Albany Museum of History and Art

I went to the AMoHA today. I wasn't terribly thrilled with the $8 entry fee, especially since the museum itself wasn't terribly large.

The place had a nice atmosphere, though I was a bit disappointed at the lack of diversity of the art work. Most were historical, and more specifically directly connected to Albany history. The pieces themselves were quite beautiful, well painted, and delicately sculpted. The time period ranged from Ancient Egyptian work, to the present day.

I found myself most intrigued by the 17th-19th century section. The museum had quite a selection from the Hudson Valley Collection, and focused on American artists. A nice change considering most lauded pieces from that time period are French, or at the very least Eastern European. The piece I spent the most time with was "Le Chavalier Bayard" by Baron Carlo Marochetti done ca1840. A beautiful bronze cast sculpture of a knight astride his mount upon even ground, standing roughly 3.5' x 2'. The piece had such a wonderful presence that I found myself encircling it quite a few times. Even without reading the synopsis, I knew that the knight was a man of noble character, simply from standing in the sculpture's presence. Baron Marochetti certainly portrayed the man, Pierre Terrail as 'Bayard the Good'.

I would definatly recommend spending some time in this museum, though I do admit I was hoping for a little more bang for my buck.