PLEASURE GARDENS
by Fred Stern
It was a cold, blustery day in Washington, D.C., but the wind swept me right into spring -- into the Smithsonian Institution’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, where in a rush to meet the cherry blossoms, the Sackler has mounted a brilliant show celebrating the gardens of the Orient. In "East of Eden: Gardens in Asian Art, Feb. 24-May 13, 2007, the pleasures of the garden are strikingly shown in 65 works of art displayed in sumptuous surroundings.
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