DC: Monday, Freer Gallery**

**Going to a museum and looking at pictures on a screen is different. If it's on here, and it's somewhat less than impressive to you, know that it was gorgeous in real life (unless its here because I was poking fun at it...) Some of my pictures didn't turn out (or wasn't allowed to photograph, depending on the exhibit), so if there isn't a frame in the picture, I scrounged it from the internet.

So, Monday morning I made my way into DC, with a pencil, sketchbook, and a slightly drippy nose, hiked to the Freer gallery.

Months ago, when my mom was visiting DC, the feature exhibit was a ton of Rockwell's from Steven Speilburg and George Lucas' collections (because whenever a Rockwell pops up, they fight tooth and nail to get it :) ) - and Why? because they're all illustrators - it's just that Spielburg and Lucas use film instead of oil paints.

But this post is not about that exhibit. Because that exhibit is gone [insert a sad song on the world's smallest violin] and in it's place was a bunch of ... stuff.

Dont' get me wrong, the Middle Eastern/Indian/wherever pottery was interesting, and the Chinese/Japanese ink paintings/papers/ etc were gorgeous...but not really my thing.

Eventually I was out of those exhibits and into the rest of the museum.

There were paintings here and there that caught my eye...

Variations on Flesh Color and Green, The Balcony. by James McNeill Whistler 

The Little Red Glove, by James McNiell Whistler 

I wandered around, Occasionally taking down the name of an artist to study later. Then, it happened.

I turned the corner out of a room of religious Eastern Indian objects into the spacious hallway, not expecting the painting that I saw.

I didn't even get a chance to glance at the artist/work information, because something drew me in. And although I'm positive I've never seen this before in any form, I knew immediately why.

I'd laid eyes on my first real life John Singer Sargent painting.

Breakfast in the Loggia, by John Singer Sargent 

Did I tear up? Absolutely.

Am in love with the painting itself? Not really. But knowing that John Singer Sargent touched that canvas...It was like my first Rockwell, except this time I was by myself, able to soak in the feeling uninterrupted by a crowd of classmates.

It was a gorgeous moment.

Anyway, eventually I wound my way around, and ended up going down to the entrance of an auditorium, where a series of paintings of women with instruments hung on the walls.

Girl with Lute, by Thomas Wilmer Dewing

I loved the design of this one, and his other works are equally beautiful. I'd show you, but i'm trying to be reasonable here (and not overwhelm you*), and this way I remember exactly which ones I saw and when.

At this point I was hungry, and after braving several minutes in the heat to eat my sandwich, I headed for the National Museum of Art (West building).

...

*I realize it's not everyone's dream to spend several hours at a time walking through art exhibits. I'll try not to bore you :)