I always have time for Matisse, I’ll just need to distract my wife. Cheers 
1 Like
@ChrisSU - no serious art historian, critic, connoisseur, scholar or academic regards Turner as “old hat”. To consider the greatest painter ever to have emerged from these islands in that way would be pure philistinism…
1 Like
I agree entirely, I just mean that when someone is at the top of their game, one can tire of seeing their work in magazines, cheap reproductions, etc. Easily cured by going to look at the originals again.
I though the Van Gogh Sunflowers were ok but nothing special until I saw the original at Tate Britain recently. In reality it’s stunning.
Best
David
2 Likes
If he’s that good, why did he only paint copies of biscuit tin covers?
(Obviously not my real opinion, his ability to capture light is sublime, but his composition, colour choices and brushwork are also masterful. One of my favourite artists, and the Clore Gallery is one of the glories of London.)
1 Like
What you miss, even from properly high quality reproductions on the best paper, is the three dimensional nature of an epic oil painting and the way the depth changes as you walk around and therefore the reflected light and the colours that you see change.
Best
David
1 Like
The Whitworth in Manchester (on the south side near the university) is a wonderful place. Great feeling about the building, fantastic block wood floor. Yes really!
Currently exhibitions include Goya and Hogarth prints, which I though very thought provoking. And a kind of ethnographic installation about the Reno nightclub. Again, very thought provoking. And plenty of other things too.
2 Likes
Turner never did a painting of a cow standing in a field - whereas most other romantic landscape painters did around and before his time.
Visiting these museums with large collections, it amazes me how so many were interested in depicting such a scene. 
Oh, hang on. He did do a few in his early days…
1 Like
Surprised by a show in Arles, Niko Pirosmani a Georgian painter around the early 19th century. I’d never heard of him, he gave most of his work away or traded for food and lodgings. Died a poor, alone and unknown.
2 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
I went for a stroll in North London this morning, and popped into Kenwood House (Hampstead Heath). They have temporarily re-hung their late Rembrandt self-portrait 8n the dining room lobby rather than the dining room (it’s where the Turner usually is). There is natural light falling on it from the ceiling domed window, it is much better lit than it is in its usual position. There are details especially in the bottom right I have never seen before. If you love late Rembrandt it’s well worth a visit, sadly it’s only on until 12th January.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/search-news/pr-rembrandt-exhibition/
3 Likes
The Lucian Freud exhibition at the RA is well worth a visit if you are in London. All self portraits.
We saw the Gaugin portraits exhibition at the National Gallery a couple of weeks back. You sort of have to go to see it, but frankly I was quite disappointed. Also the gallery was very hot, so it wasn’t much fun walking around with one’s outside coat on.
Best
David
We were in Vienna a couple of weeks ago and visited quite a few galleries. In all of them we were directed to the cloakroom first. You put your returnable euro in the locker and leave all your stuff, and walk round the gallery in comfort. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is simply wonderful, one of the largest galleries in the world. You find amazing art around virtually every corner, and that’s without paying extra for the visiting exhibitions. We also had a delicious lunch with wine, waiter service and in the most beautiful room, all for a great value price. U.K. galleries get nowhere near the whole experience. You just shuffle round with a million others while people take videos of static pictures while standing 10cm in front of them. Idiots.
1 Like
Speaking of masters of light, the Sorolla exhibition visited the National Gallery in Dublin recently, they’re incredible in the flesh but this one stood out for me
2 Likes
Just back from Paris. For the first time I saw my favourite painting ‘Whistlers Mother’ at Musee d’Orsay - mesmerising.
The Francis Bacon at Centre Georges Pompidou is outstanding.
G
1 Like
I’m not happy with you! Seeing this has induced us to book two nights in a guesthouse in Hampstead Village next weekend before it closes. Actually we’ve been meaning to stay in Hampstead for ages so it’s a nice excuse. The fact it’s above an Italian restaurant makes it even better.
1 Like
Oops, sorry. Have a great time Nigel.
Hi, on my way back to Yorkshire yesterday, I took a detour to Dulwich (OK, completely out of the way between Finchley and King’s Cross). There is a fascinating exhibition called Rembrandt’s Light at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, focusing as the name implies on how Rembrandt captured light. It’s got great works from the National, the Rembrandt House, Dulwich’s own collection and 2 from the Queen’s collection as well as other works from him and his pupils. Really informative and lots of wonderful art. I know Dulwich is not particularly convenient from Hampstead, but thought I’d tell you in case.
1 Like