As I had budgeted about an hour for the museum, I was in a bit of a rush. I picked up one of the free visitors' guides and headed for the galleries featuring European art. Had I taken the time to actually peruse the visitors' guide, I would have discovered that very conveniently it contained a suggested one hour tour of the museum's highlights. Not having done so, I rather blindly pushed on, trying to see as much as I could within the limited time.
Passing through the galleries featuring 19th century French art, I suddenly caught sight of a rather familiar image--Georges Seurat's pointillist masterpiece Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Here it was, one of the most famous, even iconic paintings in the world, so frequently reproduced and parodied, even the subject of a Stephen Sondheim musical (A Sunday Afternoon in the Park With Georges) ! Yet curiously, my first reaction was not quite surprise or awe. Perhaps because it appeared within a rather modern-looking white frame, my first impression was that it was merely a high quality photo-reproduction of the original. It took me a while to take in the fact that it was the original painting. Only then did I begin to feel suitably impressed.
Upon reflection, perhaps my initial reaction was not that strange. The world is full of objects that appear to be what they are not. Authenticity can be rather easily faked. That is perhaps why it is always best to carefully examine anything--or anyone--that claims to be the "real thing." If I can be permitted to indulge in a theologcal point as I end--this is especially true in matters of faith!
Image of Seurat's most famous work from Wikipedia.org