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Quite a nice day, relaxing, sort of productive even, in the sense that I didn't spend it glued to the computer.

Got to see Orientalische Reise. Malerei und Exotik im späten 19. Jahrhundert (exhibition on late 19th century Austrian orientalist painting).

Had a two hour walk through the Lainzer Tiergarten before, quite a dense mist that didn't clear up all day, especially further up on the hills, but very beautiful despite (or rather because of) that. The beech woods are glorious, both trees and ground a deep russet; the oak trees a muted grey-brown, blurred shapes fading into the mist. Carpet of leaves, shades of green, yellow and brown, colours brilliant from the moistness.

The exhibition was not big, but very much worth seeing, informative and well organised; some very beautiful landscapes and portraits, interesting not only for their exotic subject-matter. With orientalist paintings (even the less clicheed ones) there's always the danger that they're to a greater or lesser extent western projections and fantasies (mostly of the sexual kind), but most pictures chosen for this exhibition seemed not too bad in this respect, thankfully mostly lacking in harem scenes full of gratuitous nudity. If some of the portraits are erotic, it's done rather subtly and tastefully.

I've no idea how authentic the paintings by Leopold Carl Müller (which I especially liked) really are, but they don't seem too cliched and are strangely appealing for all their often detailed naturalism.

Leopold Carl Müller, Ein Sphinxgesicht von Heute; Figurenstudie einer gefässtragenden Araberin; Kamelmarkt in Kairo; Brunstbild eines jungen Arabers; Die Karawane; Volksschule in Oberägypten; Das Dorf Matarije

Tony (Anton) Binder, Tor zum Chons-Tempel in Karnak, Schwimmende Kinder an der Küste bei Alexandria
Carl Rudolf Huber, Wüstenmahlzeit; Sachmetstatuen im Mut-Tempel zu Karnak
Johann Victor Krämer, Motiv aus Tanger
Alphons Leopold Mielich, Das Schloss Qusair Amra; Bei den Mamelukengräbern von Kairo; Schule in Benassa
Alois Schönn, Haschim, der Assuaner; Geschmückte Mohrin

The Hermesvilla itself is a veritable orgy of historistic kitsch, but so over the top that it's almost charming (or else I'm in a very charitable mood today)...


( Smallville: Red )

( Andromeda: Deep Midnight’s Voice )

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Nothing like a dull work day and the prospect of Christmas approaching fast to bring a person down after a perfectly good weekend.

Feeling sad and strangely emotional. Didn't sleep enough last night, either.


(And listening to the 'Kiss of the Spiderwoman' CD doesn't help, either... not the Vienna version, but it still brings back memories. Kind of makes me want to find our tapes & indulge in a proper bout of sentimental nostalgia. :: shakes head, ruefully :: Stupid, younger me, then. Maybe kind of cute in a hopelessly naive, immature and idealistic way. But mostly just very, very stupid.)