The Timken Museum is a good place to experience fine art without becoming overwhelmed; it’s possible to roam the galleries in less than an hour, and admission is free. And the collection of 60 pieces, (including Russian icons and European and American paintings) includes such important works as San Diego’s only Rembrandt, a brooding St. Bartholomew, painted in 1657; American Thomas Birch's large, dramatic An American Ship in Distress, from 1841; and Albert Bierstadt's 1864 painting Cho-looke, the Yosemite Fall, with its depiction of this pristine natural wonder sans modern-day crowds. Seventeenth century Parisian tapestries woven with real silk and gold threads hang in the museum's entryway, with small galleries devoted to the various countries of origin branching to each side. The Italian collection has, not surprisingly, a strong religious influence, with several versions of the Madonna and Child, and many saints and martyrs. Christ is also depicted in the glowing painted wood of the exquisite 16th and 17th century Russian icons. The museum's architecture is outstanding as well, with its modernist "see-through" glass and grillwork design allowing views of Balboa Park from within.