"The Painting."(Kevin Hughes) Aloha All,

I have seen people achieve their goals: win the Medal, finish the Race, get a Degree, find their True love, see their Baby for the first time. What I had not seen is someone who truly understands Art, seeing their favorite painting of all time…in person - for the first time.

The Painting is: “The Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt. It is in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. Very few folks from the West got to go see it, until after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Back in 2008 Cruise ships were allowed to port in St. Petersburg for the first time. And I was on one of the first ships to go there. Little did I know I would witness one of the most powerful effects of Art on those that know what it takes to make a Masterpiece.

The Hermitage is massive. It has six buildings, and used to be a Palace too. Even the buildings are Art. Supposedly if you just took seven seconds to look at every item on display, it would take you seven years to complete the tour. We had just six hours.

Now for those of you who don’t visit a lot of Museums, let me give you a couple of tips. First, don’t try and see everything. Racing through the Museum doesn’t leave much of an imprint on your memory, or register it as much of an experience. Second, find out what exhibits, paintings, sculptures, etc… are in the Museum you are going to visit, and pick out a few things you really want to see. Third, go see those things and act like you are going to come back again - someday. Fourth, enjoy what you are seeing by staying for a time in front of the things that catch your eye the most.

In my case, I was lucky. I got to visit the Hermitage more than twenty five times. But none of those visits were more memorable than my first visit. Why? Because on that first visit something happened that I had never experienced. I saw what true joy looks like on the face of another human being when overwhelmed by a life time goal. What a face looks like when it sees perfection in Art. When the emotional connection to Mastery is on full display.

Art has never moved me to tears of joy. Although the Venus De Milo did move me to awe. And it is still the most beautiful object ever made by man (Or maybe a woman, we don’t know the Artist’s name). At least in my eyes. It is marble that is so lifelike, you can see the slight folds in her skin and imagine her moving around. But I digress.

On that particular day, one of the Musicians went with me to the Hermitage. We had Cruised the Baltic for six days, and finally got to go to St. Petersburg. For those six days that Musician told me how much he wanted to see a particular painting. The one at the top of this story. He thought he would never see it in real life. Because it was in Russia, behind the Iron Curtain.

And even after the Wall fell, not many Westerners could get into the city to see the Hermitage. They were not keen on tourists, and had no real facilities to manage the tourist industry. Then he found out that Cruise Ships were allowed to go and dock in St. Petersburg. Besides being an Artist of some note in his own country (Canada), he was also a virtuoso Sax player. He had no trouble getting a spot in the ship’s Orchestra.

And he did it, just to get to the Hermitage and see the painting. He couldn’t sleep the night before the tour. Early the next morning we met in the Horizon Court, and he just nervously kept talking about the Painting. He wondered how close he could get to it. Or if it was even on display. Maybe they rotated famous paintings. Or maybe it was going to be so crowded he couldn’t get close or get to look at it for a while. Even a glimpse would be enough ..he told me.

We pulled up to the Hermitage, and we got a Guide assigned to us. He told her he wanted to see just that one painting. She talked to him for a bit, then called over her radio to someone. A few minutes later a Museum Curator showed up, curious as to why this American only wanted to see just that painting.

My friend poured his heart out to the guy. He told him how he won a scholarship to University by making a copy of that painting. How the use of light and composition, and the placing of hands on the son, were so dramatic and inspiring to him. How he never thought he would get the privilege of seeing it in person.

Well, I guess when one Art Lover, talks to another real Art Lover, they understand the power of Art. Because that Museum guy took the two of us from the group and led us right to the painting. And it is a good thing that he came along with us.

Because as soon as we turned to the little alcove where that painting was, my friend’s knees buckled. The Russian guy on one side, and me on the other - had to hold him up for a few minutes. Tears streamed down my friend’s face. He was literally face to face, not more than a foot and a half from that painting. It was too much for him…at first. The Russian guy understood his reaction much more than I did.

He beamed a smile as wide as the Mississippi River. And in perfect English, he and my friend talked about different aspects of the painting as I stepped to the side. Both of them forgetting I was even there. After about thirty minutes, the Russian guy had to go do some work, but thanked my friend for appreciating Art. They shook hands and we stayed in front of the Painting for another half hour.

Then we rejoined our Group and toured the rest of the museum with them. The whole time he was on cloud nine. On the bus ride back to the ship, he was quiet with a soft smile plastered on his face. He just looked out the window seeing nothing. He was still looking at that painting…I think.

Later that night he met me up on the Lido deck for tea after the shows were over. He thanked me for going with him. And for telling our Russian Guide how much he wanted to see that painting. And that opened the conversation with her, that ended up with the other guy coming and taking us to the painting.

I thanked him for letting me be a witness to the power of Art. And for seeing the difference in how someone who knows what it takes to paint like that, views a Masterpiece. It was one of the most powerful emotional experiences I have ever witnessed. You know it was because I kept my mouth shut the whole time he looked at that painting. I never interrupted him and the Russian guy, nor did I invade his space when he looked at the painting …lost in its glory.

His face was ecstatic. I now knew what that looked like - for real. He told me over tea, that he doesn’t remember anything about that day, except seeing the painting. He didn’t remember the bus ride out, or back. He forgot I was even with him. He just got lost in the Art.

He told me he called his Mother the next day from Talin Estonia, where his international phone worked. She was thrilled for him. He had no hope of seeing that Painting for four decades…and then…he got to see it. In person. And it was all he had hoped it would be.

His life was complete now. He told everyone, over and over again, about seeing that Painting. And I got to see him…see it. And If I could paint and recreate that scene, the look on his face, the smile on the Russian Guy as we held him up so his knees wouldn’t buckle - well, that painting would be hanging in a museum too.

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