The National Gallery
I believe that the art lover is a freedom fighter for a better life for himself and the world.
Great art is a series of windows on the past, it gives us understanding of where we are at present and who we are at present. We question our priorities and the world we live in and through this we’re always discovering something new, something we didn’t know before.
We can change society and my next story is an example of how this happened in the past. Around 700 years ago there was a seismic shift in people’s outlook right across Europe. We can see this change through looking at paintings so I went to the National Gallery in London.
I can just pop into the National Gallery or spend all day, if I have the time, looking at the greatest paintings in the world – it’s free.
We’re going to look at three Italian paintings with the same subject matter – a mother’s love for her child – Mary holding the baby Jesus as they contemplate his future death on the cross.
The first is from medieval times and it’s by Duccio in 1300. It’s outside of time and space. And it has the authentic stamp of the Church because the truth is witnessed by saints, prophets and angels. Their size is not realistic; rather it’s in proportion to their importance in the spiritual hierarchy.
It’s a direct appeal to Faith – no doubt, no questions; a background of shining gold – no contact with the outside world.
The message is spiritual: we are nothing. Yet we can become one with God.
The earth was flat, heaven was above and hell below.
Duccio, The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea, about 1315, © National Gallery, London
Masaccio our next painter comes 100 years later. This is the time of the Renaissance. Renaisssance means rebirth when people rediscovered the art and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome. Masaccio’s work was more naturalistic and was inspired by ancient Greek sculpture. The rules of perspective had just been rediscovered. He uses this and rational lighting to place the stone throne and figures in real space.
The child tastes the grapes which are a symbol of the blood he is prepared to shed for us.
Masaccio, The Virgin and Child, 1426, © National Gallery, London
It’s now 1500 and the high Renaissance. This painting is by Bellini. It’s the same familiar subject but now the world has been let in. Mary sits in a field. The baby is allowed to sleep like a real child. We can feel Mary breathing as she watches over him.”
Giovanni Bellini, Madonna of the Meadow, about 1500, © National Gallery, London
This painting by the Flemish painter Hieronymous Bosch is from exactly the same time as Bellini. It is still a religious subject but it’s crowded with horrible characters – it is set in the drama of life and shows what humans are really like when they’re about to torture Christ.
Hieronymous Bosch, Christ Mocked (The Crowning with Thorns), about 1490 – 1500, © National Gallery, London
Worldly subject matter entered painting through portraits. This double portrait of Arnolfini and his wife is painted by Jan Van Eyck. It documents the rise of a rich middle class who took advantage of the new techniques in oil painting to record themselves in their finery and among their expensive possessions. The world is becoming more materialistic.
Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait , 1434, © National Gallery, London
Wealthy merchants, bankers and Princes decorated their palaces with scenes from ancient Greek and Roman mythology, like this painting of the Judgement of Paris by Rubens. They were showing off their new, modern and worldly outlook which included the pleasures of the flesh.
Rubens, The Judgement of Paris
(Many important events coincided to cause this radical change in outlook of Renaissance thinkers and artists. But the most important factor was the rediscovery of the Greek mind where freedom of thought triumphed over Mediaeval dogma.
Rembrandt, Self Portrait at Age 63, © National Gallery, London
In this self portrait by Rembrandt we enter right into the private life of the painter. God has been replaced by man as a source of ideals. Freedom from the Church’s authority led to experimentation and science and the cult of the individual.
Change happened in the past and I think we’re heading to radical change in outlook again.
Loved reading your blog on National Gallery .It is mine and my daughter,s favourite place to visit in London whenever we are lucky enough to go.I briefly read about the Renaissance art studying Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne. while doing an access course to HE and loved it.If only we could learn from our past,build and improve on it.
Comment by shelby on 26/11/2010 at 4:56 pm
Thank you so much for your letters. It’s great that you enjoy the National Gallery. Have you been to the Wallace Collection? If not, I really recommend it. http://www.wallacecollection.org/
Comment by Vivienne on 02/12/2010 at 2:26 pm
I’m coming to LDN in December and (if I have time of course) The National Gallery is one place that I simply have to visit. It’s been such a long time since I visited and I feel the need to get some culture!
I really enjoy visiting the National Gallery and I specifically remember the first time I went a few years back and saw DaVinci’s “Madonna of the Rocks” for the first time. I never thought art could make such a difference in my life but I sat there for nearly an hour just staring at this one painting. I learnt so much about myself and art in general that visit, it is something that will stay with me until the day I die
Comment by James Emmett on 03/12/2010 at 6:41 pm
When you come to London and visit the National Gallery, why don’t you wear an AR badge? Just let me know where to send it.
