Category Archives: Vermeer

Art, Italy, Leonardo Da Vinci, MIlan, Piero della Francesca, Raphael, Renaissance art, Sadiq Khan, Titian, Travel, Vermeer

Why London ought to get its own artistic treat for Christmas 2018

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Titian

Visiting Milan has become a family tradition over the last couple of years as my wife Alessandra and I make the most of being in Italy over the Christmas Break.

One Milanese tradition I wish London Mayor Sadiq Khan would import is to be found at Palazzo Marino. It’s the seat of government very much like our own City Hall though with a more familiar grand palazzo feel.

Each year they get one artistic masterpiece and put it on display. It’s free to go and see and it’s used as an opportunity to provide the art loving public with the chance to see something they wouldn’t otherwise. Continue reading Why London ought to get its own artistic treat for Christmas 2018 →

Art, Bronzino, Exhibitions, Michelangelo, National Gallery, Renaissance art, Sculpture, Travel, Vermeer

Has the National Gallery gone off the boil?

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Lamentation

You have to go all the way back to the Rembrandt the Late Works exhibition in October 2014 to find a stand out exhibition at the National Gallery. What’s followed since then hasn’t been devoid of interest, but is it as interesting as the current Vermeer at the Louvre? Certainly not. This ultimately is the National Gallery’s immediate peer group and the type of exhibition it will be judged against.

Having been severely underwhelmed by the Australian Impressionists, I had high hopes for Michelangelo and Sebastiano. Continue reading Has the National Gallery gone off the boil? →

Architecture, Art, Caravaggio, Dutch Art, Exhibitions, Giovanni Bellini, Italy, MIlan, Renaissance art, Travel, Vermeer

What to look forward to in 2017…

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Chateau_de_Chantilly_garden.jpg

For me, my artistic year really doesn’t get going till next weekend when we are going to be visiting Lisbon to see just four paintings! Yes, I know, but to be honest I’m sure we’ll have a great time and with a Raphael, a Piero della Francesca and a Durer amongst others on the ‘must see’ list it will be great.

My visit this weekend to see the Australian Impressionist exhibition at the weekend left me with the distinct feeling that the National Gallery has lost its way a little. I’ve not really enjoyed the last 3-4 exhibitions and other UK based Galleries don’t seem to have the same draw for me as they did with some great shows like Giorgione at the RA in 2016.

So this year I’ll be casting my net a little further afield. Continue reading What to look forward to in 2017… →

Architecture, Art, Bronzino, Canova, Exhibitions, Lists, Travel, Vermeer, Washington DC, Worlds most visited Museums

Topping the list: Is the National Gallery of Art really the best in the world?

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National_Gallery_of_Art_-_West_Building1.jpg

I’m a serial lover of lists, especially those about art and art museums around the world. A few years back I read a ‘Worlds 50 Best Art Gallery’s’ feature in The Times and thought that I needed to do more to get around them. I kept the paper and I’ve annotated each entry with the date I visited so far managing 29/50 in almost four years. You can read the feature (even if you aren’t a subscriber) on the following three links.

There are many other lists out there: Trip Advisor even has its own crowd sourced version, the Independent has a particularly good list of the UK and the Telegraph has a decent one on a largely European city basis. You can even do the online equivalent of rating yourself using this link. I make the top 1% Continue reading Topping the list: Is the National Gallery of Art really the best in the world? →

Architecture, Art, Bronzino, Dutch Art, Giovanni Bellini, Rembrandt, Renaissance art, Travel, Venice, Vermeer, Vienna

If you could take away just one thing from… Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna)

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Maria-Theresein-Platz, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien

The Kunsthistorisches Museum or KHM, as it’s known to locals, is an absolute must on any trip to Vienna. Its collection is a superb treasure trove of art to rival the worlds very best. The building itself is in my humble opinion the most beautiful major museum in the world. I’m not trying to do down either the Louvre or the Hermitage (both are beautiful), it’s just that the KHM edges them out. Continue reading If you could take away just one thing from… Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna) →

Art, Dublin, Dutch Art, Renaissance art, Travel, Vermeer

If you can see just one thing in… Dublin

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Hapenny-Bridge-Dublin-362k

No, it’s not the Book of Kells… Often it’s hard to pick out just one thing as a real highlight from a trip. Dublin’s most famous work of art is undoubtedly the Book of Kells. It’s beautiful but, well, manuscripts however fine don’t really do it for me.

So if you want to see something equally world class make the short walk over to the National Gallery of Ireland. Entry is free and there’s nothing like the volume of people you’ll find queuing up over at Trinity College.

On display you will quickly find a real masterpiece. It’s a great example of Vermeer at his absolute best. Continue reading If you can see just one thing in… Dublin →