|
Things to do in London
-
National Gallery
The National Gallery of London,
England was started in 1824, and contains one of the richest
collections of paintings that date from the 13th century to the
beginning of the 20th century. The 2300 oils are housed in the
gallery on Trafalgar Square, and the collection is
non-governmentally owned, meaning it belongs to the citizens of
the city, and admission is free. It is quite different from
other notable galleries like the Louvre or the Museo del Prado
in Madrid, in that it was formed by nationalizing any particular
collection, but came about when the British government purchased
36 paintings that were owned by the banker John Julius
Angerstein in 1824. Once that purchase was made, the gallery
evolved due to the diligence and attention of their directors,
most notably Sir Charles Lock Eastlake; as well as private
donations. These donations comprise of two thirds of the
collection, and hence, the small size compared to the above
mentioned galleries and those around the world. It is, however,
encyclopedic in its range, containing exquisite examples of
developments made in the western cultural paintings; from Giotto
to Cezanne, with the majority containing major works. It was one
of the few galleries that had their entire collection on
display, but that has changed with the continued donations that
have increased its size. This building is the third one to house
the gallery, and it was designed by William Wilkins in
1832-1838. The facade that faces the square is the only part of
the structure that hasn't been changed, since it has been
enlarged through the decades by small parts. It has always been
criticized for its aesthetic flaws, and apparent lack of
expansion space; but the space problem has been addressed by the
emergence of the Tate Gallery in 1897. The Sainsbury Wing, is an
extension to the west side by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott
Brown, and is a marvelous example of postmodernist architecture
in the nation. During the 18th century, many of the
European mainland countries were nationalizing their collections
obtained by various monarchs, and growing into wonderful
galleries. But not the British, who had many opportunities to
purchase various collections that were declined on and went to
other galleries. These included; the Sir Robert Walpole
collection in 1777, which ended up in St. Petersburg, bought by
Catherine the Great; 150 paintings in the Orleans collection,
which came to London for sale, by Pitt the Younger, in 1798 went
elsewhere, although over the years, the National Gallery has
acquired 25 of these. The next year, 1799, the gallery was
offered a collection that had been put together for the King of
Poland, but had been brought to London since the country of
Poland was no longer independent. The collection ended up in the
Dulwich Picture Gallery, since it was owned by Sir Francis
Bourgeois and a partner. Bourgeois gave the collection to his
alma mater, Dulwich College, when he passed on. Again, in 1814,
Scottish dealer William Buchanan and Joseph Count Truchsess
created collections for the express purpose of having them added
to the national gallery, but they were also declined. The
history of the gallery, details that are both interesting and
inspiring, are available on the internet, and makes for some
valuable reading, especially if you headed to the British Isles
for any length of time. The works are spectacular, and well
worth the visit, but since the galleries have been arranged in
such a way, it would behoove you to check to see if the artist
or painting that enthralls you is in fact at the gallery you
wish to visit. To see these beautiful masterpieces in real,
eyeball to canvas is an exciting moment, one that you will never
forget.
-
Imperial War Museum
The Imperial War Museum is a
national museum with branches in five locations, three of which
are located in London, England. The museum started in 1917,
during the latter days of the First World War, and was supposed
to be a record of the war effort and the sacrifice of Great
Britain's people and those in her empire. Today, the mission has
changed to include the enabling of people, from all over the
world, to have a better understanding of the turmoil's of modern
warfare and the impact that it has on people and their
societies. The museum was started while it was located in the
Crystal Palace at Sydenham Hill, opening to the public in 1920,
and 4 years later, moving to the Imperial Institute in South
Kensington. It finally found a home in 1936, in the former
Bethlem Royal Hospital in Southwark, although the advent of the
second World War, helped it grown in size and reference
materials, then declining after the war. Most likely, because so
many people in the world had had enough of warfare and all that
was involved in it. In the 1960s, the museum was able to
renovate the building at Southwark, which has become the
Imperial War Museum London, and is now the corporate
headquarters. During the 1970s, the museum was growing so
quickly that it needed more space, so in 1976, there was a
historic airfield in Cambridgeshire that became the Imperial War
Museum Duxford. The Royal Navy donated the HMS Belfast in 1978,
which also became a part of the museum; and in 1984, the Cabinet
War Rooms was opened which had been the underground wartime
command center for the cabinet. The museum continued to grow,
and in the 1980s, a multi-million pound renovation began on the
building, which were finished in 2000. In 2002, a fifth branch
opened in Trafford, Greater Manchester, which was the first
museum in the northern part of England, and that became the
Imperial War Museum North.
-
Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection in
London, England is actually a museum that contains world famous
antiquities that range from fine and decorative arts of the 15th
century to the 19th century and a huge amount of French 18th
century furniture, arms & armour, porcelain, paintings and Old
Master paintings that have been put into 25 various galleries in
the building. The museum was started in 1897, using the personal
collection of Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford,
who upon his death in 1870, left his entire estate, including
the beautiful mansion and collection to his illegitimate son,
Sir Richard Wallace, who in turn passed on in 1890, and his
widow left the collection to the country. It opened to the
public in 1900, in Hertford House, Manchester Square, and is
still there to this day. One of the conditions of the bequest
was that no piece should ever leave the grounds, even for a loan
display. Admission is free and the collection and house belong
to the people of Great Britain. The mansion is a magnificent
piece of architecture and the collection has been arranged so
that it is well matched within the house. The collection
contains some 5500 pieces and has become well known for its
Sevres porcelain, French furniture and 18th century French
paintings that include some of the finest and most expansive
paintings in the world. Some of the superb paintings that are
included in it are; 4 Rembrandts, 4 Van Dycks, 2 Titians, 3
Rubenses, 19 Bouchers, 22 Canalettos, 2 Velazquezes, 9 Murillos,
9 Teniers, and masterpieces by de Hooch, Nicholas Lancret,
Domenichino, Joshua Reynolds, Antoine Watteau, Thomas
Gainsborough, Cima, Rosa, Reni, Aelbert Cuyp, Jan Steen and 9
Guardis. This massive collection also includes an excellent
collection of arms and armour, sculpture, glass, bronzes, gold
boxes, mailoica and Limoges enamels. Broken down in their
respective collections, there are; goldsmiths' work 120 pieces,
furniture 528 pieces, medieval and Renaissance works of art 363
pieces, paintings, drawings and watercolors 775 pieces, ceramics
510 pieces, European and oriental arms and armour 2,370 pieces,
miniatures 334 pieces and 466 sculptures.
|
