The news programs last week were telling about the painting of Mona Lisa by Da Vince being moved to a new location in the Louvre. The new location would make it possible for more people to see her and would also offer more protection from deterioration. We were fortunate to get to see her in the year 2000. Pat and I had planned a trip to Paris and London, and our grandson, Jeff, had just graduated from high school, so we took him along as a graduation present. The picture is interesting, and I am glad to have seen it.

Thinking of museums and art reminds me of two other former works that I was lucky enough to see. In June of 1944, when I was seven years old, we were on a vacation in Los Angeles. My granddad lived in L.A. and had gone back to Kansas to visit his Dad, his siblings, and us. When he returned home, he stopped in Augusta and picked us up. My dad, mom, and sister, Sylvia, and I were going to L.A. for a vacation. When we got there, Grandpa took us all over the city to see the sights. One day, we went a few miles to the city of San Marino to the Huntington Art Gallery. Besides the art, the garden behind it was also a famous attraction. Kids under 12 weren’t allowed in the gallery, so Sylvia and I were told to look around the garden while the grownups went inside. After a short time, Mom came out and took us into the gallery. There was no admission charge, but a uniformed guard stopped us and told us we were too young. Mom said she realized that, but she couldn’t bear the idea of us missing a chance to see “Blue Boy” and “Pinkie.”  After a little back and forth talk, the guard told mom we could only go for a quick peek. “Blue Boy,” painted in 1794 by Thomas Gainsborough, was the first we came to and I remember his blue clothing being very blue and very well done. We had to go around a corner to see “Pinkie” which was painted in 1770 by Thomas Lawrence.

We have visited many galleries and seen many beautiful paintings. I feel most comfortable with pictures of the southwest. The people, the desert, and the mountains all give a good feeling.

Dave Thomas

2/6/2025