The city of Pasadena, east of Los Angeles is blessed with three world class art museums, and I journeyed here to visit all of them!
The USC Pacific Asian Art Museum in Pasadena
The USC Pacific is in what I think is known as the old town of Pasadena. The collection is housed in a revivalist Chinese style building which is a fantastic backdrop to the collection.
The highlight were the buddhas and bodhisattvas. A beautiful collection, from all over Asia. They also have some of the 19th century Mount Fuji series of pictures by the Japanese’s artist Hiroshige.
The gallery is not huge, I would say 90 minutes would allow you to see everything. There is a beautiful courtyard in the middle, and the cafe sells nice objects, lots of Asian gifts.
I visited on a Thursday and it was pay-as-you-like.
Fuji seen across Edo from the Ryoguku Bridge 19th Century, HiroshigeClose up of Japanese buddhaAmitabha buddha, Japan, 1185 to 1333A bodhisattva from TibetHead of a bodhisattva from TibetAmoghasiddhi buddha, Tibet, 13th centuryEnthroned buddha, Thailand, mid 19th centuryEmbracing bodhisattvas
The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena
This impressive gallery has 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th & 20th century western art, as well a superb South East Asian art collection, occupying the entire ground floor.
It costs 20 dollars to enter and it is well worth it. Impressive modern building with great natural light and exhibition spaces. There are 5 galleries, one for each century and the 5th is the SE Asian gallery.
The 19th and 20th century collections are my favourite. They have some wonderful Cezannes and Van Goghs. The SE Asian floor is amazing, I have rarely seen so many excellent buddhas and bodhisattvas, from countries including Japan, Thailand, Tibet and India. There were few people in this gallery so I felt I had the place to myself!
There is a lovely little outdoor cafe with tables overlooking the central garden. The garden is full of sculptures too, including lots by Henry Moore and some very old Asian statues in a separate garden area connected to the Asian gallery. Parking is easy and free.
All in all this a 5* world class gallery. In my guide to California it does not even get a mention! Outrageous!
Gardens of the Norton Simon Museum in PasadenaThree paintings in the Norton Simon collection, from left to right Cezanne, Van Gogh, CezannePortrait of a peasant, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888 Brittany landscape by Emile Barnard, 1888Farmhouse and chestnut trees, Cezanne, 1884Vase of flowers, Cezanne, 1880Tulips in a vase, Cezanne, 1888In a villa by the seaside, Berthe Morisot, 1874Woman with a book, Picasso, 1932Vishnu, West Bengal, 1100ADVishnu, Uttar Pradesh, India, 1100ADParvati & Shiva, Tamil Nadu, India, 1000ADShiva, Tamil Nadu, India, 1150ADThree carved bodhisatvas, including Ganensha
The Huntington Gallery, Library and Gardens
What an amazing place to end my trip to Pasadena. A glorious combination of art and nature.
It costs about ¢29 to enter but it is worth. It is located actually in the small town of San Marino, so technically not Pasadena. There are two separate buildings for both American and European art.
The European gallery
The star of the European gallery is ‘The Blue Boy’ by Thomas Gainsborough.
I have never seen this painting before and it really does live up to the hype, a very striking portrait. The European gallery also has some lovely early religious paintings from the 1400s. It also has many paintings by Antony Van Dyke, Constable and Turner.
View of The Stour at Dedham, by Constable, 1822The Grand Canal, JMW Turner, 1836The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough, 1770Three panels from an alterpiece, 1470sDetail from ‘Saint Ausanns’, 1470sVase of flower with lemon, Duncan Grant, 1913
The American gallery
I really enjoyed the American gallery too. There was a great John Singer Sargent, and paintings by Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase and many other artists I have not heard of.
The Inner Studio, Tenth Street, by William Merritt Chase, 1882Woman seated in a garden, by Frederick Carl Frieseke (left), ‘Apple Orchard’ by Luther Emerson Van Gorder (top), ‘Nettie reading’, Theodore Robinson (bottom)Mrs William Playfair by John Singer Sargent, 1887Portrait of Arabella Huntingdon, by Oswald Birley‘Aster, Mullein, Bugloss, Bergamot’, by Dawson Dawson-Watson, 1903
The gardens
There are various gardens to look round including a Chinese, Japanese sub-tropical, desert and Australian garden. The grounds are huge! My favourite was the Japanese garden, so well laid out with a large bonsai collection.
