In All Their Glory

Saints Genevieve and Appollonia and Saints Christina and Ottilia by Lucas Cranach the Elder at the National Gallery

11 pics. Paintings on this blog have been enhanced a little to compensate for lighting/age, but not so much that a visitor to the venue would be disappointed by the original.  However, the camera can show what time has hidden.  In turn, that shows why some of these works began with such renown.  A renown that they carried forward into the present, even as they lost their original appearance.

Here is an attempt to show each of these pictures at their best.  Mostly by extraction of detail from darkened areas together with a little colour enhancement.

To view the detail, please click on an image and then again to magnify.

Elizabeth I by Steven van Herwijck at the Tate Britain

This one particularly caught my eye because the artist had managed to capture the texture and shading of a velvet dress.  We take for granted that such can be shown in a photograph, but to do so with paint is a marvelous achievement.

The Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord William Turner at the National Gallery

Turner’s work is more evocative than detailed, but it does capture one’s senses.

Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba by Claude at the National Gallery

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The Decline of  Carthage by Turner at the Tate Britain

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Market Scene by Night by Petrus van Schendel at the Queen’s Gallery

I chose this one because the candle flare, the glow on the faces and shadowy figures in the background all add to a sense of being there.

A Village Revel by Jan Steen at the Queen’s Gallery

Every face has an expression that could tell a tale.  Especially ‘im with the cheeky grin at the bottom.

The Horses of Achilles in the style of Anthony van Dyke at the National Gallery

A mythical horse followed by a mythical lady.  Both may attune to our extra senses.

The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse at the Tate Britain

The Lady of Shalott has been brought out just enough to see the depth of paint used for the texture of the background trees.  Perhaps what is so striking about this work is how Waterhouse used variations of colour intensity to draw one’s eye to the central scene then more to the lady and then yet more to her face.  A face and expression which well suits the story in the poem ⇒ .

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Carnival Masks at the Winter Wonderland Hyde Park

The designer of these will probably never know such acclaim as those above.  But I think, in good company with all those who care about their work and try to create something for the enjoyment of others.

Thanks for the visit and I hope you found it pleasing to your eye.

More artwork (all free to visit) at the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Wallace Collection and Kenwood House. There is also the Queen’s Gallery which does charge for entry.