The National Gallery In London Is A Must For Art Lovers

By Author: Kevin Leon
Total Articles: 3
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Upon arriving in London, the first port of call for most art lovers is going to the be National Gallery, which is always hosting a number of significant exhibitions - with upcoming displays including one exploring the work of Joseph Mallord William Turner and Titian.

The Turner Inspired In the Light of Claude exhibition is running from March 14th until June 5th, and is set to explore how relevant the work of 17th century painter Claude is to the artist’s work. According to the exhibition, while Turner pioneered a whole new style of art at the beginning of the 19th century, a “lasting dialogue” with Claude was instrumental to his work. It offers the chance to closely compare related works by the two painters, and look at the extent to which Turner’s mastery of light and landscape was inspired by the other artist.

The exhibition includes oils, watercolours and sketchbooks, while the final room of the display details Turner’s strong relationship with the gallery itself. On his death, he bequeathed the National Gallery two paintings - Did Building Carthage and Sun Rising Through Vapour. The one condition ...
... of this gift was that the pieces were hung between two pictures by Claude - the Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba and Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca - better known as The Mill.

Another exhibition soon to be taking place at the gallery is Titian’s First Masterpiece, which is running from April 4th to August 19th. Titian enjoyed a wildly successful career, with many kings and dukes bestowing their patronage upon him, and he is still thought of as one of the greatest artists of all time.

His first painting - The Flight into Egypt - allowed the painter to show off his impressive skills of portraying landscapes. He uses bold brushwork and breath taking colour - traits that are very indicative of his later works. After years of expert restoration the painting is finally ready to go on display, and this exhibition will be the first time it has been seen outside Russia since 1768, when Empress Catherine the Great purchased it in Venice.

Alongside Titian’s masterpiece will sit contemporary Venetian works to demonstrate how the artist adapted ideas from other painters’ work to create his sophisticated composition.

Alternatively, the Inside Art exhibition explores creative responses to the collection made by a group of young offenders who took part in a practical art challenge. During 2011, National Gallery Education put on the third annual series of four week-long practical art projects at HM Young Offenders Institution Feltham, which is a juvenile prison and Young Offenders Institution containing men aged between 15 and 21. This fascinating display features the works created by 37 young men who participated in these projects. The workshops focused on practical techniques including drawing, printmaking, painting and portrait sculpture, looking at a variety of engaging themes such as portraiture, still-life, abstraction and representing the world.

An art lover’s visit to London would not be complete, however, without a visit to the Tate Britain - which is currently showing the intriguing Picasso and Modern British Art exhibition - running until July 15th. The major exhibition considers the extensive legacy of the artistic great, and how his work played a role in the acceptance of modern British art. It also looks at how his work influenced British art, as well as the artist’s lifelong connections to and affection for this country.

The Tate Britain is another stop on any culture vulture’s tour of artistic London attractions, and if they visit before May 27th, they will be lucky enough to catch the Alighiero Boetti exhibition. The influential Italian artist was one of the key members of the Arte Povera - a group of young Italian artists in the late 1960s, who made an impact on the art world by creating pieces out of simple materials.