National Gallery Thoughts

National gallery notes

whilst I really really loved the Flemish pieces I’m not 100% that they would match well with my art style - so could potentially look more at the ideas the pieces represent
Honestly the first thought I had when looking at the Vermeer pieces was about how each piece looks extremely still and peaceful - I think that this sense of complete quiet is probably a lot harder to find in the 21st C. I could centre a piece around this idea
Found a lot of the other pieces in the collection really interesting - e.g: Velasquez’ Mary having a really intriguing backdrop (a lot of pieces have small temples and angels in the background that make for really interesting paintings)
- Agony in the Garden = a key piece to work from. The proportions are really exaggerated. And then the bright pink and blue colours set in a desert almost makes me think of like a 50s stylised American image. I love that everything feels really heightened to dramatise the idea of the people suffering / dying. This is definitely something I could work on in my future piece.
- Religious imagery is so lush and interesting - humans have put so much of their suffering and key messages and hopes and dreams into religious stories. Religion is the manifestation of the human fear of death and wish for something greater - I HAVE to use religious imagery!!!!

National gallery + Wallace Collection visit