Artistic Boston

&lsquoBreathless&rsquo, &lsquoproud&rsquo, and &lsquoinsignificant&rsquo are but a few of the many things I feel as I quietly stroll the marble and stone galleries of the museum that features so many of America&rsquos important 18th- and 19th-century painters, including a pair of murals by John Singer Sargent. Located on the Fenway, part of Frederick Law Olmsted&rsquos Emerald Necklace system of parks surrounding Boston, the Museum of Fine Arts offers a calming setting in which to enjoy a wide selection of art. The building was erected at its current location over the first two decades of the 20th century, and its large marble halls present both a soothing and stately environment in which the art is presented. Similar to, but more manageable than New York&rsquos Metropolitan Museum, the MFA is in every way quintessential Boston, subtle in its approach and overwhelming in the details. Come for the art &mdash there are Van Goghs, Monets, Degases, some Winslow Homers, and even some Rembrandts, as well as one of the largest museum collections of Japanese pottery outside of Japan &mdash but stay for the architecture. And look out for the museum&rsquos iconic pieces, Pannini&rsquos Picture Gallery with Views of Modern Rome and Childe Hassam&rsquos Boston Common at Twilight. See www.mfa.org.