Tag: new jersey

The Sacred Grove || Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

The Humble Fabulist1 Comment

Dating from Toulouse-Lautrec’s student days, this parody of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes’s The Sacred Grove mimics the style and subject of that allegorical composition celebrating the arts and muses but subverts the serious tone. A clockface appears on the ancient portico, a giant tube of paint is held aloft by one of the arts, and a circular loaf of bread, instead of a laurel crown, is held by the kneeling youth. The men advancing from the right are Louis Anquetin, a fellow student; Édouard Dujardin, Symbolist critic and founder of the Revue Wagnérienne; Maurice Barrès, Symbolist author; and Léon Bonnat, Lautrec’s first teacher. Lautrec himself is seen from behind, urinating on the ground, and a police officer tries to keep the intruders in line. [source]

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Sacred Grove, 1884
Oil on canvas

Princeton University Art Museum

Crossing the river to Hoboken

The Humble Fabulist6 Comments

Believe it or not, there is a whole other world out there, beyond Manhattan and the City. Like Hoboken, for example. This town on the Hudson Waterfront, which an outsider might mistake for an extension of New York, is actually sitting in New Jersey. Easily accessible by car, train or ferry, it is a great alternative for walks alongside the river.

Starting with Hoboken Terminal, the main transportation hub and a magnificent example of Beaux Arts architecture. Just look at the exterior with a steampunk industrial feel and this incredible waiting room, bathed in natural light coming from its Tiffany stained glass skylight!

But the main attraction is, of course, a walk on the waterfront offering some of the best, unobstructed views of West Manhattan, all the way down to its lower tip.

Not forgetting the famous lobster tails, freshly baked directly at the source: Carlo’s Bakery.

For our first visit to Hoboken, we took the PATH from 33rd Street (smooth transit, no delays, no crowds – but it was Saturday…). Next time, which will hopefully be soon, we’ll try the ferry, which is always much more fun than travelling through a dark tunnel, underwater.

May 27th, 2017

George Washington Bridge (II)

The Humble Fabulist6 Comments

Allow two hours to cross to New Jersey and back – extra time for walks in Fort Lee Historic Park, for more views of the river and Manhattan that will test your sense of scale. If you’re lucky, you may even make some new friends among the permanent residents of the Park. 

Sidewalks are shared by pedestrians and bikes. Construction projects may affect which side is open. Info about this and directions to the sidewalks can be found here.

George Washington Bridge (I)

February 19th, 2017