Category Archives: Art

Art

National Gallery reopened Sainsbury Wing

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I popped over to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square to have a look at the newly opened Sainsbury Wing of the gallery.

The wing has been only opened last month and it’s free to walk in. I was up the stairs in no time. I walked around read some of the wall plaques and noticed a few pieces I know of.

Quinten Massys – The Ugly Dutchess
Bartolomé Bermejo – Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil

A lot of the artwork in this gallery is using a technique called gold water gilding. The artist would use a soft clay and then apply a highly polished gold leaf onto a wet damp surface. When it was dry it would be polished again to make it shine and often stamped into for decoration. Bermejo as you see above used this method to great effect.

There are works by the Dutch and Italian masters in this section. From the comical, to the imaginable. You have art that was probably in very religious settings in their heyday. And when you’re bored with the newly opened section, you can always walk across and look at the other famous works in the main gallery.

Art, Current Events

Sotheby’s Freddie Mercury exhibit

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On now for a month you can go to Sotheby’s on New Bond Street and see a vast collection of items once owned by Freddie Mercury before they go on sale. I’d say if you can, go see it now, because after the six auctions all his treasures will be scattered and most likely scattered to the four corners of the world.

I feel it will be a shame, as I felt a lot of these items should have stayed in his house and that created into a museum. Nevertheless, this is a part of life and its story in this famous character.

I knew he had a love for Japanese art, but I didn’t realise how vast his collection was. From a very nice collection of prints, to ceramics and sets of kitchen ware. There is a degree of opulence about the character and a slight insight into the eccentric nature of the person we see from his things. There is also a degree of love for the items on display, from the clothing to the records and his famous piano. A new Yamaha piano will set you back £5,000 but if you want Freddie’s make sure you have more than £2 million + capitol. And if I am honest, there are some even nicer things to get your hands on than the piano.

Art

The Wallace Collection

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Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN

In the heart of London is another museum you can walk in for free like the British Museum or the National Gallery, but unless you have a tourist book you might not even know it exists.

Once you walk around Manchester Square you might not notice on first glance as there doesn’t look like much activity next to the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. But you will see the banner behind the open cast iron gates to see the collection. You can join the free tour or view the house in your own time.

Once inside you will see treasures the biggest galleries in the world would love to get hold of.

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This collection acquired over the years by the Marquesses of Hertford then additions added to the collection from Sir Richard Wallace the son of the 4th Marquess. In 1897 his wife Lady Wallace with no heir bequeathed the collection to the British nation.

Unlike a National Trust property the house doesn’t look lived in as there are no bedrooms, sitting room of any type. Instead you will see that it’s one big museum gallery with a weapons room, display rooms and an art collection with rooms that rivals the National Gallery.

In you go on the tour you will learn more about parts of the collection and see painting done by masters such as Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Titian, Rembrandt, Velázquez and others.

I was highly impressed with the collection and recommend everyone who have an interest in history, art or ancient weapons to have a look.

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Art

Spanish Government employs 1-10th of the law on a Picasso!

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In a follow up to my previous post about the Picasso family taking back by force some of Picasso’s paintings. It seems to me that Spanish government is now following a similar pattern.

First I like to say, if you own a painting you should be able to display it where ever you like. Just as long as you give it the right respect.

But if you have been keeping an eye on the news this happened.

From BBC News: Picasso ‘national treasure’ seized by French customs
So 9-10ths of the law of ownership. And a powerful Spanish family fall fowl to the French and Spanish governments requesting a painting worth £17m (€25m). 

Well is saves the nation of Spain millions to aquire the painting but how about those legal bills? That could in the end run up to a few million. 

I also wonder if they even asked Jamie Botin the owner If he could loan it to the nation. Or maybe they had and he rejected!! Which might explain a few things, nevertheless in my view this is art theft at the heighest level.

Art

Did the Picasso family steal the paintings back?

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So you’re given a gift of some painting 40 years ago which are now worth a fortune. Then you decide it’s time to sell them, but wait a minute what happened here?

BBC News: Picasso electrician must return piecess to artist’s family
It seems to me that the Picasso family can afford the better lawyers and take back with force and no consiquence, effectively stealing from this poor couple.