“A” IS FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE
―May 2, 2009―

                     From Doylestown:                                                    From New Hope:
                     Departure Time: 7:45 A.M.                                      Departure Time: 7:30 P.M.
                     Return Time: Approx. 4:45 P.M.                              Return Time: Approx. 5:00 P.M.

Cost: $91.00 due at time of reservation

Reservation deadline: April 1, 2009

Enjoy art and architecture in Philadelphia. In the morning you will have a private, docent-led tour of the “Cezanne and Beyond” exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is the exhibition’s only world presentation. The show features forty paintings and twenty watercolors and drawings by Cezanne in addition to works by others for whom Cezanne was a major inspiration. Among those artists shown are Pablo Picasso, Jaspar Johns, Henri Matisse, and Piet Mondrian. Of special interest is the art of Pierre-Auguste Renoir who painted side by side with Cezanne in 1882.

Paul Cezanne was born in Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France, in 1839. His father, Louis-Auguste, was a prominent banker whose firm prospered throughout Paul’s lifetime, offering him financial security unavailable to most of his contemporaries. Studying art from the age of 10, Cezanne’s early works were extremely personal in character and dealt with bizarre subjects of violence and fantasy probably attributed to his often rude, shy, and angry demeanor. Consistently rejected by the Paris Salon, the official art exhibition of the Academie des Beaux-Arts and the greatest art event in the world, every year from 1864 to 1869, Cezanne continued to submit his works to the Salon until 1882 when his first and last submission was accepted―a portrait of his father. Soon thereafter, Cezanne left Paris and changed his themes to predominantly landscapes, abandoning his darker colors for brighter ones. Although his works were now being shown in several exhibitions, his paintings continued to attract hilarity, outrage, and sarcasm. The 1890’s, however, became a turning point for him. He began to concentrate on studies of bathers as well as still lifes, built around apples, statuary, and tablecloths. By the time of his death in 1906, now a virtual recluse, Cezanne’s art was widely accepted and was being shown and seen across Europe. A 1907 exhibition of his works in Paris greatly impacted the future of the 20th Century art movement, making him one of the world’s greatest Postimpressionists and earning him the nickname
“the father of modern painting.”

Following the tour, time will be allotted for you to have lunch on your own in the Museum. In the afternoon, you will travel to Fairmount Park for a private tour of the Japanese House and Garden along with tea tasting. Shofuso, as it is known, is built in the 16th Century Japanese style of architecture appropriate for an educated member of the upper class, i.e., government official, high-ranking priest, or wealthy scholar. Here you will see how the proportioned structural design of the main building and adjoining teahouse is enhanced by its ornamental garden and picturesque pond, and you will be made aware of how the extensive use of natural materials creates a serene sense of harmony between the house and its surrounding landscapes.

Tour includes deluxe motorcoach transportation, admissions, services of professional tour guides, and tea tasting.
SPACE IS EXTREMELY LIMITED

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