The best news of the summer has been the listening–mainly Mozart–and the art.

In early August, at a friend’s invitation, we spent a few days in Izu to escape the heat. Right across the way from my friend’s house is the Ikeda Museum of 20th Century Art. Among the treasures was one of the best late Francis Bacons I have ever seen. A week later I spent a good half a day with Gauguin’s “Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?”–long enough to see Gauguin himself crouching in front of the painting, sick, poxed, and contemplating the end. I also noted the Japanese reaction to the fox pictured in Gauguin’s painting of the pale young girl who has just lost her innocence. “Of course, the Kitsune would be connected with such things!” an old woman said to the family members contemplating the masterpiece with her.

Finally, I got my first real look at Frieda Kahlo’s wonderful self-portrait dressed in the elaborate head dress of her homeland in Mexico at the Setagaya International Museum. I also saw some wonderful work there by Orozco, Rivera, and lesser-knowns like Anguiano, Morado, Goita, Ledesma, Herran, Mendez and Tamayo.

A great summer! A Mozart summer!