January 11, 2008

Finally got over last weekend to see the extraordinary collection of Georges Seurat drawings on exhibit at the Modern. One regrets the work the artist did not live to produce. Poor Seurat died at the age of thirty-one (my own age, coincidentally). Of measles--a sad case of life imitating art.

Another arts note today: Just a couple of days after the sad news that Philippe de Montebello is retiring after thirty years as director of the Metropolitan Museum comes a reprieve for those of us who will miss his strangely stirring Acoustiguide presentations.

According to a rumor I just heard, Mr. de Montebello will be putting what the Times this week called that "plummy baritone voice [of his]... that made millions of bookish women swoon" to use as host of his own satellite radio program. The show will feature musical selections specially curated by Mr. de Montebello (his tastes range from Crosby, Stills and Nash to the Moody Blues) together with this articulate and passionate man's personal musings on art and life.