– The Phillips Collection, my favorite museum, owns just one painting by Renoir, The Luncheon of the Boating Party. Duncan Phillips was long in the habit of assembling “units” of works by the artists he loved best, from C
Archives for May 16, 2005
TT: Almanac
Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;
Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.
And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.
So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.
Seamus Heaney, “Scaffolding” (courtesy of Saskia Lane)