The Boston Public Library is one of those enchanting places I feel completely ashamed for not visiting more often, especially seeing as I work close by. If you've never stepped foot inside this charming spot, you really should. Around every corner awaits some captivating and unusual little surprise. Each time I enter I feel as though I've been transported to another dimension.
The Great Twin Lions, by Louis Saint-Gaudens
The Muses, by Puvis de Chavannes
Look up! Even the ceilings are stunning. Sometimes I get dizzy.
The Quest of the Holy Grail, by Edwin Austin Abbey, is my favorite.
This room makes me gasp. Look at how gorgeous it is! These murals were installed in 1895, but the characters still look as if they're going to leap off the walls. (And murder you.)
The pamphlet I picked up in the lobby describes this room as sumptuous.
Ralph Waldo, too...
Behold the John Singer Sargent Gallery with its eerie, super intense Triumph of Religion. This hall is dark, haunting and mysterious. Naturally, it terrifies me, which means I just can't look away.
Madonna of Sorrows:
It's definitely spooky being in this room alone with these vivid paintings. But it's astounding all the same.
But wait, there's more...
Who's that over there? It's Joan of Arc!
Out front sit Bela Pratt's Art and Science. I'm not going to lie- in the evenings, when the lanterns are lit, the Art and Science girls creep me out a little. But in the best possible way. So gothic! So macabre! I dig that in a public library.
Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom. Hey, Minerv.
This courtyard might just be the best spot in Copley to sit and relax:
Bacchante and Infant Faun, by Frederick MacMonnies
And of course I'm a total sucker for the whimsical marbel floors in the entrance hall, inlaid with brass symbols of the Zodiac.
Sagittarius: The Archer.
(I'm a centaur! Pronounce it Sen-toe-ah, though. OR ELSE.)
Hubby: The Scorpion!
Prince William: Aquarius, The Water Carrier
(He actually does enjoy conveying water, though; coincidence? I think not!)
Wisdom, by Daniel Chester French
Music and Poetry:
They always have neat exhibits going on as well...
Also, tucked away, lies a secret little room of shadow boxes! I adore this room. So enchanting!
There are so, so, so many more breathtaking and interesting sights to see within the walls of this spectacular locale, nestled right in Copley Square. I think I must have taken like 200 pictures. The next time you find yourself in Boston, I really hope you'll stop in to explore it for yourself! It's such a dreamy, wondrous spot, and it's totally free! Just one of the many neat things our historic little city has to offer.
xoxo
