia he was never heard from again.)  

One nice touch in the exhibit was a room devoted entirely to a panoramic photograph of Lucknow mounted on the wall as a mural. Walking into the room was like walking into the city, surrounded on all sides by the view.

If you think you know everything there is to know about Indian art, or you think you don't care, either way I highly recommend seeing this wonderful exhibit. If nothing else, it is an interesting insight into an episode of India's history.

Having been blown away by the art of Lucknow we traversed the plaza to the new Korean galleries. The space is very nice but after the previous experience the art on display was rather bland. We checked out a few other favorites in the main building but at that point our brains had sucked up about as much art and information as we could manage... so as our hearts and minds were full it was time to feed our stomachs.

Marie Callender's Bakery and Cafe is just a few footsteps down Wilshire Boulevard so it is always a convenient restaurant for a post-museum discussion and meal. BG and I, along with other friends, have spent many an interesting couple of hours there in the afterglow of LACMA. We always order a salad, and usually the same favorite that we each have. We laugh about this as every time we peruse the menu as if we are going to try a new item, but it rarely happens.

I was cold down to my bone marrow all day and walking in the torrential rain to the restaurant did not help matters. The thought of my usual salad did not appeal to me. But the tuna melt sure did. We both ordered it, BG with french fries and for me the cole slaw (I had to get my green veggies in somewhere).

As a connoisseur of tuna melts I have to tell you this was one of the best I have ever eaten. Perhaps THE best. I don't normally eat four-legged animals but I decided to make an exception this time as the sandwich came with two strips of deliciously crispy bacon (yes, I could have ordered it without but I didn't want to). That first bite was heaven. The cole slaw was yummy too with peanuts and raisins sprinkled in with the colorful cabbage slices. I may have found my new Marie Callender's "usual." (I don't believe this Marie Callender's is associated with the chain around town so don't try to order this at the one on your corner.)

A very pleasant rainy Sunday afternoon that covered all the senses.