Stroll Through the Billy Rose Art Garden at the Israel Museum

Under a canopy of gray clouds, we strolled through the Billy Rose Art Garden at the Israel Museum. Unlike our first visit (1993) with 4 children in tow, we were able to take our time looking at this impressive collection of some of the finest outdoor sculptures of the 20th century. The setting was breathtaking- an oriental landscape coupled with the ancient Jerusalem hillside.

We admired works by  Jacques Lipchitz, Henry Moore, Claes Oldenburg, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, David Smith, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Mark Dion, James Turrell, and Micha Ullman.

I remembered some of the sculptures from our first visit while many I could not recall. Some had been added after our visit in 1993. We delighted at the whimsical nature of a few.

The gracefulness of this animal (most likely a hare) in flight made us stop and stare.

This was contrasted with the serious nature of The Warrior of Montauban by Antoine Bourdelle (French 1861-1929)

We were perplexed and mesmerized by others. We knew this piece by Henry Moore  (British 1898-1986) was famous, but struggled to understand the significance.

Inversion 2008 was created by American artist, Roxy Paine. All of its weight resting on the smallest and finest limbs. It stands an impressive 42 feet high.

Before entering the building, we came upon this fascinating stainless steel piece by an Indian artist Kapoor Anish. It is called- Turning the World Upside Down.

By the time we finished our leisurely walk through the Billy Rose Art Garden at the Israel Museum, we could see small patches of blue sky. We entered the museum eager to view areas that we had previously not visited. We stopped for a quick snack at the museum’s kosher dairy cafe, Mansfeld. Our guide, Jacob, was correct when he stated that we would not regret trying the cheesecake. (barely visible at the top of the picture)

The next posting will share some of the treasures that we saw inside the Israel Museum.

Sandra Bornstein is the author of MAY THIS BE THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE. It is available on Amazon.

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