Fenton House, Porcelain, Instruments, Views, Hampstead
20 pics. Fenton House is not spectacular but it is very charming with a large collection of porcelain (including Meissen) together with several musical instruments and paintings. Its website is here (it isn’t open every day and there is a charge but there are occasional concerts) and some of its history here.
The above view of the gardens is from the third floor balcony and in the distance can be seen The Admirals House (where the origins of Mary Poppins was written) which has its own history here.
One can photograph everywhere except the harpsichord in the dining room (it belongs to the Queen) and the large framed pictures on the third floor.
Unfortunately there is no café but there several places for refreshment near the corner of Mount Square and Heath Street and along New End there is The Duke of Hamilton and The Buttery of Burgh House (they are all on Google Maps).
Not far away, just to the north of Hampstead Heath, is Kenwood House which is free to enter.
The Meissen.
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Another view from the third floor balcony showing the Shard of Glass in the distance.
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The Tate Modern Gallery
The Tate Modern (website) occupies a huge building on London’s South Bank amongst a cluster of other venues, including the Globe Theatre. It’s contents can be classified generally as modern art but does include some items of past political and ideological interest.
I was disappointed at the absence of poster, record cover and street art but there is a breadth of other items and probably something to suit most tastes. I’ve tried to include a broad mix of items that I like and those that I do not. Taste is a very personal choice and, I think, not a matter for value judgements (they thought so too and wouldn’t let me take my angle-grinder in 🙂 ).
The venue is free to enter and photography is permitted except in some of the exhibitions. Further up river is the Tate Britain with a mix of classical paintings and some modern art sculpture.
Tate Modern – Winnie Mandela
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For a closer view, click on the image and then again to magnify.
This is half of an installation in progress. The other half is the same but faces the other way with a platform in between and will be “A live art game for children and adults”.
Tate Modern – Salvador Dali – Autumnal Canibbalism
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Tate Modern – Pablo Picasso – Weeping Woman
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Tate Modern – Gerhard Richter
I did find that many of the larger works were better viewed at a distance and hence very effective when seen in the smaller scale of a photograph.
Tate Modern – Gerhard Richter
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Tate Modern – Lee Bul – Untitled (Cravings White)
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I’ve included this as an example of post-modern existentialist irony. That is, there is a sign outside the exhibition room that says “NO PHOTOGRAPHY” and me with no angle-grinder. Some people have no sense of humour.
Freed From Time 