Comment by Vivienne on 12/12/2010 at 9:22 pm
I loved reading about art and the National Gallery in London. I am from Argentina and will be visiting London and Berlin next year, im waaay too excited.
I found museums have become quite like my church: a place of contemplation, silence and thought. I love running around the Museo de Bellas Artes of Buenos Aires that is also free and houses argentine and international art from all ages. Art touches me deeply and I find myself coming out of it fresh with new ideas, a full heart and a big smile. Hope to visit the National Gallery and Wallace Collection when I am there in 2011.
Thank you for being such an inspiration. Lots of love xox
Comment by Cecilia on 13/12/2010 at 1:47 am
Unfortunately the terrible weather ruined my plans and I ws unable to visit the Gallery. I do, however, plan on visiting in 2011 and would love to know if there are any artists in particular that I should keep an eye out for?
Also, I would absolutely LOVE an AR badge! I was going to buy the set from World’s End but a similar story to the Gallery prevented that too.
Comment by James Emmett on 20/12/2010 at 5:52 pm
I am in love with the National Gallery from 9 years now since I first visited it. I love loosing myself in there for hours, especially looking at the wonderful impressionist paintings, which are my favourites. I also adore the National Portrait and I never miss a photography exhibition there. It’s a great place to go when you’re by yourself as surely you won’t be alone in there. I just wish I could go more often.
Comment by Zara on 20/01/2011 at 12:35 am
Dear Vivienne, Thank you so much for your wonderful program on London and art which I watched this past weekend. It was very inspirational and has motivated me to take in more art. I loved watching you as you went around London on your bike and particularly enjoyed the parts of the east end and Borough Market. As a young girl from Canada I lived in London in the late 60’s-70 and for awhile worked in a shipping company in London Bridge. On Friday’s I would go to a little flea market and have a wonderful “faux” scarab bracelet from the 1920’s that I bought there for 50p. I used to walk over the London Bridge on my lunch hours and look at art in the nearby churches. I remember seeing an original Luca Della Robia and being so moved.
It would be wonderful if you could do some more specials like that, riding around London and visiting sites. Thank you again for a memorable program that will stay with me for a long time!
Comment by ANN O'KELLY on 26/01/2011 at 4:25 pm
Dear Vivienne W!
I live in Stockholm and we have a beatiful National Gallery here. I have just bought a membership for this year (then it´s free entrance) one week ago and a few days later I read about you in the swedish morningpaper, Svenska dagbladet. And i´m happy that I made that choice ´cause the money could be spent elsewhere. I love to see the old oilpantings, and there was an exhibition about Napeleon and the swedish king from france, thats why I went to the museum in the first place, I like that empire-style.
So I just want to thank you for all interesting and wise thoughts about art, “do-it-yourself propaganda” and the green matter, our enviroment!! I get inspired of your ideas and especially on the subjekt “distraction” , I want to do so much but I get distracted very easily. I love painting, doing pictures without any artschool background, for instance I paint on old framed pictures, on the other side (back side), I buy them cheap on the fleamarket, and the originalpainting will be intact. I do other things to, but from now I gonna spend less time reading crap and watching webb-tv, It´s too much, and now I feel the strength to focus on things that moves me more deeply than before. And once in a while a bbc-costume drama or so. So thank you very much once more for the inspiration.
Kindest regards from Anneli Borlaug
Comment by Anneli Borlaug on 27/01/2011 at 12:38 am
I’ve been looking through the works on the Gallery’s webpage (seeing as though I can’t just nip down the road to have a look!) and I’ve found some really wonderful paintings. This particular one I love. I think it encompasses everything the Art Lover wants. Not only exceptional skill and precision down to the last detail but demonstrating that society gets the art it deserves. A beautiful painting of a magnificent cultural venue! I absolutely love it!
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/canaletto-london-interior-of-the-rotunda-at-ranelagh
James
Comment by James Emmett on 02/10/2011 at 5:18 pm
Vivienne you are an inspiration and a beacon of hope. The most inspiring piece of art I’ve ever seen is Cornelia Parker’s cold dark matter an exploded view, if you’ve not seen it i think you’ll like it .I got to see it for my 13th birthday when it was at the TATE about a decade ago now.It’s truly amazing piece to see .Pretty please can i have a button i’ve been making my own but they fall apart.I’ve been writing slogans on the back of them like “who says your not perfect”
Thank you for remaining yourself x
Comment by Georgie Bluebell on 27/08/2012 at 5:38 pm