Art and Decorative Art in
London
London has lots of great museums,
but the world famous ones are the National Gallery,
the Tate, the Tate Modern, and the Royal
Academy
. If you like art and you haven't seen these you must
make time. The buildings themselves are architectural treasures. And if
any of them are holding a special exhibition as they often do you are
in for a treat. Check this out before you get to town, or when you get
to town, and get tickets for the special exhibits you want to see
because they are usually timed bought in advance. Each of the exhibits
we have seen has been an outstanding collection assembled by the
museums, which have included works from Canaletto, Caravaggio, the
Pre-Raphaelites, Vermeer and more. The Tate Britain
always has on display the finest collection of Turners to be found
anywhere.
But these are the ones you have heard of; what about the museums and
galleries that are not so well known but are very special in
themselves. Two of these are at Somerset House on the Strand near
Covent Garden, the Courtauld Gallery with a fine
collection of Impressionist paintings and the Gilbert
Collection
, which is one of the most incredible collections
of decorative art in the world. The Gilbert Collection was one of the
greatest bequests made to the British people. It excels in the areas of
mosaics, gold and silver items. There is also an extensive collection
of enamels. We found the Roman micro mosaics to exhibit an
extraordinary virtuosity. The miniature portrait collection is also
exquisite. Somerset House's courtyard is picturesque with fountains, a
nice escape spot. The restaurant in back is terraced and overlooks the
Thames. Good bet for lunch.
The Dulwich Picture Gallery
takes a bit of an effort to get to but is well worthwhile if old
masters are your area of interest. Here you will see Rembrandts,
Rubens, Poussins, Murillos and much more housed in a building designed
by the famous British Architect John Soane. This collection was
originally assembled for the King of Poland in the 1790s. To get there,
take an 11 minute train From Victoria Station to West Dulwich from
there it is a 15 minute walk to Gallery Rd.
The Victoria & Albert on Cromwell St. (not
far from Harrods) was assembled in the mid 1800s as a result of the
success of the Great Exhibition. If you like decorative art,
architecture and history you can easily spend a day here. While they
have extensive collections from Europe and Britain, I would concentrate
on the newly arranged British section, since you are in Britain. It
will give you a good sense of history and life in Britain as you
progress chronologically through the decorative arts. However if you
have time, the Medieval Treasury ,the Nehru Gallery of Indian Art and
the 20th century gallery are also outstanding. The "V & A", as
it is affectionately known, has a lunch cafe on site.
The Queen's Gallery next to Buckingham Palace is a
premiere spot to see some of Queen Elizabeth's collections on display.
We have found the changing exhibits here to be well worth the stop
whenever you are in London if you are an art/decorative art enthusiast.
The exhibits are put together with great care, and an audio tour is
available with it, to detail what you see from an artistic and
historical perspective. If you are going to Buckingham Palace during the opening
season this is a nice addition to your day's itinerary. The good news
is that the Queen's Gallery is open all during the year, so you can
visit even if you cannot see the Palace. Last year's display on George
III's collection was very well done and helped one realize that he
wasn't always mad. It was a good reflection on America's "last king".
Your London Pass includes this attraction along
with the Royal Mews, which is walking distance and a good chance to see
the royal carriages used throughout history.
The Banqueting House across from Downing St. on
Whitehall Rd was the first building in central London to embody the
classical Palladian style of Renaissance Italy. Inigo Jones was the
architect. The tour is another interesting look into the goings on
during the reign of Charles I. But the reason for this note in the Art
section is the ceiling of the main room. If you are a Rubens fan you
cannot miss seeing it. It is one of the largest endeavours of Rubens
that you will ever see. The Banqueting House is also included with your
London Pass.
The Wallace Collection is one of the world's finest
private collections of art. It was given to Britain provided it
remained intact, which it has done since 1897. Located in the Regent
Park --Bloomsbury area in Hereford House at Manchester Square, you will
tour through the house viewing Van Dyck, Titian, Canaletto, Rembrandt,
Boucher and more in a majestic private home.
The last museum to be mentioned here is the Geffrye Museum.
It falls more into the decorative arts/history/culture. This museum has
a collection of British interiors highlighted from 1600-1950. It is a
fine display of the British furniture making thru the centuries as
well. This one is a little off the beaten track but well worthwhile and
it's free. Located on Kingsland Rd., take the tube to the Old
Street/Liverpool St. stop.
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