artfirstprimo back at the National Gallery

Welcome back art lovers. For those of you who don't yet know, let me remind you the National Gallery, London offers free lecture tours everyday at the same times of 11:30 and 14:30; leaving from the new part of the building - The Sainsbury Wing, just next to the main shop.  On 12th December I, artfirstprimo, conducted both 60 minute tours of the NG, from 11:30-12:30 and from 14:30-15:30. Both the 11:30 and 14:30 tours of the National Gallery featured eleven different paintings from the National Gallery's Permanent Collection, which consists of over 2,500 paintings.

I hope that those of you who were able to attend one of my talks at the National Gallery yesterday, Monday 12th December, enjoyed them, but if you missed them or just want a reminded of which pictures we looked at so you can visit them again with a friend. here is a list of those paintings:

We began with: Sandro Botticelli (about 1445-1510), Venus & Mars (about 1485).  Next on the tour was: Andrea Mantegna (about 1430/1-1506) The Introduction of the Cult of Cybele at Rome (1505-6).  This was followed by the four canvases in room 11 by: Joachim Beuckelaer (active 1563-1575) The Four Elements (1569-70).  Next we looked at the unknown painter called: The Master of Delft (active early 16th century), Scenes from the Passion (about 1510). We finally ended with: John Constable (1776-1837), The Cornfield (1826). This painting was eventually named by the National Gallery not John Constable.

And if you missed my 14:30 tour of the same day or just need a reminder of the paintings we looked at to see them again with a friend, here's a reminder list: We began with: Masaccio (1401?-1428) The Virgin & Child, 1426 and Gentile da Fabriano (1385-1427) Madonna and Child with Angels, 1425.  Next on the 14:30 tour was: Carlo Crivelli (1430/5?-1494) La Madonna della Rondine (The Madonna of the Swallow), about 1490-2.  The 14:30 tour then looked at the Baroque master: Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) Peace & War, 1629-1630.  This was then followed by the master of chiaroscuro: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) The Supper at Emmaus, 1601, and the last picture on my 14:30 tour was: Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859-1891) Bathers at Asnieres, 1884. 

My next free tours of the National Gallery will be: Weds 4th Jan 2012. The tours will be at 11:30-12:30 and from 14:30-15:30. See you there.