A Walter Launt Palmer exhibit is one of the things worth seeing now at the Albany Institute of History and Art. This one is called "Library at Arbour Hill," and is an interior view of the Ten Broeck Mansion in 1878. Palmer was from Albany, and the exhibit is a comprehensive view of his work, including other interiors, landscapes in all seasons, and Venetian vistas.
Also currently on view at the Institute is a richly painted 3,000-year-old Egyptian coffin lid, and a recently discovered Van Dyck portrait of St. Jerome.
Then there's "The Schuyler Sisters and Their Circle," inspired by the hit musical Hamilton (which I remain too cheap to have seen). On Saturday, however, for the price of admission to the museum, I got to see and hear "a musical pastiche with narrative, song and instrumental interludes telling the story of the early years of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton" -- which exceeded my expectations. Part of the credit goes to the Musicians of Ma'alwyck, and more to Eileen Mack, who portrayed Eliza, wrote the narrative and sang three songs. It was a truly impressive performance, and she had more feeling for her subject than whoever wrote the typically (for modern museums) tendentious and condescending captions accompanying the exhibit -- which is nonetheless worth seeing.
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