Today Ed and I are up and out for the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery at Trafalgar Square. Simple tube ride down to Leicester Square. I visited the National 30+ years ago – my sole memory is the huge, fleshy Rueben’s oils. So this was like a first visit and everything was to my taste. It’s actually a manageable space. You could trot through it in three hours or so, but I’m a pokey museum person. Because we visit museums differently, Ed and I split up and agreed to meet at the entrance two hours later. I’ve assembled a montage of my favorites below this post, so you will know what appealed to me. At the end of our two hours, when we compared what we liked the most, our lists were almost the same.
St. Martin in the Fields Church is right across Trafalgar, so we popped in for a look around and then down to the crypts below for an excellent lunch.
Then back across the street to the National Portrait Gallery. Having just read "London" by Edward Rutherfurd, this was a visit with all my Tudor and Stuart friends. We only made it up to the Victorians and I was finished.
Can’t remember what we did the rest of this day. Certainly we saw the Antiques Road Tour and whatever Strictly Come Dancing insights were on the telly, ate, read, and collapsed in bed.
Ride up from the tube stop - dizzying heights.
Buskers in front of the National Gallery. I still can't figure out how Yoda is supported.
Klempt and Rubens
Rubens
Bellows and John Wright of Darby
Rousseau and Rosa
A favorite painter - Zurbran's St. Francis
Seen many times in books, first time in person - Manet's Execution of the Emperor Maxillian
Scenes at St. Martin in the Fields
Pondering the greats at the National Portrait Gallery
Early 18th century portrait of the Sharpe family orchestra. So much fun.