Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Revisiting the Instituto Ricardo Brennand

As part of my second trip to Brazil, I insisted on going back to the Instituto Ricardo Brennand. It was one of the most stunning museums I have had the pleasure of visiting. 


A lovely courtyard.


A beautiful marble sculpture with gold. 


A close up of Alegoria Da Noite (Allegory of the Night), featuring her charming little star crown. 


A detail of a sculpture of a knight. I loved his calm, stoic expression and simple armor. 


Mulher Na Rede by Antonio Frilli is the most breathtaking sculptures I have ever seen. A true masterpiece from any angle.




You can almost see the movement in this bronze sculpture as he uses his body weight to string the bow.



Another one of my favorite sculptures I was lucky to see again. This emotive beauty sits in an outdoor pathway. 




This is an interesting piece I almost missed. This is a pocket watch, and it was on display with many others. They were all ordinary looking except for this one. Upon closer inspection you could see the racy imagery and the small piece of tape the museum used for censoring. I always laugh when people tell me that they think history is boring. What would you do if you owned this watch and someone asked you for the time? 


The museum had an extensive weapons collection. They had thousands of ornamental and decorative items. They were over the top because most were ceremonial. These blades were simple by comparison but I loved the golden covers. Each one depicted a leopard in pursuit of a ram. A reminder of the hunt, the thrill of the chase, and the life or death battle. 


The walk to the main entrance.

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