Trip London 201711 D. National Gallery Guided Tour

Continue... After wandering around in National Gallery on my own,
I went to the guided tour meeting point on ground floor in Sainsbury Wing.

Quite a number of visitors are interested.
The group has about 20 persons.
We walked up the staircase. She took us to see some paintings.


FIRST, the curator talked about part of an altar piece
painted / made with gold leaves and egg tempera.

She explained about how it was done, the paint materials,
how to tell who-is-who regarding some of the characters in the painting,
how it looked in a church, the symbols, etc.

Then, we went to Room 8,

and saw another painting 200 years later.

"An Allegory with Venus and Cupid", about 1545, Bronzino.
(Sorry, I didn't take picture of cupid grabbing Venus's breast while kissing her.
This image is linked directly from National Gallery's image of the painting. )
Lots of symbolism/personification of
Time, Fraud, Jealousy, Spring or Jest, Folly and Pleasure.
The curator do reminded us the little-girl in shadow
has honey and sting in each of her hands to symbolise the pleasure and aftermath.
This erotic painting was a gift to Francis I kind of French.

Then, room 33.

"Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame",
1763-4, François-Hubert Drouais.  217 x 156.8 cm.
(mistress of French King Louis XV; a patron for art, letter & fashion)

(close-up)


Then, we was led to see two self-portraits by Rembrandt 29 years apart.
(these two images are form National Gallery website.)

Self Portrait at the Age of 34, 1640, Rembrandt

Self Portrait at the Age of 63, 1669, Rembrandt.
The curator talked about the life and changes of Rembrandt.

The first one he dressed and posed like the old masters 100 years before himself.

The other one, he doesn't care anymore.
The curator told us the changes he made which x-ray have found out. 

Then another one... a landscape.
(this image is from National Gallery website)

A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning,
probably 1636, Peter Paul Rubens,
131.2 x 229.2 cm, Room 31.

There are over over 200 paintings with landscape but she chose one I thought is boring.
OK, I know Rubens is famous.
The curator did explained the composition,
usage of warm and cool colours and light, viewpoints, etc.




I took photos of the two small pieces of work by Vincent Van Gogh.

Sunflowers, 1888, Vincent van Gogh. 
Room 43.  92.1 x 73 cm.
For use of decoration of his room in Arles to welcome his friend Gauguin.

(it is one of the 4 he painted between August & September )
National Gallery's explanation video: 
https://youtu.be/vFGVaMVyAoU
Yellow means happiness for Vincent.
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/learn-about-art/paintings-in-depth/sunflowers-symbols-of-happiness
  

Although I visited the Van Gogh Museum about 20 years ago
as an art/design student...
And that I had taught art in secondary school
and in particular one year showing students
 that lovely PowerPoint of his works and THAT song from YouTube,
sorry that his style is really not my cup of tea.
(of course I didn't say that to my students)
 
Then, extra.

The Fortress of Königstein from the North,
 about 1756-8, Bernardo Bellotto,
132.1 × 236.2 cm, Room 40.
 A scenery in Germany. The artist use a very precise style.
This was bought by the gallery this year 2017.



Then,

"Moses striking the Rock", 1743-4, Corrado Giaquinto,
136.5 x 95 cm. Room 40.
This painting is part of the group:
Modelli for Frescoes in Church Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome.

The story of Moses doing that to get water was in the Holy Bible
 - Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:11.
(He was supposed to speak to the rock instead of striking it twice)

Then, this is a Roman mythology painting.
Just that the shape is interesting.

An Allegory with Venus and Time, 1754-58, Giovanni BattistaTiepolo.
Venus, Aeneas, the winged Time, Cupid, The Three Graces.
 292 x 190.4 cm, Room 40, as an interior decoration for
ceiling of the home/palace of the Contarini family in Venice.

Walking towards Room 32.

Love the way National Gallery place this big picture
where people see it far away across from other rooms.

"The Adoration of the Shepherds",

about 1640, Guido Reni.  480 x 321 cm, Room 32.


(partial close-up)

Partial close-up.
National Gallery official video on how they clean it up:  
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/media/14546/seg_15_episode_11.m4v

BTW, the National Gallery has three pictures
of the Adoration of Shepherds,
painted by Poussin, (pupil of ) Rembrandt(?) and Reni.
 
There are over 2000 paintings in National Gallery.
I think this is my 4th or 5th time since 1993 ?
I will re-visit again sometime in future to see more.

Next:
 try to do a little shopping before heading back.
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711-e.html

In case you missed the earlier part of this London day-trip,
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711a.html
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711-b.html
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711-c-national-gallery.html