The complete re-hanging of the National Gallery was only recently completed, and, of course, we had to see what they had done. Same 2000+ pictures, different locations, different interpretive stuff. On the whole, after three visits, I'd say, it was not an improvement. There is still a very broadly chronological/national organization, but to it, alas, they have added the "themed" approach that seems increasingly popular in the art museum world. You want to see all five of the Gallery's Botticellis? Five different rooms, depending on which "theme"--"family palace," "ambition, innovation," "wonders of design," "looking at nature, "wonders of art," for example--some assistant curator has decided upon. A massive dumbing-down, I think, but full future employment for picture-hangers as the themes come and go. A more expert, professional, appraisal is here. The grand labyrinth effect remains, too, in the sense that you can't walk any particular nationality or epoch without having to retrace steps, sometimes many steps. Oh well. It's still a grand collection and a grand place, and we'll return whenever we're in London. Below are just a few old favorites and a few new items. The search box will take you to many others.
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Van Eyck self-portrait (?); 1430s; apart from being my favorite,
the Gallery is doing a special exhibition next fall, collecting
all nine known surviving van Eyck portraits; I think I've
already seen them all, except not all in the same room; we
did that kind experience with Vermeer a couple years ago at
the Rijksmuseum and found it not a helpful experience...
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| Never miss an Ucello, Battle of Romano; yeah, we like the old stuff |
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| A favorite Botticelli, Venus and Mars |
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| Holbein Erasmus |
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| Memling triptych monster |
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| The re-hang seemed to have missed this huge hall... |
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Holbein's Ambassadors, now hung at the narrow end of a room where
you can't get far enough to the right to see the skull...what were they
thinking? |
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| Never miss a Luini, Jesus among the Doctors, 1515 |
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Velazquez' "Rokeby" Venus; between the Gallery, the Wallace, and
Wellington's Apsley House, there must be a couple dozen Velazquez
paintings in London... |
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The Vigee-LeBrun self portrait that got us into her incredible
life and art, years ago... |
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| The Nation's favorite painting, Turner's Fighting Temeraire... |
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| And a favorite choo-choo picture, Turner's Rain, Steam, and Speed... |
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Oops, after a wrong turn, we are back in the 18th century, admiring
a wonderful Vernet... |
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| van Gogh, Landscape with Ploughman, 1889 |
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The National Gallery is famously focused...paintings only, Medieval
to twentieth century; but in one of the older parts, under the dome,
there are perhaps a dozen or more beautiful and large 19th century
floor mosaics, depicting a variety of actions, moods, virtues, what have
you, that we'd not appreciated before...certainly worth a stop, despite the
traffic under the dome |
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| Contemplation |
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| Mud Pie...um, still processing this... |
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| Open Mind |
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| Defiance |
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| Humour... |
