Different Types of Art

The weather was once again warm in Southern California.  The temperatures have been as low as in the 20s recently.  The coldness of the air took a break today and the warm sunshine gave me some extra motivation to do something fun.

Today was an off day for me from work.  I didn't want to waste it watching European soccer or watching reruns of Law & Order.

I checked the internet for something to do in LA that would be interesting and cheap.  I checked up on some local museums.  The Norton Simon Museum has been on my list of art collections to go and visit.  I decided that today was a good day to check out some Van Gogh and Manet.

This was a worthwhile trip to the art museum.  I was able to view many beautiful paintings and snap a good amount of pictures.

While looking at some fine works, I was realizing that I study paintings in the same way that I study baseball cards.  This may sound strange, but yes, I was thinking about baseball cards while looking at some of the best works from European painting legends.

I view this Manet by looking at the clothes of the subject.  I also glance at the subject's facial expression.  My eyes study every detail of this painting from the shoes to the beat-up black hat.

This Pedro Guerrero mini card does not stack up to the works that I saw at the Norton Simon Museum earlier today.  Not even close, but the way I study the details that make this card interesting is the same way that I was studying famous paintings.

This card stacks up nicely, with the rest of the bundle that Madding sent me from Cards on Cards.  This was one of my favorite cards of the package he sent my way.

Guerrero seems to be wearing wristbands that have pictures of him on them.  I have looked at this card very closely and it looks like he is wearing his own photo on his wrist.  It takes a big ego to do that and Guerrero certainly had enough flair to try to pull this look off.

He also looks mad.  Someone from the stands must have insulted his taste in fashion and Guerrero is trying to fight the heckler with a death stare.

If you are a scrappy underdog, facing a Goliath, it is always best to wear almost nothing but thin cloth.  That is what this depiction of David has taught me.

I also wonder if there was ever a time, where you would show up to a life or death physical altercation dressed like David is here.  Goliath looks more prepared for a scuffle and still loses.  He loses badly.  David has a stinky, bare foot pressed on his face.  That is a bad way to lose a fight.

It is also weird for me to think that, at one point, baseball players showed up to play games in Montreal Expo gear.  This actually happened in the 2000s.  The Washington Nationals have been doing so well building up there team and stadium that it feels like the Expos are a faint memory, that almost seems lost in memory.

I really hope some baseball fans in Montreal are still wearing Expos beanies like Masato Yoshii is rocking on his baseball card.  The Expos had a good uniform and it is a shame that it is lost to baseball history.

One of my top current goals is to build up a Greg Maddux collection.  His Dodger cards are always welcome here as well as his cards as a Brave or Cub.  Madding sent me a few Maddux cards that will look great in a binder.

I hope Maddux makes it in the Hall of Fame next year so, his cards will go into my National League Cooperstown binder.  He deserves a spot among legends like Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver.

Today was a good day staring at works of art and going through the awesome trade package from Madding.  Thanks for the trade!