Welcome to my listing of paintings that have recently featured in my regular tours of the National Gallery, London. For those of you who don't yet know, let me remind you the National Gallery offers free lecture tours everyday at the same times of 11:30 and 14:30. Also on weekends there is an additional tour at 16:00, and on the Friday night late opening there is a later tour at 19:00. All tours leave from the new part of the building - The Sainsbury Wing, just next to the main shop. National Gallery's Permanent Collection consists of over 2,500 paintings of Western European art.
I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Saturday 31st August enjoyed the choice of paintings. 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 in room 61 of the Sainsbury wing with sculpture-like painting called The Introduction of the Cult of Cybele at Rome (1505-6),by the professor of the antique, Andrea Mantegna (1430/1 - 1503): National Gallery web link here
We then moved on to room 60, to look the painting that was not a painting, the fresco of Penelope with the Suitors (about 1509),by Pintoricchio (active 1481 - died 1513): National Gallery web link here
Crossing into the main building we then went to room 29 where we looked at one of the eight versions of The Judgement of Paris (probably 1632-5),by the wealthy and famous painter in his lifetime the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640): National Gallery web link here
This was followed by visit to room 32 where we looked at The Supper at Emmaus (1601), by violent and controversial Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610): National Gallery web link here
Finally we ended in room 44 with a modern masterpiece called Bathers at Asnières (1884), by Georges Seurat (1859 - 1891): National Gallery web link here
My next guided tours at the National Gallery will be:
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sun 15th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 -17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Wed 25th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30).
Saturday 31 August 2013
artfirstprimo at the NG - the 14:30-15:30 afternoon tour: 31-08-13
Welcome to my listing of paintings that have recently featured in my regular tours of the National Gallery, London. For those of you who don't yet know, let me remind you the National Gallery offers free lecture tours everyday at the same times of 11:30 and 14:30. Also on weekends there is an additional tour at 16:00, and on the Friday night late opening there is a later tour at 19:00. All tours leave from the new part of the building - The Sainsbury Wing, just next to the main shop. National Gallery's Permanent Collection consists of over 2,500 paintings of Western European art.
I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Saturday 31st August enjoyed the choice of paintings. 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 in the very small, chapel-like room 66 of the Sainsbury wing with the Baptism of Christ (1450s) by Piero della Francesca (about 1415/20 - 1492): National Gallery web link here
We then moved on to room 63, to look the unique and fragile painting on linen called The Entombment (probably 1450s), by the Northern Renaissance painter Dirk Bouts (1400?-1475): National Gallery web link here
Crossing into the main building we then went to room 9 where we saw The Origin of the Milky Way (about 1575), by Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1519): National Gallery web link here
This was followed by visit to the nearby room 8 where we saw the rather controversial An Allegory with Venus and Cupid (about 1545),by Bronzino (1503 -1572): National Gallery web link here
Finally we ended in room 4 with the rather magisterial full-length double portrait called The Ambassadors (1533), by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8 - 1543): National Gallery web link here
My next guided tours at the National Gallery will be:
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sun 15th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 -17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Wed 25th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30).
I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Saturday 31st August enjoyed the choice of paintings. 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 in the very small, chapel-like room 66 of the Sainsbury wing with the Baptism of Christ (1450s) by Piero della Francesca (about 1415/20 - 1492): National Gallery web link here
We then moved on to room 63, to look the unique and fragile painting on linen called The Entombment (probably 1450s), by the Northern Renaissance painter Dirk Bouts (1400?-1475): National Gallery web link here
Crossing into the main building we then went to room 9 where we saw The Origin of the Milky Way (about 1575), by Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1519): National Gallery web link here
This was followed by visit to the nearby room 8 where we saw the rather controversial An Allegory with Venus and Cupid (about 1545),by Bronzino (1503 -1572): National Gallery web link here
Finally we ended in room 4 with the rather magisterial full-length double portrait called The Ambassadors (1533), by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8 - 1543): National Gallery web link here
My next guided tours at the National Gallery will be:
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sun 15th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 -17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Wed 25th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30).
artfirstprimo at the NG - the 11:30-12:30 morning tour: 31-08-13
Welcome to my listing of paintings that have recently featured in my regular tours of the National Gallery, London. For those of you who don't yet know, let me remind you the National Gallery offers free lecture tours everyday at the same times of 11:30 and 14:30. Also on weekends there is an additional tour at 16:00, and on the Friday night late opening there is a later tour at 19:00. All tours leave from the new part of the building - The Sainsbury Wing, just next to the main shop. National Gallery's Permanent Collection consists of over 2,500 paintings of Western European art.
