By the Light...

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building, Ground Floor

When: closing January 5, 2020

In the first room of this two-room exhibit of lunar photographs, there are pictures of the moon dating from as far back as the 1800s.  I confess, I was more amazed at the age of the images than by the images themselves.  The moon is just not that photogenic, I'm afraid.

The second room focuses on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.  A film of the historic event, "Live from the Surface of the Moon," runs on a loop, and there are viewers available, so you can see the moon in 3-D.  I'll admit, that was pretty cool.  Still not terribly photogenic, but cool nonetheless.

There's also a picture of "Earthrise," one of the 20th century's most famous photographs, on display.  Sometimes, you need to take a step back to see just how beautiful our planet is.

Verdict: This small show is worth a glance, especially for fans of space travel.

More on Verrocchio

Where: National Gallery of Art Library, East Building

When: closing January 10, 2020

If you've seen the National Gallery's Verrocchio show and would like to see more of his work, take a few moments to visit the Library in the East Building.  On display are a few photographs by Clarence Kennedy, an art photographer who made a study of his sculpture.  You get another look at Verrocchio's art and the hard work that went into creating it.  A photograph of Kennedy opens the exhibit; it's by Ansel Adams.

Verdict: Great if you haven't had enough of Verrocchio!

More Than Just Leonardo's Teacher

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building

When:  closing January 12, 2020

The big show at the National Gallery right now is the first exhibit in the United States devoted entirely to Andrea del Verrocchio, an Italian artist and teacher who lived in Florence in the 1400s.  Best known for his pupils, among them Leonardo da Vinci, and his patrons, the Medici family, Verrocchio deserves to be honored in his own right, for his enormous talent.

His sculpture of a boy David, victorious over Goliath, dominates the first room, but I was drawn to a portrait of Alexander the Great that pops out of its frame.  It's the sort of technique one expects to see in a show of modern art; truly there's nothing new under the sun.  Other sculptures, with the paint still intact, seem almost alive - as if they're about to come down off the walls and stride about the room.

But it's not just human forms on display; there's a gorgeous small vase with a lid in the second room that's lovely, both for the agate used and for its shape.  It's a reddish-orange color that I've seen only very rarely, and it looks as if it were crafted quite recently.

Verrocchio was an innovator - his work is hundreds of years old, but is fresh and modern and accessible to a 21st century audience.  It's a great shame he's overshadowed by da Vinci, which happens even in this show.  The National Gallery owns a da Vinci, a portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, and it's on display in the 3rd room of the Verrocchio exhibit.  And where were the crowds and phones all pointed in this room?  At the da Vinci, of course.  A sort of microcosm of what goes on all day every day at the Louvre.  The painting is lovely, but there's so much else to see!

Verdict: This show is wonderful, and well worth your time to see.  Don't get caught up in who else is in the show; go to see Verrocchio.

Another Show on Women's Suffrage

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When:  closing January 5, 2020

Unlike so many other examinations of the women's suffrage movement in the United States, this show confronts the exclusion of non-white women from the struggle.  It's a stain on the fight for equality that white women were so willing to cast aside the rights of their non-white sisters.

The show tells the story of women's suffrage from the earliest years in the anti-slavery movement of the 1800s through to final victory in 1920.  It was a long fight - one of the longest existing social reform movements in US history.

One thing I learned in this show: suffragette is the name for British women advocating for the right to vote; the word is the US is suffragist.  Who knew?

In 1913, suffragists went to Washington in the first non-violent protest to march on the Capitol.  They then began protesting outside the White House, in Lafayette Park, where people continue to this day to bring attention to causes they believe in.  Among those protestors were students from the Washington College of Law, a law school for women, which is now part of American University and co-ed.  My husband works at WCL, so it was nice to see the school get a mention.

I was very pleased to see a code you can scan to register to vote at the end of the show.  All the work that all those women put in over all those decades will be for naught if people don't exercise their right to vote.

Verdict: An excellent, and compete, look at the women's suffrage movement, warts and all.

Unicorn of the Sea?