Japanese garden at The Huntingdon Japanese garden at The Huntingdon Japanese garden at The Huntingdon BonsaiBonsaiCherry blossoms
The library
If that wasn’t enough, there is also a large library with some stunning books! This Huntingdon family sure had some cash to spend!
The highlights of the collections are:
Shakespeare’s First Folio
The Gutenberg Bible
Principa by Isaac Newton
Birds of America by James Audobon
This last book I think is the most expensive book ever sold, fetching prices over ¢8m!
‘Principa’ by Isaac Newton, 1687Shakespeare’s first folio, 1623The Gutenberg Bible, 1450‘Birds of America, by James Audubon, 1827
I am visiting Liverpool for a few days, primarily to see the art galleries. The city is blessed with some world class galleries, and some great public art too.
‘Another Place’ by Antony Gormley
Antony Gormley is a world renowned sculptor. He has placed 100 cast iron figure on a beach in Crosby, about twenty minutes north of the centre of Liverpool. It is easy to get there by train, just go to Blundellsands and Crosby station.
The installation is very atmospheric. All the figures stand looking out to sea, and all seem to be slightly different. Some are covered in moss and algae. Some are rusted. A collective experience made of representations of the individuals. All are apparently modelled on the artist’s own body.
The artworks have been on the beach since 2005 and it makes an amazing addition to the coastline. Well worth a visit.
This gallery was founded back in the early 20th century to display the huge art collection (over 20,000 pieces) of William Lever. He was a rich British businessman who founded Sunlight soap and also built the village of Port Sunlight. The village was a model village, built to house his factory workers. As well as visiting the gallery, it is well worth looking around the village.
The gallery is a mixture, of Chinese ceramics, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, as well as some 28th century British art and some 20th centric paintings too. It is free to get in and is easy to reach by train. Either go from Liverpool to Bebington or Port Sunlight stations. I visited a number of places by train, for the bargain price of £5.95 for an all day ticket!
The gallery is run by a very friendly group of people. There is a nice shop and cafe in the basement too.
Lady Lever Gallery, Port Sunlight‘On his holidays, Norway’, John Singer Sargent, 1901‘The favourite poet’, Lawrence Alma Tadema, 1888‘Fatidica’, Frederic Leighton, 1894Figure of Guanine, Liu Zhen, China, 1484‘St Michael and the dragon’, Spanish School, 1515Group of paintings hung at the Lady Lever Gallery
Art and advertising
Lever was the first business person to understand the power of art in advertising. He could never use the images he wanted to advertise his products, because he did not own them. So he bought them.
This example below shows the original painting he owned on the left, and how he used it to advertise soap on the right. He was also an advocate of getting art to the masses, so it was also a way of introducing people to art. He was keen to put his collection on display, so his workers and the wider public could see it.
The Walker Gallery
The Walker is a large publicly owned art gallery in Liverpool, free to enter, with a world class collection. The artworks are mainly British, with some fantastic 19th and 20th century paintings, and some great medieval and Renaissance paintings too. The gallery is spread over two floors and often has paid exhibitions. There are two upcoming, starting in three days time! One I would have loved to have seen on Walter Sickert, oh well, next time!
The gallery has a small cafe and small gift shop. The World Museum is next door and has a larger and better cafe and shop. It is located 5 minutes from Lime Street station.
British art 1880 to 1950
This gallery was by far my favourite. Some amazing examples of British art at its best here….
‘Two Jamaican Girls’ by Augustus John, 1937‘Mrs Mounter’, Harold Glimmer, 1916‘Peter getting out of Nick’s pool’, David Hockney, 1966‘Landscape of the moon’s last phase’, Paul Nash, 1944Two paintings by LS Lowry
Pre Raphaelite paintings
‘Dante’s dream’, Dante Rossetti, 1870‘Helen of Troy’, Frederick Sands, 1867‘Love’s baubles’ by John Byam Shaw (1899) and ‘Echo and Narcissus’ by JW Waterhouse (1903)
Modern European art
The Walker has some great European modern art. One of my favourite artists is featured, Maurice de Vlanmick, and a fascinating Italian surrealist paintings called ‘The punishment of lust’.
‘Environs of Rouen’, Maurice de Vlaminck, 1910‘The punishment of lust’, Giovanni Segantini, 1891
World Museum
The World Museum forms part of an impressive collection of museums and galleries in Liverpool. Like the Walker, it is free to enter. The museum is a collection of anthropology, natural history and art. The area that interested me the most were the world culture galleries, especially the Asian galleries, with some great examples of ancient bodhisattvas.
