Trompe l'oeil - a great memory evoker

It is here  

My wish was granted, and I am totally in love with this Trompe l'Oeil  

Thank you so much, Smaug  

Trompe l'oeil runs so smooth on my dragon tail bracelet  

[/url]

Apart from the fact that this bead will remind me forever of Smaug and Holland and famous artists, this bead has taken me down memory lane to my son's childhood.

When I was younger I was facinated with the stories, fairy stories and all kinds of stories told by art and theatre too. I went to art galleries and museums and to both new and old theatre productions - it would be bad to miss anything, right?  

When my son was born and reached the age of two, I started taking him to children's theatre productions at least 8-10 times a year. Needless to say he loved stories, and all things imaginary too. When he got a bit older about 8 years old, I took him to the Royal Copenhagen Theatre. Still in character of a curious child he started asking questions from the moment we reached our seats. Is that a real chandelier? Why...? and this continued through the first act to the great annoyance of the people sitting around us. Seated at the balcony the stage was far away, and it was a play from the time when Denmark was at war with Sweden. My son started out: Is that real people down there? Is it real clothes? Do they carry real muskets? Is it a real house? Why is that man a tree? and on and on he went. Luckily after intermission it was annonced that the play could not go on, as the lead actor had lost his voice. We had to come again, and this time he just sat and sucked everything in the story in with bright eyes.

The poor child was also taken to art galleries and museums from an early age, and going through a renaissance section of serious and dark paintings he got more than a little bored. It was then we started our own stories about the people in the paintings. Why was she so sad looking? Why was the man with the beard having a plate around his neck? Which food was being prepared in the kitchen? Maybe this woman was the cousin of that man. And we made the most amazing stories and explanations together - guessing about their mood, their clothes, their food, their picknicks, and this spread to every painting we saw. It was a joyful event going to museums and watching paintings.

Once when my son was four years old, I took him to the lovely museum Louisianna in North Sealand, north of Copenhagen, (it is situated beautifully right down to the sea) and on an ordinary weekday where there were fewer visitors. I had taken a day off to take my son to the new special exhibition. We were as usual making stories and talking, and suddenly we were approched by two very angry old ladies and attacked viciously with a verbal frontal attack. Why I took a child to an exhibition? Children did not belong at a museum! Why was I such an irresponsible mother to take my child out of school? He was obviously 7 or 8 years and should definitely be in school! ... On and on they went. I was stunned but managed to finally interrupt and say "He is only four - I have a copy of his birth certificate right here (he looked 6-8 years old, but was just 4 so I kept his birth certificate with me at all times), and every child needs a good education in arts, so children can learn to appreciate art as you seem to do". That seemed to shut them up, but they were still not happy. Really they had no reason to attack us so, as my son was at his best behaviour enjoying our stories and tales too much to be naugthy.

Visiting museums has continued when we have visited other countries as well. I remember that once in London he insisted that we went to a creepy crawly exhibition in the museum, and it turned out real well, because the exhibition was combined with the rest of the museum as well. Storytime!

Trompe l'oeil is a fantastic bead - just see which rich memories it has evoked   

Really a fantastic bead! And you made such clear pictures of it, thanks.

Totally wonderful - I love your story, thanks for sharing !  

Trollperle wrote:Totally wonderful - I love your story, thanks for sharing !  

    

Trollfan wrote:Really a fantastic bead! And you made such clear pictures of it, thanks.

  

Thank you for sharing, I think those women should be ashamed of their behaviour, it is wonderful that you exposed your son to the arts. Going to the museum with my girls when they were younger are some of my fondest memories of their childhood.

Amazing bead, and I love the stories of your memories.

 Lovely bead, bluesy! And your story made me smile. Fantastic mum for sure!!

Such an unusual and elegant bead.
I love that you took your little boy to museums so early.