Went to an art exhibition today. Pictures from Lionel Feininger (good), Paul Klee (liked two of them) and some dutch masters from 17th century Haarlem (near Amsterdam, not the part of Nieuve Amsterdam); and the pictures which are permanently at the Kunsthalle in HH (modern works as well as old masters). The most interesting thing about these exhibitions are not the paintings, although some are really great. What I like more is watching the different types of people who go there. These people are the same at every art exhibition.

The rich couple: they go there to show their presence at something cultural, mutter things like "This remembers me of the early works of (insert well known painter) in his phase when he was in (insert well known french place), don't you think..." Generally well dressed, always being really serious, no smile, talking softly, walking around like the place belongs to them and being annoyed by the peasants standing in their way.

The rich intellectual: sometimes smiling, comments more based on knowledge than the comments of the rich couple. But not that different

The leftish teacher couple (including numerous children): usually dressed in ecologically correct clothing from remote regions of the Himalaya or dressed in bib overalls. Accompanied by lots of children who are running around noisily, behaving like this is the greatest playground or the most boring place on earth. The parents generally just running around, looking at the pictures, reading heavily in the guide or listening to the audio-guide at least twice. Absorbing all facts and useless information about the pictures to torture pupils in school with them.

The well educated upper middle class couple (with two too nicely dressed, too well educated children): having some knowledge from books about the painter and having read all about the exhibition in newspapers, they walk around and believe in the little texts close to the pictures. Their children are really silent, no running, no making fun, just standing nicely dressed and in awe in front of the pictures. These children grow up to be really boring bankers or might catch a turn during puberty to get really interesting freaks... These families look just like being out of a text book from the sixties about happy families.

The economy student: he is usually there to impress his girlfriend. Walking around and behaving very well educated, pretending knowledge about art he hasn't, and in general behaving like an economy student (actually he might be a law student...)

Ah, and sometimes there are normal people, walking around, looking at the pictures, trying to understand those little texts which talk the impressive reasoning the artist has done for his work, sometimes liking pictures, sometimes not, sometimes in front of modern works wondering if it is art or a fire-extinguisher...

Of course there are more types of people, these are just the most prominent....