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National Gallery

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Harris
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

National Gallery

  • October 18, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
National Gallery

This was at least our 10th visit to the National Gallery. We were disappointed to find out the the Vermeer Exhibit was sold out, so we decided to do something different and took the 2:30 tour. Tours are offered daily at 11:30am and 2:30pm. Both tours are different, so you could take both of them and not repeat. They are scheduled to last one hour. Rebecca was our guide, and she was great. We saw four paintings I've never noticed before.

We began our tour at the information desk in the Sainsbury Wing. Our group was about 40 people. It varied, as we lost some and gained some in each room we visited. One problem with the tour is that there is no seating, so you will need to stand for long periods of time or sit on the floor. We first learned a little about the National Gallery. The English National Gallery is separate from its Royal Collection; in most other countries, the royal collections formed the core of their collection.

The first piece we looked at was an altar piece from St. Peter Major Church in Rome, the Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven. What Rebecca did was to try to make us imagine the altarpiece as it would have been in the church, telling us about viewing it in candlelight and about the people who would have looked at it when it was painted. She talked about the colors that were available to the artist--nine colors were available in egg tempura. Blue was the most expensive, since it was made from lapis lazuli. So next time you look at a Renaissance picture, check out how much blue was used--it tells you the wealth of the patron who ordered it.

Our second painting was Bronzino's Venus, which he painted for Cosimo de Medici. She called it the rudest picture in the gallery. In the 19th century, they removed the tongue, which was sticking out of her mouth and into Cupid's and her nipple. There is a lot of symbolism in the picture that we don't understand, but Cosimo would have.

Our third picture was Velasquez's Toilet of Venus. It is the only nude Spanish picture from this time period. The inquisition took care of the rest. This one was commissioned by a very powerful person. It is probably the most beautiful body in the National Gallery.

The last picture was Thomas Gainsborough's Mr. and Mrs. Andrew. Rebecca pointed out all the implications in the picture. Mrs. Andrew is not dressed to be outside, she must have been painted indoors, there is a lot of land in the picture showing how their marriage brought their two estates together.

We had a great time. After the tour, I hunted down the two Viger LeBrun portraits and then headed for the gift shop. A wonderful visit to a great museum.

Like many London museums, entrance is free.

From journal London- Its a Love Affair

National Gallery

  • November 11, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Kathy from Northern Va Suburbs of DC, Virginia
National Gallery

I like the National Gallery because it has a selection of many artists. Impresionists and a litle bit of everything. The best thing about it is the gift shop. I buy a lot of Christmas gifts there. Calendars, books and things you can't get anywhere else.

Also it is free so if you are in the area and have only an hour or so, take the time and browse.

From journal London, my favorite destination in the world

National Gallery

  • July 2, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by kimmsw from Sparks, Nevada
National Gallery

The architecture of the gallery is beautiful - classical Georgian, with columns and all. It is located on the north side of the Square, so just sitting on the steps in front offers great views and good people watching. The Gallery, like all museums in the UK is free. It houses one of the largest European Art collections in the world. The National Gallery has a collection of 18th and 19th century English painting as well as French Impressionists (my favorite). The gift shop is great, by the way.

From journal London in any season

Editor Pick

National Gallery

  • June 22, 2000
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Harris from Boston, Massachusetts
Despite the fact that its holdings contain quite a number of European masterpieces, I have to admit to only traveling quickly through the galleries. The reason for this was the current special exhibition, Rembrandt by Himself, which simply took up all my time. The Rembrandt self-portraits displayed there proved him to be a veritable master of light, and since they are too old and fragile to travel far from Europe, I knew this was my one and only chance to view them. Look for the ones that belong to the museum's permanent collection when you visit.

From journal London: City of Love?

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