April 28, 2017

Postcards from Britain - National Gallery Part 2

I took loads of photos inside the National Gallery, London - All without flash of course and only where allowed.


There is something thrilling about being surrounded by original masterpieces some of which I have been studying in books for years. Yes you can see some of this stuff on the web, but that experience only goes so far.

Below are a few of my shots from inside the National Gallery.

The Toilet of Venus by Diego Velazquez
The Immaculate Conception by Diego Velazquez
A wall of Velazquez paintings
Detail of Philip IV hunting Wild Boar by Diego Velazquez
I rather like Diego Velazquez!

A wall of Rembrandt paintings
The National Gallery is open late on Friday nights, but gets too crowded and a bit too dark to see properly in places.

The National Gallery London on a Friday evening.

Of course you cannot go to the National Gallery London without marveling at (for the better part of an hour) some of the quintessentially British paintings in the collection:

The Fighting Temeraire by JMW Turner
Detail of The Fighting Temeraire by JMW Turner
Dido building Carthage by JMW Turner
The Hay Wain by John Constable
I have been to my share of art museums both large and small. Of what I consider to be the "big three" that I have visited, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the National Gallery in Washington D.C. and the National Gallery in London, the National Gallery London is my favorite.

Whenever I am in one of these places I always fantasize about living in there for a week straight. I would have all the basic necessities of life - superior fine art, food, clothing, shelter and wash rooms. What could be better?