Returning to the Norton Simon

 

I quickly reserved a ticket to return to the Norton Simon museum in Pasadena once I heard they were re-opening.  Anyone who watches the New Year's Rose Parade will have seen the outside facade of the museum as it's the background of each float, band and entertainer as they round the corner and enter into view for those watching on TV.  

The Norton Simon's collection is home to industrialist Norton Simon's 30 years of acquiring artwork of European origin spanning the Renaissance period to the 20th century and an incredible collection of South and Southeast Asian art covering 2,000 years.  At the time of my visit the Asian art collection had not reopened to the public but recently has so I will need to plan another visit!  The museum's art collection also represents the holdings of the former Pasadena Art Museum.  

I enjoy frequenting the Norton Simon in part to a number of my favorite artworks who are part of its permanent collection, including Vincent Van Gogh's 1888 Portrait of a Peasant, Henri Rousseau's 1910 Exotic Landscape and Diego Rivera's 1941 The Flower Vendor.  

Left to Right: Gallery view, Liubov Popova's 1915 The Traveler, Pablo Picasso's c. 1927 Head of a Woman and his 1932 Woman with a Book.

Left to Right: Claude Monet's 1881 The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil, Diego Rivera's 1941 The Flower Vendor and Henri Rousseau's 1910 Exotic Landscape. 

Additionally, the size and layout of the museum makes for a natural flow as you explore the collections and I enjoy the intimate atmosphere the galleries create.  Their outdoor Sculpture garden which features a lush pond and garden cafe which is perfect to enjoy against such a serene setting provides a nice break between the two main sections of the museum.  

Left to Right: A view of the Sculpture garden, one of the more intimate galleries and a portion of Sam Francis' 1956-58 Basel Murals.

I would recommend the Norton Simon to everyone!  It's a perfectly sized museum to enjoy an afternoon at and it will provide you time to explore the neighboring Old Pasadena for dining/shopping afterwards.  

- Steph.