I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Saturday 31st August enjoyed the choice of paintings. 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 in the morning tour in room 57 looking principally of The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (completed 1475), by the brothers Antonio del Pollaiuolo (about 1432 - 1498) and Piero del Pollaiuolo (about 1441 - before 1496). Also mentioned in the same room was Tobias and the Angel (about 1470-5), by Workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio and The Virgin of the Rocks (about 1491/2-9 and 1506-8), by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): National Gallery web link here
We then moved on to room 58, of the Sainsbury wing, to look Venus and Mars (about 1485), by Sandro Botticelli (about 1445 - 1510). While here this Cassone with a Tournament Scene (probably about 1455-65),by an unknown Italian, Florentine was also mentioned: National Gallery web link here
Crossing into the main building we then went to room 14 where we saw an Adoration of the Kings (1510 - 1515) by Jan Gossaert (active 1503; died 1532): National Gallery web link here
This was followed by visit to room 5 where we saw the triptych panels including The Crucifixion: Central Panel (about 1510),all by the mysterious Master of Delft (active early 16th century): National Gallery web link here
Finally we ended in room 46 with an example of modern painting, Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando (1879), by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917): National Gallery web link here
My next guided tours at the National Gallery will be:
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sun 15th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 -17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Wed 25th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30).
I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Saturday 31st August enjoyed the choice of paintings. 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 in the morning tour in room 57 looking principally of The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (completed 1475), by the brothers Antonio del Pollaiuolo (about 1432 - 1498) and Piero del Pollaiuolo (about 1441 - before 1496). Also mentioned in the same room was Tobias and the Angel (about 1470-5), by Workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio and The Virgin of the Rocks (about 1491/2-9 and 1506-8), by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): National Gallery web link here
We then moved on to room 58, of the Sainsbury wing, to look Venus and Mars (about 1485), by Sandro Botticelli (about 1445 - 1510). While here this Cassone with a Tournament Scene (probably about 1455-65),by an unknown Italian, Florentine was also mentioned: National Gallery web link here
Crossing into the main building we then went to room 14 where we saw an Adoration of the Kings (1510 - 1515) by Jan Gossaert (active 1503; died 1532): National Gallery web link here
This was followed by visit to room 5 where we saw the triptych panels including The Crucifixion: Central Panel (about 1510),all by the mysterious Master of Delft (active early 16th century): National Gallery web link here
Finally we ended in room 46 with an example of modern painting, Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando (1879), by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917): National Gallery web link here
My next guided tours at the National Gallery will be:
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sun 15th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 -17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Wed 25th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30).
Monday 19 August 2013
artfirstprimo at the Barber Institute of Art, Birmingham
Today I've been visiting the small, but perfectly formed Barber Institute of Art, Birmingham, and here are my highlights of this collection:
My first highlight is a tiny and exquisite triptych made in the late 14th century by an unknown Italian artist that seems as though it has been captured and pressed into a frame as though a bird in a gilded cage. However, the incredible decorative effects achieved by this unknown craftsman have not been subdued by its capture. The delicate stippling and decorative colour effects behind the Virgin and Christ Child sing out from this tiny painting. The painting not only features the Baptist and a rather hairy Magdalene in the left and right wings respectively, but this tiny painting also features an even smaller Annunciation in top register of each wing. The jewel-like quality of this work reminds one of the jewel-like quality of another piece also by an unknown craftsman and also from the same period in the National Gallery - the Wilton Diptych.
Next on my highlights list two small panels again by an unknown craftsman, but formerly attributed to the Master of the Judgement of Paris. In the panels we see the age old story of man in pursuit of reluctant woman played out in the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne, in two panels by an unknown Italian artist or artists. The pure simplicity of the depictions in these panels (possibly made to adorn a marriage chest, i.e. cassone) certainly contribute to their supposedly innocent charm, they are indeed beautifully executed panels; most likely egg-tempera on poplar wood. However, one can't help thinking that Daphne's solution, suggested by the gods, to escape the arms of Apollo by turning herself into a tree, seems to be giving credence to the age old myth that women who do not give themselves freely to men must be frigid though made of wood.
However, just along the wall is an artist who is named - Sandro Botticelli (1445 - 1510). Botticelli's distinctive and unusual style (and that of his workshop) is unmistakable, and so to is the figure of Simonetta Vespucci cast here as the Virgin. This muse and inspiration seems to appear over and over again in Botticelli's most famous works, such as the Uffizi's La Primavera (painted between 1477 and 1482), the Birth of Venus (painted between 1482 and 1485) and the National Gallery's Venus and Mars (painted about 1485), and in this case the not so well known work the Barber's collection - the Madonna and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist (1490s). The delicacy of painting, emotion and complexity of composition, along with perfect execution of diaphanous materials is a joy to behold and surly transports one to that strange place called Botticelli world.