Where: Natural History Museum

When: closing January 5, 2020

As usual, lots of shows are closing in January.  I think they leave them up for the holiday crowds, which is why very little closes in December.  So that means I'm rushing around to see things as fast as I can; press of work this fall meant there were several weeks I didn't get out at all, and I'm trying to catch up now.  Wish me luck!

The Natural History Museum has a show up about narwhals.  It's not as flashy as the new dinosaur hall, but it's nicely done and has some great photography.  The model of a narwhal is also interesting - it just seems like such an unlikely creature.

The thing coming out of its head is a tooth, not a horn, and it's a mammal, not a fish.  It lives only in the Arctic, so climate change is doing them no favors.  It may well have inspired the unicorn legend - I was happy to see a unicorn tapestry photograph used as a background for part of the exhibit - I remember seeing the original in Paris many years ago.  There's also some Inuit art in the show, and I love Inuit art - so I was very happy I caught this before it closed.  And I didn't have to come during Christmas week - which is a mad house.

Verdict: See this soon; it's not very large, so you could combine it with another exhibit with no problem.

Any Day Featuring the Swedish Chef is a Good Day

Where: American History Museum

When: closing January 1, 2020

I went over to American History this week to have a stroll around the "American Stories" space.  I think they're going to swap out some of the older pieces for new acquisitions, so keep your eye out for a new and improved display in 2020.

I took with me a list of "highlights," as I was pressed for time and needed to get in and get out.  Happily, I didn't limit myself to what was on the list, as there's a lot there that I would have described as a highlight that didn't make the list.

There were baseball items, including Willie Mays' hat, glove and shoes, and a baseball from the 1937 All-Star Game, signed by that year's Yankee lineup.  Joe DiMaggio's signature is front and center.

They also have a piece of Plymouth Rock, which might be nothing more than legend.  The Pilgrims landed in 1620, but there's no mention of this specific spot until the 1700s.  Fake news is clearly not a new phenomenon.

But the best thing of all was the original Swedish Chef.  My favorite of the Muppets, then and now, Jim Henson and Frank Oz had to work together to bring him to life.  His culinary chaos never fails to entertain.

Verdict: No show that includes the Swedish Chef will get anything less than an enthusiastic two thumbs up from me!

Ella Fitzgerald's Books

Where: National Museum of African-American History and Culture

When: closing December 31, 2019

This small display on the 2nd floor of the museum features several of Ella Fitzgerald's books.  It's brought to you by the good people of the Smithsonian Libraries.  As the librarian who put together this display noted, you can "read" people by looking at their books - I do the same thing when I visit someone's house.

We see that Fitzgerald was interested in cooking, music, culture and language, and that many of her books were inscribed by the authors.  Even this small sample shows her taste and her influence on other creative people.

Verdict: Worth a few moments' look when you're next at the museum.

Photography at the National Gallery

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building

When: closing December 8, 2019 (today!)

Yikes, I didn't realize how quickly this show was closing - glad I didn't put off going until next week, or I would have been out of luck.  If you want to see it for yourself, head on out right now.

This is a survey of the Gallery's photography collection from the first 50 years' worth of material they own.  So you see pieces from the very beginning of the medium through the late 1900s.  William Henry Fox Talbot called photography a "little bit of magic realized,"  and it would certainly have seemed magical when the technology first debuted.

Although I'm not wild about very early photography or black and white photography generally, I did wander around the show with a great sense of self-satisfaction.  Very bad for my character, no doubt, but quite fun in the moment.

I was puffed up because I saw several pieces I recognized from earlier shows, including the works of Charles Marville, the photographer who documented the changes in Paris in the 1800s.  I also saw the photo "Scourged Back," a photograph of a former slave named Gordon.  And the photographs of the American West (from a show at American Art) that made me want to go and see the grandeur for myself are on display as well.  And the Alexander Gardner pictures of the dead of the American Civil War, which brought the horror into American homes and featured rearranged corpses - perhaps a forerunner of deepfake videos?

Verdict: There's a lot to like in this show - if you're a fan of photography, hope you got a chance to see it.