Food expo VegFest Brighton 2019 part 3

Exhibition area:

A lot of art-works on show.
Print available from GBP10 each.

There is also a sculpture of an pig which I didn't take photo.

Here are only some of the photos of the exhibition.

Part 1  Eating.
Part 2  More stalls.

Japan House London visit part 3

Then I went up to the ground floor and browse around the museum-like shop...

Hand-made brooms.

Products from different companies.

Then I see more of the works by that copperware/metalware studio.
(small exhibition of Gyokusen Do)

A bigger pot next to this display has  price tag in 5 digit of GBP.
But it is a craft work or even art with copper, silver, gold.

A book of the craftsmaster's works

For more details of his work and the studio:
 http://www.gyokusendo.com/library/mokume
That is from the website of that copperware studio.

It is nothing like my original itinerary of the day trip,
but I really appreciate it ---
as I have been yearning for art-craft-design activities.
 ( well, I like glass and metal )

Due to the time limit, I found the bus stop for bus number 9.
This bus goes pass Kensington Garden which is near the Kensington Palace,
and Hyde Park. I should visit them next year or so.

The bus also went pass Royal Albert Hall.



 Seen while I was on bus...
Didn't see the name.


Got off the bus at Trafalgar Square.
Walked pass the Canada House, National Gallery.

National Gallery & St.Martin-in-the-field church.


My 2nd target today -- Japan Centre.
I wanted to get some food grocery there.


Part 4
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-centre-london-quick-shopping.html

Part 1
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-house-london-visit-part1.html
Part 2
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-house-london-visit-part-2.html

Japan House London visit part 2

It’s my first time to Japan House (near High Street Kensington station) since its opening this year.

It is a museum-like shop of Japanese items of national level craftsmanship.

It is free to visit. On the left inside, it is a mini indoor garden with a tree.
It is demonstrating traditional skill of supporting tree trunks with wood & ropes.

Browsing around the ground floor area is delightful.

I didn't visit the authentic Japanese restaurant upstair.


   Though I can not attend demonstrations / talks by the top Japanese professional craftsmen due to timing/distance, it is still nice to see a small exhibition - of the metal works by one of Japan's national cultural heritage - copperware craftsman 目玉宣夫* of, &, 玉川堂 (Gyokusen do).

     He & his work won a silver award in 1910 British-Japanese exhibition in London.
It is impressive that the Japanese keeps the diploma paper well and after 2018-1910 = 108 years later they brought the diploma back to England to be part of the exhibition.

    I knew their different workshops were and are full for these past 2 weeks and that day.
(The email reply I got said so)  Still, I tried to go in to observe the workshop.
I tried to get on the walk-in waiting list.  They have interpretors.

     The Japanese craftsmen of 玉川堂(Gyokusen do) travelled from Japan to UK.

The staff took me to pay and then I joined in.

    Step by step guides and examples.

Tools and materials are provided

Impressed by their professionalism.
They take their craft & craftsmanship seriously. The organisers are good to arrange such cultural events for a nominal fee only...

      Grateful for God's arrangement to let me enjoy a mini copper workshop  headed by a professional craftsman and manager/boss (?)  (They were cousins and related to the craftwman mentioned above)  from Gyokusen Do who flew from Japan.


Back to Part 1
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-house-london-visit-part-1.html

Part 3
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-house-london-visit-part-3.html

Part 4
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-centre-london-quick-shopping.html

Japan House London visit Part1

My coping strategy is usually fill my days with adventure of some sort.
A few weeks ago I booked a coach day-trip to London. 

In the morning it rained and have traffic jams along the way.

Arriving late in London Tottenham Court Road near the Planet Organic.
I walked towards Goodge Station having walked passed places
 where I can see Japanese food .

Usually I would have spent at least half an hour in Muji and maybe longer in Planet Organic.



(screen captured from google map )


(need to use underground route map)

Oops!
I have forgotten to bring my Oyster card
(stored value card for London public transportation)

With the self-service ticketing machine,
after checking how much it is to get return ticket (almost GBP10)
and how much it is to get a new Oyster card (GBP5),
 I bought a new card,
with extra GBP5 to store in it. (enough for the journey I need)

Destination : the nearest station : High Street Kensington.
(Yeah , Kensington, but that is a big area)

Well, I picked up an underground route map ...
and still lost some time inside them maze!!

Need to be careful which way each time you find a platform and get on a train.

Anyway I got there.

Walked passed Marks & Spencer and it's easy to find.

Part 2
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-house-london-visit-part-2.html

Part 3
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-house-london-visit-part-3.html

Part 4
http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2018/09/japan-centre-london-quick-shopping.html

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

Trip London 201711 C National Gallery

Continue: National Gallery.
After Gallery A or Room A, I went to Room 28 on Level 2.

"Belshazzar's Feast" ,  Rembrandt.  1635.  66 inches x 82.4 inches.

By Rembrandt the famous Dutch painter!
This painting is about the story written in the Holy Bible - Old Testament - Danial.

(Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar looted the Temple in Jerusalem
and has stolen the sacred artefacts such as golden cups.
His son Belshazzar used these cups for a feast .
Suddenly the hand of God appeared
and wrote the inscription on the wall
prophesying the downfall of Belshazzar's reign.
They didn't understand what it meant. ) 

Have you heard of the saying "The writing is on the wall" ?
 It means there is warning about the wrong thing people are doing.
It comes from that Bible story.

Then, Room 29...

 "The Annunciation" Nicolas Poussin, 1657.  104.3 x 103.1 cm
Angel Gabriel tells virgin Mary about what will happen to her. This story is in the Holy Bible, New Testament, Luke 1:26-35.
The pigeon means holy spirit. There are different paintings with the same theme.

When I was in kindergarten,
once there was a simple play performance
that I was made to try the role of the angel. 
(but I didn't know it was a male angel)

Add caption

The Adoration of the Shepherds, about 1640, The Le Nain Brothers

[ Antoine (about 1600 - 48), Louis (about 1603 - 48), Mathieu (about 1607 - 77)]

Room 24:

This painting is big. Much taller than me.

"Christ before the High Priest", 1617, Gerard van Honthorst, 272 x 183 cm.

The Dutch painter made it while living in Rome of Italy.

This is the close up.

The story is in all 4 gospels in the New Testament in the Holy Bible.
e.g. Matthew 26: 57-66.

Next: 

 I went to join a 1-hour guided tour with art curator.

To be continued...

National Gallery Guided Tour (Saturday afternoon)

http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711-d.html

If you would like what happened earlier:
  Part A

http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711a.html
  Part B

http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711-b.html
  Part C

http://sn-uk.blogspot.com/2017/11/trip-london-201711-c-national-gallery.html