Jaunt to the Coast

Yesterday we made a quick little trip over to Rockland to visit the Farnsworth Museum, noted for its collection of Andrew Wyeth paintings.

Side note: I know a lot of Wyeth paintings, and since the subject matter is Maine, Maine harbors, Maine fishermen, Maine people, etc., I knew the girls would find them interesting. Had I known that one of their most prominently displayed (enormous) paintings is a FULL-FRONTAL MALE NUDITY, I would have scouted that one out in the gallery & detoured smoothly around it such that the girls wouldn't have even noticed missing it. As it was, though, our happy little art appreciation party came around the corner and to a screeching halt in front of it as Bear's mouth dropped open and Bug's eyes, well, bugged out. I scrambled for something educational to say, but "Holy Hell" was all that came to mind, so I just shoved them along to the next painting.

Don't get me wrong, they've seen plenty of nudity (usually female or in the Greek statuary) at other museums, but this was so unexpected and, um, accurate, that I hadn't had the chance to either prepare them or opt out of it.

The highlight for both girls was the Farnsworth house right next to the museum. Built in 1850, it is exactly as the last occupant left it in 1932 when she died. All of the furniture, drapes, and decor were original, since Lucy Farnsworth left the house and all its contents to the museum. It has been meticulously maintained and was a real glimpse into life in the early part of the century. Patent medicines sat on a bedside table, sheet music on the piano, calling cards on a salver in the entryway, and a neatly folded apron on the bed in the maid's room. Bear was surprised by how low all of the doorways were, while Bug was most interested in ascertaining whether there was a chamber pot under each bed. Naturally.