Run, run, as fast as you can!

Gentle readers, I beseech you, if you are near Chicago, go with all haste to the AIC for the Rembrandt exhibit!

The Boy and I went Friday morning. Neither one of us was too excited, but we figured we had a duty to go since I get free member tickets and he *is* considered one of the venerated "Old Masters" of art.

The exhibit started out kind of slow for us. *Lots* of etchings, which were fine, but didn't blow us away or anything. The etching plates were pretty amazing, though.

Side note: At one of the first etchings, I said, "Huh. That's kind of good." Then I heard myself, looked at The Boy -- who was ready to openly mock me -- and said, "Oh. My. God. I must be on crack! Are we at a Rembrandt exhibit and I just said, 'That's kind of good?!" He nodded and proceeded to give me the mocking I so rightfully deserved.

So, we were looking at the etchings, being suitably impressed, making snide comments to each other about the many, many visitors from the Smithsonian who were crowding around, examining the etchings with magnifying glasses, taking a looong time to do so, while we waited patiently for a chance to see. Then, finally, we came to a painting, "Samson Betrayed by Delilah."

Damn.

I don'y know that I can articulate what happened then. My best friend likes to say that something "rocked her world" when someone is sneak-attacked and blown away by something. This painting definitely rocked my world.

It was so good, it made me cry.

It wasn't the subject matter, for all I love the Bible and am fascinated by the stories therein. Rather, it was the light. The way the light fell on Delilah's foot, the way her purple gown shimmered and looked alive.

I can't even say. My words are not adequate to convey how much the world was too much with me then. I was moved and humbled by the genius.

And it was Every. Single. Painting.

No wonder he is revered. Surely he was Apollo in a previous life?

Damn.

The moral of that story? For me, it was to take advantage of my membership and go see every exhibit, even if I think I don't care. Yeah, we made it through the Manet show in something like eight minutes flat. However, Rembrandt kept us captivated for over three hours. If I hadn't had somewhere else to be, we might have stayed all day!