Apollo and The Muses

I used to find art museums overwhelming. More often than not, the time within them feels rushed. I don’t understand the concept of simply walking past a painting or sculpture only to forget the art, let alone it’s creator, a day later. It feels impersonal.

As we see a piece that is the embodiment of someone’s moment in time, we offer it a hopeful glance to “feel something” and move on. I am bothered by the fact that more often than not we strive to see the pieces that have been labeled with great adoration…not what strikes our hearts.

Moving past the beauty to see the fame when in fact a significant pinnacle of emotion, history and life for every artist, at that time, is what created the art to begin with. Don’t we owe it more? If a piece takes decades to create, how shallow are we to judge or dismiss in brief moments with “day passes” and eyes longing for the lighting bolt within.

I believe we are meant to appreciate art with the same time and grace it took to create. With a beautiful softness that grows. 

I do believe art can be striking. Jaw-dropping and impactful. As we sit with the initial feeling and allow it to blossom we are deepening our connection to the piece. What do you discover about yourself as you breathe it in? When we offer art the same time, love and respect the artist gave the piece to begin with we are echoing and honoring more than canvas and clay.

We recognize the dreams, turmoil, desire, ego, hope and so much more…of the artist…and in turn, ourselves, through the ways we relate. It is our own stillness that allows us to see so much more. Galleries filled with silence so uncomfortable you could hear a pin drop. It’s not for the faint of heart.

We either awkwardly drift from room to room or in the most intentional moments we sit with our thoughts for as long as we need. When I reach a crest of solitude and recognition with a piece I find myself longing to return to the same frame again and again in an effort to dive deeper into the art and myself.

I will never forget the first time I saw them. My awestruck, impactful, jaw-dropping moment with art was at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the Cutler Gallery in February of 2012. Apollo and The Muses. There are five paintings in total, each stretching nearly floor to ceiling. The height of the room feels endless. While the sheer size of each piece in the series is impressive, that’s not what clutched my heart.

It was the light.

Each painting seemed to, for lack of a better word, glow. At first approach I couldn’t look away. The longer I stood, the more color I saw. The more radiant they seemed. I was taken back to the idea of the effort behind them. How old they must be. What state were they in when they were found? How did Charles Meynier feel the first time he placed his brush on the canvas and who found them?

Who restored them to their original beauty? Eventually I sat on the benches nearby and allowed my thoughts to bloom and wander. Almost 10 years later and they still impact me. In the rarity I get to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art, quite frankly, these pieces are all I care to see. In the times I’ve returned I step back into their light and bask in the glow of all they’ve been through.

I’ve since read about their journey and how they were painstakingly cared for once found. Apollo and The Muses were commissioned in the 1700’s in France and shortly after, due to bankruptcy, were purchased and traveled to Switzerland. They dwelled in the same space for nearly 180 years before they were found. The five frames had been consumed by the murkiness of time and after their rescue, they were restored for thousands of hours. After Cleveland had secured the pieces in 2003, their restoration took five years. Five. Years.

What I find so beautiful and symbolic about the restoration of Meynier’s pieces is the way they were found and the way they are now seen. How valuable time was in their magnificence. How relatable their story is to the human experience. Five years of personal growth can feel like a lifetime and change every aspect of how we shine from within. Our precious light…hidden beneath the surface. We are so harsh to judge ourselves and in moments of pain we bow to impulsivity. So quick to change who we are because it is easy. Instead, let us slowly peel back the layers and gently reveal our true light; our natural gifts to the world, the way we were painted from the very start.

I notice such a common theme that through the years of hardships and pain, covered by the murkiness of time, we dim our light. 

How incredible it would be to honor who we are, just as we are and strive to be. Doing the work while allowing ourselves to shine in the most authentic way. Finding acceptance and beauty in the way we were made and giving others the opportunity to witness this about us. We are each born with such a stunning uniqueness. From the way we look to our mannerisms, our talents and the way we see the world.

Your strengths differ from your neighbor’s and the concept alone is mind-blowing when we consider how many people exist in the world. No two people are alike. Think about the gravity of that statement. There is literally no one in the world like you. How often do you sit back and see the light within yourself, allowing it to shine? In contrast, how often do you dim your light and how often do you dig through the layers to allow it to resurface?

You were created, one brush stroke at a time. From the moment of birth until this exact second, your life and who you are has been painted. It is all a gift. The Earth and all of our worldly belongings are a gift. People are a gift. Experience is a gift. As we move through the world and age we become dusty with experience. We go through phases where our canvases of growth wear and wrinkle because we don’t care for them.

The point is, we can again. Restore and renew yourself. Step back, sit with the art, allow your thoughts to bloom and wander. How do you make you feel? Honor the moments in time where your scars were created. With a beautiful softness, offer yourself time and grace instead of dismissing all you have been through. Look how far you have come. There is a beautiful light within each of us. That is the greatest gift of all. You…you are a beautiful work of art and it is your job to do the digging, the dusting and scraping away so more of your radiance can be shared with the world.