Friday, 14 August 2009

It's not at all uncommon to stumble upon a savant while traversing the grimey streets of any NYC neighborhood.  After all, only la crème de la crème can live well and prosper in such a harsh environment.

However, sometimes the level of one's knowledge and excitement about the most obscure and seemingly trivial details of a particular field can astound even the most hardened New Yorker, open her eyes to the beauty of an oft-ignored art, and even make her feel as if she has wasted her life.

Ross, a researcher and guide at the Cloisters museum in upper Manhattan, is one such savant.  His ability to articulate and enliven the history of the Cloisters collection, as well as the biographies of the main collectors themselves, is unsurpassed.  Should you be lucky enough to have him as your guide, you will never forget exactly why the heads on the statues of the 13th century Doorway from Moutiers-Saint-Jean are facing the wrong direction.