Apsley House – The Wellington Museum
Apsley House (Wellington Museum) is one of the most ornate houses in London with a stunning collection of artwork. Unfortunately it is also one of the few places where photography is not allowed. Some photographs can be obtained from flickr or from the archives and are permitted for personal use. Their website is here ⇒. And the Wellington Collection is here ⇒ and fabulous house interiors here ⇒
Attributed to Elliot Brown on Flickr licensing at – Link ⇒
Attributed to Craig Morey on Flickr licensing at Link ⇒
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.
The Tate Britain Art Gallery
20 pics. The Tate Britain contains a wide range of artwork ranging from the classical to modern. It includes the Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse, which was inspired by the poem of Alfred Lord Tennyson (here ⇒) and worth reading. The Tate Britain’s Website ⇒
I’ve introduced a little enhancement to compensate for the loss of colour/detail over time, but not so much as to lose the sense of age. More advanced digital restoration of these pictures and a few more from other galleries can be found at In All Their Glory ⇒ .
There are several works by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood ⇒ which I particularly like for there vibrancy and detail which requires a patience born of dedication.
Edward Coley Burne-Jones
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Edward Coley Burne-Jones
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The Wedding of St George and Princess Sabra by Rossetti
And, more historical works.
Elizabeth I by Steven van Herwijck
There are more paintings of Elizabeth I, together with their subtle meanings, at Hatfield House.
The Tate includes an entire wing dedicated to Turner. Here are just a few.
Turner Self Portrait
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Palestrina – Composition by Turner
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The Decline of the Carthage by Turner
And, a good many items of classical appearance.
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George Bernard Shaw
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“What do you think of all this modern art then”. “Don’t ask me, I prefer heavy-metal, although I suppose Cranach the Elder wasn’t bad”.
“Some days one wonders if it’s worth getting out of bed”.
“Ow, my eye”.
“Last time I take you down the pub”.
Peace.
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And the dark shape just below is ~.
Thank you for coming and a drum roll for our next visit.
The Wallace Collection
20 pics. Some of the items from the extraordinary Wallace Collection. Displayed at Hertford House in the heart of London (see Google maps), the collection was bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace in 1897 and is free to enter. As well as the sample items below, the collection also includes an extensive armoury and a number of beautiful gold, silver and glass ornaments. And, here is the The Wallace Collection Website.
Among the paintings can be found two paintings by Titian, five Rembrandts, nine Rubenses, four Van Dycks, eight Canalettos, nineteen Bouchers, masterpieces by de Hooch, nine Teniers, Frans Hals, nine Murillos, two Velázquez and paintings by Domenichino, Cima, Daddi, Reni, Rosa, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, Antoine Watteau, Nicholas Lancret, Jan Steen, Aelbert Cuyp and nine Guardis. More information at the Wiki entry.
To view the amazing craftsmanship in more details, please click on an image and then again to magnify, Enjoy :-).
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The Laughing Cavalier by Frans Hals. Famous for his broad hat 😀 .
Rebecca and Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert by Léon Cogniet. A little enhanced to compensate for the fading effect of age.
At the siege of the castle of Torquilstone the beautiful Rebecca, daughter of Isaac the Jew, is abducted by the Norman Templar, Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert (he’s the one with the templar cross on his tunic). Ulrica, an old Saxon woman who had set fire to the castle, exalts in her vengeful fury at the top of the distant tower.
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The Witches in Macbeth by Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps.
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The Queens Gallery
The Queens Gallery can be found at the southern wall of Buckingham Palace (near Victoria Station) beside the Royal Mews and you can photograph in both. Nearby are the State Rooms, where photography is not allowed. There are also some very royal gift shops.
I’ve chosen paintings and sketch cartoons that show slices of life from the artist’s point of view. They have all been enhanced to compensate for the low lighting and the fading/darkening of paint over time. They show the patience and skill that was employed, which makes them a joy to see.
Paintings
Market Scene by Night by Petrus van Schendel
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Agatha Bas by Rembrandt van Rijn
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An Old Man and a Girl at a Vegetable and Fish Stall by Willem van Mierls
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A Village Revel by Jan Steen
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The Embarkation at Margate of the Elector Palatine and Princess Elizabeth by Adam Willaerts
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Interior of Tavern with Card Players and a Violin Player by Jan Steen
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Ornamental
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Cartoons
18th century Britain was quite frank in its depictions of society and the notable. Sometimes irreverent and quite often bawdy. The first is a satire of the Duchess of Devonshire trying to assist her lover, Charles James Fox, to obtain a seat in Parliament. Fox succeeded in being elected but the Duchess never regained her reputation.
The Devonshire, or Most Approved Method of Securing Votes
Dressing for a Masquerade
The Unwelcome Visitor
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A New Cock Wanted or Work for the Plumber
More Ornaments
To restore some dignity, a picture of bathing implements for the royal corgis. 🙂
The National Gallery – London – UK
The Horses of Achilles in the style of Anthony van Dyke
The National Gallery (London UK) is adjacent to Trafalgar Square ⇐, St Martin in the Field ⇐ and the National Portrait Gallery ⇐. Entrance is free and you may photograph (no flash or tripod). You can also download images but with very limited use. The website is here ⇒.
Paintings like these provide an insight into past life, attitudes, stories and legends. Many show the enormous skill of the artists. All have been brightened a little to compensate for the low lighting and fading/darkening of paint. You might also like a selection of digitally enhanced versions that try to show their original vibrancy here ⇐.
