Cambridge Botanic Garden & The Fitzwilliam

The weather looked to be better in the morning than in the afternoon so the day began in the Botanic garden and then moved to a museum because it never rains in a museum.

This apple tree is one of the few remaining direct descendants of the apple tree one I. Newton was sitting under when he came up with the idea of gravity.

I once read that cows like to rest under trees and so when they get up they get up rear end first so that their under branch line of sight is not disturbed.  Horses like the open fields and rise head first to see over tall grasses.  Anyway, that’s what I heard.  This lot didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

A fine meadow

Artichokes

The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge.  And its free! And brilliant!

Hobson’s Conduit runnels in Trumpington Street.  The conduit was built in the early 17th century after being bankrolled by local businessmen, including Thomas Hobson, originator of the expression ‘Hobson’s Choice’  (a choice of taking what is available or nothing at all.)

In the early 17th century, Cambridge was riddled with disease spread by dirty water, and the idea was to fetch clean water in from chalk aquifers at Nine Wells outside the town.  Special runnels, seen here, were built to carry the water along Trumpington Street into the centre, with a fountain in the market square and side channels into the baths and swimming pools of some of the colleges.

Hobson:  “The incredible chalk stream has brought drinking water, health, hygiene and civic pride to Cambridge for over 400 years. Now more than ever we must conserve and cherish it. This is just the beginning of the next phase – to keep Cambridge green and ensure the conduit stays flowing.”

Time to go inside.

Anthony van Dyke – The Virgin & Child 1628

The owl has a removable head

The ceiling and dome are under refurbishment but the parts done so far are impressive

Grayson Perry – In Praise of Shadows is done from coiled stoneware with inlays

Always look up!

I liked the soup tureens on the lower shelf

Juan & Diego Sanchez – The Road to Calvary 1495

Pierre Renoir – Returning from the Fields

 

Aime-Jules Dalou  – Maternity

Carlo Dolci – The Miracle of St Nicholas of Barl

Ariande’s Thread – Matt Smith

Hawk 12th century Iran

The Massacre of the Innocents – Francesco Trevisani

A Roman coffin

Adoration of the Magi – Flemish 1540.  Again I wonder what Mary & Joe did with the loot. Why were they not really rich? Gold.  Frankincense. Myrrh.  What happened to that stuff?  Or was the story BS?

Claude Monet – The Rock Needle

Pierre Renoir – La Place Clichy

There are 80 of these identical red vases around the museum

And one that is not.

Giovanni Barratta – Glory

Claude Monet Springtime 1886

Pieter Brueghel, the younger, – A Village festival with a theatrical Performance and a procession in honour of St Hubert & St Anthony – 1632.  Hey, Pete went to a lot of work on both painting and title

Claude Monet  – Rocks at Port Coton 1886

Pierre Renoir – A Gust of Wind 1872

This is one of the best things in the museum.  I had asked the security woman if she knew of any fine Chinese vases I could smash. She laughed and said I hope not but then showed me this, the small one to the right and

This one.  For at one time, after a fool with untied laces on his trainers took a tumble resulting in

This!!

I don’t know if there was more than one person on each vase but the restoration, which is flawless, took a year.  Having once broken a Chinese porcelain lamp of my Mom’s chasing my wee bairn of a brother and for punishment having had to put it back together, I truly appreciate the restorer’s skill