Another great highlight from this great collection is a work by Jacopo Bassano (active about 1535; died 1592). Bassano's Adoration of the Magi is, as one would expect of this subject, a truly sumptuous affair. The handling of paint to create the beautiful and colourful robes of the kings is marvellous. One of the most skillful aspects of this work is the superb fore-shortening of the horse with its backside emerging from the painting on the right side of the canvas. But curiously the position of the horse with its backside in our faces is echoed by the eldest Magi, Caspar, who is seen knelling in the centre foreground.
The next painting is one that I know well, but have never seen in the flesh as it were - the masterpiece by Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1671- 1682). No photograph can do justice to Murillio's - The Marriage Feast at Cana, it must be seen live. The still life arrangement of the water vases and figures in the foreground literally emerge out of the canvas and handling of textures such as clothes and ceramic of the vases is sublime and tangible. The painting itself is sensitively lit and is hung at just the right height to take full advantage of Murillio's extraordinary powers of illusion. Indeed so good is the effect that one might imagine they can almost enter this sumptuous scene. These same powers of illusion are also on show in Murillo's self-portrait at the National Gallery (probably 1670-3).
If you want to catch me talking about paintings in the National Gallery, here's how you can do it:
Free tours at the National Gallery:
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sat 31st Aug - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 - 17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sun 15th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 -17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Wed 25th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30).
My first highlight is a tiny and exquisite triptych made in the late 14th century by an unknown Italian artist that seems as though it has been captured and pressed into a frame as though a bird in a gilded cage. However, the incredible decorative effects achieved by this unknown craftsman have not been subdued by its capture. The delicate stippling and decorative colour effects behind the Virgin and Christ Child sing out from this tiny painting. The painting not only features the Baptist and a rather hairy Magdalene in the left and right wings respectively, but this tiny painting also features an even smaller Annunciation in top register of each wing. The jewel-like quality of this work reminds one of the jewel-like quality of another piece also by an unknown craftsman and also from the same period in the National Gallery - the Wilton Diptych.
Next on my highlights list two small panels again by an unknown craftsman, but formerly attributed to the Master of the Judgement of Paris. In the panels we see the age old story of man in pursuit of reluctant woman played out in the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne, in two panels by an unknown Italian artist or artists. The pure simplicity of the depictions in these panels (possibly made to adorn a marriage chest, i.e. cassone) certainly contribute to their supposedly innocent charm, they are indeed beautifully executed panels; most likely egg-tempera on poplar wood. However, one can't help thinking that Daphne's solution, suggested by the gods, to escape the arms of Apollo by turning herself into a tree, seems to be giving credence to the age old myth that women who do not give themselves freely to men must be frigid though made of wood.
However, just along the wall is an artist who is named - Sandro Botticelli (1445 - 1510). Botticelli's distinctive and unusual style (and that of his workshop) is unmistakable, and so to is the figure of Simonetta Vespucci cast here as the Virgin. This muse and inspiration seems to appear over and over again in Botticelli's most famous works, such as the Uffizi's La Primavera (painted between 1477 and 1482), the Birth of Venus (painted between 1482 and 1485) and the National Gallery's Venus and Mars (painted about 1485), and in this case the not so well known work the Barber's collection - the Madonna and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist (1490s). The delicacy of painting, emotion and complexity of composition, along with perfect execution of diaphanous materials is a joy to behold and surly transports one to that strange place called Botticelli world.
Another great highlight from this great collection is a work by Jacopo Bassano (active about 1535; died 1592). Bassano's Adoration of the Magi is, as one would expect of this subject, a truly sumptuous affair. The handling of paint to create the beautiful and colourful robes of the kings is marvellous. One of the most skillful aspects of this work is the superb fore-shortening of the horse with its backside emerging from the painting on the right side of the canvas. But curiously the position of the horse with its backside in our faces is echoed by the eldest Magi, Caspar, who is seen knelling in the centre foreground.
The next painting is one that I know well, but have never seen in the flesh as it were - the masterpiece by Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1671- 1682). No photograph can do justice to Murillio's - The Marriage Feast at Cana, it must be seen live. The still life arrangement of the water vases and figures in the foreground literally emerge out of the canvas and handling of textures such as clothes and ceramic of the vases is sublime and tangible. The painting itself is sensitively lit and is hung at just the right height to take full advantage of Murillio's extraordinary powers of illusion. Indeed so good is the effect that one might imagine they can almost enter this sumptuous scene. These same powers of illusion are also on show in Murillo's self-portrait at the National Gallery (probably 1670-3).
If you want to catch me talking about paintings in the National Gallery, here's how you can do it:
Free tours at the National Gallery:
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sat 31st Aug - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 - 17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Sun 15th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30 and 16:00 -17:00)
Guided Tours - National Gallery - meet at: Sainsbury wing next to main shop - (Wed 25th Sept - 11:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 15:30).
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