(Originally posted 25 March 2007)
Today, 25 March, I went to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square (right next to Canada House, incidentally!). It has been cleaned up considerably since I was last in London - for the better - as no traffic runs right in front of the building any longer. There are still some pigeons, but not as many as I remember. I got a great photo on my camera-phone of people amongst the pigeons. I have a soft spot for those birds.
I have always loved the National Gallery. It is filled with art from the 1200's to the impressionists and just after. I didn't even try to do it all today - I focused on Italian art from the 1500 - 1600's, mainly so I could see Caravaggio, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, etc. My absolute favorite painting in this collection is by Sassoferrato, titled "The Virgin in Prayer" (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=NG200) . It is luminous and clear; the colors jump out on this dark background so all your eye focus' on is the Virgin Mary. It made an impact on me on my first ever visit in '94 and it still does. Photographs/web sites do not accurately represent the intensity of the color and its impact.
I also went to a special collection titled "Manet to Picasso" of Impressionist art up to early Picasso, with all the greats, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas, plus Seurat & Pissaro. Impressionist art was what first captured my heart and ultimately led to my college major, so it was like visiting old friends again. And you know what is best about it? IT'S FREE!!!!!! Can you believe it????
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