Whilst we were at the gallery for the Monet and London exhibition we made the most of seeing other exhibits and the spaces that held them
The staircase is pretty spectacular, and was conceived as a symbolic ‘journey to enlightenment’ - with visitors progressing upwards through the building and moving from the dark to light to reach the top-floor landing. We hadn’t realised that and went straight to the top, I guess fast forwarding and possibly missing the enlightenment on offer. It’s a narrow space and the rooms on each floor have narrow ceilings, so the stairs do rise quite steeply on the final stretch.
VASE OF FLOWERS - CLAUDE MONET
As we know Monet painted so much more than the views of the Thames, and just outside the exhibition we stopped alongside this painting which he started in 1881, but signed and sold around 1920. Clearly a different subject and brighter, more floral colours but equally as impressive.
A BAR AT THE FOLIES-BERGERÈ - EDOUARD MANET
This was the painting that was the most recognisable to me from our visit - which I learnt is considered one of the iconic paintings of modern life, and was completed a year before he died in 1883. And while the barmaid is recognisable, I’d not seen the legs and green boots of a trapeze artist in the top left corner, which the blurb says ‘hint at the exciting musical and circus acts entertaining the audience’.
LILIES IN A JAR, 1914 - MATTHEW SMITH
The painting above by Matthew Smith was painting in 1914. Entitled Lilies in a Jar was one of my favourites from the whole day, and he was encouraged by Henri Matisse to ‘paint in a more intense and liberated way’ which makes this still life anything but still - and I’d happily have this one at home.
BALCONY VIEW, IPING CHURCH - 1943 - IVON HITCHENS
The painting above by Ivon Hitchens was painted at the height of the Second World War and after his London home was bombed during the Blitz in 1940. He moved to West Sussex where he painted this view looking towards the church from the balcony of a house. I think this is one you could easily have in your own home, and one that you could spend time looking at, and looking at some more.
ADAM AND EVE, 1326 - LUCAS CRANACH THE ELDER
Another image which may be familiar, and most certainly the subject matter is - but also one that I wouldn’t have been able to name the artist of.
We moved onto the ceramics section and here it was the lustred ceramics that caught my eye. The lustred ceramics would have been a must-have luxury item in the fashionable Renaissance homes, and it’s easy to see why. Lustre is made when a glazed and fired ceramic is painted with metal oxide pigments and fired again at a low temperature with restricted air supply, and results in a metallic film that shimmers in candlelight.
Outside in the December early evening we were now heading off to complete our other plans, but not without stopping and admiring this new-to-us rainbow snake of seating in a part of the Strand which is now pedestrianised, and which I’m sure on warmer days will be much used by both visitors and people working in the area alike.
We enjoyed our visit to the Courtauld Gallery, so if you’re in London and looking for something to do then definitely put this one on your list, and soak up some culture new and old while you’re there. There’s nearly always something going on at Somerset House too - when we visited the Festive ice rink was in full swing, but in the summer it’s also a great place to sit and people watch, it’s just one of those places that is constantly changing and is better for that.
I’m hoping that next time we’re in the area, it’s much warmer so I can try out at least one of the colourful seats!