The National Gallery Entrance (London)
The Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord William Turner
The Virgin and Child with Saints by Lorenzo Costa and Gianfrancesco Maineri
Saints Christina and Ottilia by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Saints Genevieve and Appollonia by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Adriana van Heusden and her Daughter at the New Fish Market in Amsterdam by Emanuel de Witte
Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba by Claude
Dutch Vessels Close Inshore at Low Tide and Men Bathing by Wilem van de Velde
Infant St John with the Lamb by Bartoleme Esteban Murillo
London Interior of the Rotunda at Raneleigh by Canaletto
Phillip th IV Hunting Wild Boar by Diego Valazquez
Eaton College
National Gallery Portico – London
The National Portrait Gallery, London
The National Portrait Gallery is, to me, the best of the London Galleries. Here you can see some excellent portraiture of those who influenced the world we live in. There are many more paintings, here I have shown mostly the more contemporary.
The Portrait gallery is right behind The National Gallery, very close to Trafalgar Square and St Martin in the Field and not far from St James Park and Westminster. The nearest underground rail station is Charing Cross.
The brief factual comments are mostly extracts from Wikipedia and more information is available by clicking on the pink links.
David Lloyd George, laid the foundation for the modern welfare state, served as Prime Minister during WWI and was the last Liberal Party Prime Minister.
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Amy Johnson, was a pioneering English aviator and was the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia.
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Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the British Suffragette movement.
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Sir Winston Churchill, needs no introduction.
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Dame Anna Neagle, a very popular British stage and screen actress.
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Beatrix Potter, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist best known for her children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
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Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
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Dame Margot Fonteyn, widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time.
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Dame Monica Mason, a former ballet dancer and artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London from 2002 to 2012.
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Dorothy L. Sayers, a renowned English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and Christian humanist.
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Dylan Thomas, a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems “Do not go gentle into that good night”, “And death shall have no dominion” and the “Play for Voices”, Under Milk Wood. He also encouraged a reputation as a “roistering, drunken and doomed poet”.
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Edward William Lane, a British Orientalist, translator and lexicographer. He is known for his translation of One Thousand and One Nights, which he censored, with the usual 19th-century view on “Victorian morality”.
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Sir Henry Irving, a Victorian actor/manager and the first actor to be awarded a knighthood.
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Henry James, an American writer who spent most of his writing career in Britain.
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James Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century. Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922).
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Laurie Lee, an English poet, novelist and screenwriter. His most famous work was an autobiographical trilogy which consisted of Cider with Rosie (1959), As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991).
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Elizabeth I More of her paintings/history can be found in the post Hatfield House and Elizabeth I.
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Lady Hamilton and Admiral Lord Nelson. A scandalous affair. Just goes to show that if one is a hero, one can get away with anything.
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The Trial of Queen Caroline. In fact a parliamentary debate designed to grant King George IV a divorce.
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Reformed House of Commons. Following the Representation of the People Act 1832 .
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Sir Earnest Shackleton. Amongst his many exploits Shackleton safely brought back his entire expedition after their ship was crushed by Antarctic ice. It took three years.
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Sir Tim Berners-Lee, an English computer scientist, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web.
I think he probably did more to change the world than anybody else.
Osterley Park House
Osterley Park House was entirely redesigned by architect Robert Adam over a period of twenty years beginning in 1761 on behalf of the Childs family. Although the the house is not entirely full of artifacts, it is one of the most sumptuous that I have visited. The gardens can be found here and the flowers here. Admission times, prices and further information can be found here.
Unfortunately the upstairs rooms were closed during my visit, but here are the downstairs rooms. The lighting was little dull in places, so it has been raised a little.
Kenwood House – Interiors
Kenwood House is free to enter and photography is allowed. It houses a massive art collection bequeathed by Lord Iveagh (Vermeer, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Larkin and Boucher) and sits amongst an ornamental garden with parklands and is adjacent to Hampstead Heath. There is also a shop and the cafe, Gardens ( here ) and Flowers ( here ) are a delight .
It does get quite busy with tours and school trips. Nevertheless it has a calm ambiance with friendly staff and an occasional school party sitting on the floor quietly mesmerized by a story teller. You might wish to click on The Website.
The easiest route is to Archway underground station and then the 210 bus from stand E to the next stand E by Compton Rd.
The Rooms
The Ceilings
Foyer
Library
The Paintings
Rembrandt – self portrait with two circles
It seems that selfies are nothing new to the world.
Man Offering Grapes to a Girl – Francois Boucher
Lady Isabella Rich – Attr William Larkin
Diana Cecil – Countess of Oxford – attr William Larkin
The Cherry Gatherers – Francois Boucher
Dido Elizabeth Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray by Johann Zoffany
Some Trinkets
Elegant Danson House and Park
20 pics – Danson House and park are near Bexley Heath just a few miles east of London. The park includes a boating lake with rowing boats for hire, a water-sports center, the Danson Stables public house/restaurant, a very well equipped children’s play area and the elegant interiors of Danson House where photography is allowed.
The house includes very pleasant tea rooms, a spiral staircase, three very ornate rooms on the first floor and an exhibition on the second floor. During my visit the exhibition was of beds.
The house was originally built in 1766 and the paintings are from that period. Refurbished and opened by the present queen in 2005.
Unfortunately the opening times are limited. Please see the Danson House website. Very near is Hall Place with extensive grounds and is also worth a visit.
Danson House
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In the Cellar
On the second floor.
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Olde English Garden
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Part of the Park and Boating Lake
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Freed From Time 