MASTER WORK
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
For anyone who’s read Radden Keefe’s book about the Irish Troubles, Say Nothing, you know him as a nonfiction writer who draws you in with meticulous detail and creates a novel-like reading experience. His latest work, Empire of Pain, is equally meticulous and an absolutely fascinating study of the self-absorbed, greedy, and corrupt Sacklers. How many museums or universities here and abroad have Sackler Wings? The family was eager to put its name on and in buildings as a condition of its philanthropy. But they were secretive to an extreme about not having the Sackler name appear anywhere in relation to their business ventures.
The first hundred pages of this hefty work are the history and legacy of Arthur Sackler, older brother to Mortimer and Raymond, and the individual responsible for crafting the questionable marketing practices later adopted by Purdue Pharma. Purdue Pharma, as is well known today, is the maker of Oxycontin and was controlled and micromanaged by the Sackler brothers and their children. Their total denial of any connection between their product and addiction and their singular lack of any remorse for the opioid epidemic are appalling, as is the almost complete lack of any penalty for their actions.
It’s a case study of a family living in their own bubble aided and abetted by a cadre of loyal staff and easily manipulated government officials. Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)
WORKS OF ART
Museum of Modern Art
This was our first visit to MoMA since they added on to their building in 2019. We were pleased with the larger space and the chance to see more of the permanent collection on display. We went during the members’ hour on Monday and had many of the galleries to ourselves. We spent our time on the 5th floor and delighted in seeing familiar works (Monet’s huge water lilies in their own room) along with ones new to us. I especially liked a Picasso still life in greens against brown, a bold flower-dominated canvas by Stettheimer, and a colorful lady in the park by August Macke. The latter one really captivated me.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
There is so much to see at the Met that we went back for a second visit. This time, we were interested in viewing the Impressionist collection and other works of that period. I was struck by this striking bronze sculpture of a young dancer wearing a tutu made of cotton.
I also very much liked two ladies in pink by Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt.
Central to these galleries are the marvelous paintings from the Annenberg Collection. The Philadelphia Museum of Art had hoped to be the hometown beneficiary of Walter and Lenore Annenberg’s collecting, but alas for them, it was not to be. Once loaned to the Met for six months each year, their collection then was given to the museum in a bequest.
Here is gallery after gallery of Renoirs, Cezannes, Manets, Monets, Pissarros, and Van Goghs. They are a treat to behold! And since we went first thing in the morning, the galleries were empty for for awhile.
FOOD FARE
As I have mentioned before, our most frequent go-to place for dinner is the small French restaurant, Sel et Poivre. It’s comfortable, quiet, with relaxed service, a nicely priced prix fixe menu, daily specials, and other tempting dishes. Recently, we’ve made more selections from the main menu. Here are two of them: a white asparagus special and tomato and mozzarella salad. Both appealing on the plate and both very good!
Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is a flower box near Rockefeller Center.
