Viewing the Pierre Bonnard exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum I felt as if I was being offered a chair at a simple European repast. Fruit of the most luscious texture filled the tables, sometimes accompanied by a basket of bread, a bottle of wine, or a pot of tea. This was fruit that begged to be eaten, the intense colors promising flavor no Dutch still life perfection could deliver. I did not know all the fruits' names; some of the colors were unrecognizable. Was papaya available in France in 1929? Bonnard painted the illusion of fruit in all its old testament desirability. Even the shallow bowl of brilliant red sour cherries looked to be brimming with sweetness.

The second course of the artistic feast took place in the museum's ancient Middle East exhibit. The unfolding of each successive empire, each ruler, and each set of all-powerful gods gave meaning to the reality of impermanency. A fitting prelude to Afghanistan.