Ancient Tibetan bodhisattvas Japanese bodhisattvas
I am only in Belgium for two days so am just seeing two galleries. I have visited Brussels a number of times and have visited most of the main galleries there. I have never been to Lieges and came here mainly to see La Boverie.
La Boverie, Liege
La Boverie is a fine arts gallery in La Boverie Park. In is the site of the 1905 World Expo, and has a lovely location on a small island on the Meuse river. It is not a huge gallery, but it does have some quality pieces. It was only 5 Euros to enter. As with lots of lesser known galleries, it was pretty quiet so I had some of the rooms almost to myself. Which I love!
People always head for the big hitter galleries, but I find the regional galleries often have some equally amazing artworks, it’s easier and cheaper to see them and much quieter too, win, win, win.
Belgian impressionism and neo impressionism
The gallery has range of artworks, but by far the most impressive is the impressionist and neo impressionist pieces. They have a couple of wonderful paintings by one of my favourite artists, the Belgian artist Théo van Rysselberghe. They also have some wonderful works by the Belgian artist Emile Claus, an artist I previously had not heard of. They also have some nice works by Rene Magritte, another Belgian artist. Here are my highlights from the gallery.
Théo van Rysselberghe
Les soeurs des peintre Schlobach, Theo Van Rysselberghe, 1884Le dame en blanc, Theo Van Rysselberghe, 1904Pin a la rosette, Theo Van Rysselberghe, 1919
Emile Claus
La Chatalgnler, Emile Claus, 1906Le view jardinière, Emile Claus, 1886
Signac, Magritte, Stevens, De Smet, Nicholson and McEwan
The Art & History Museum, Brussels
This museum is located in a huge building in the Jubelpark, Brussels. The collection is more history than art, I had expected paintings but alas no. I would say it is more an ethnographic collection of world objects that an art gallery.
The museum is split into geographical regions, think Africa, Indonesia, native America etc. And it is huge. massive. You could never see it all properly in a day. Good value at 10 Euros. The collection I enjoyed the most was unsurprisingly the asian art, specifically India, Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia. They have some super bodhisattvas. However I did rush through this museum somewhat, which is unlike me. particularly because it was very bereft of people. I think I have hit museum and gallery tipping point amazingly!
I was also thinking why I am drawn to certain art, such as bodhisattvas, but have little interest in ceramics and silverware. I think I just have no interest in utilitarian pieces, I cannot see the beauty in them. Whereas devotional objects such as bodhisattvas I instantly see the beauty in them.
One of the failings of this gallery is that there is not a single object label in English. Not one. Just Dutch and French. Which surprises me as this is clearly a collection of international importance and must attract lots of international visitors. I also thought the lighting was pretty poor at times, lots of objects are in glass cases and are hard to see properly and photograph. Therefore some of my photos do not have descriptions. Anyway here are my highlights of the museum (all asian artworks!).
12th century Chinese bodhisattva
12th century bodhisattva from Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Cologne is a medieval city in the west of Germany. It has three art galleries all of which I am visiting on my trip to Germany.
Cologne cathedral
Wallraf Richartz Gallery
This gallery is in the centre of Cologne, costs 8 Euros to enter and is well worth it. The collection has three distinct areas of the permanent collection:
19th and 20th century art
Baroque art
Medieval art
Paul Signac
Signac was a leading exponent of Neo-impressionism and worked in a style called pointillism, using dots of bright colour. This gallery has a wide collection of his work. I find his work so beautiful, bright and uplifting.
Four paintings by Paul Signac
German Impressionism
It took 20 years for the impressionism whirlwind to arrive in Germany. I don’t know much about this movement but I am very impressed, particularly by the work of an artist called Gustave Caillebotte. It seems like his work was largely forgotten for many years, but this gallery has on display many of his works, restoring his place amongst some of the greats of impressionism.
Hill at Colombes, Gustave Caillebotte, 1884The Yellow Fields at Gennevilliers, Gustave Caillebotte, 1884
Laundry drying on the banks of the Seine, Gustave Caillebotte, 1892
French Impressionism
The gallery also has some great examples from two of my favourite French impressionists, Alfred Sisley and Maurice de Vlaminck. Maurice de Vlaminck is such a wonderful artist, I love his work so much! There is also a fabulous Rodin statue and a great Cezanne.
Outskirts of Louvecinnes, Alfred SisleyThe Bridge at Chatou, Maurice de Vlaminck, 1909The Iron Age, Auguste Rodin, 1876Landscape in the west of Aix-en-Provence, Paul Cezanne, 1878
Medieval art
The gallery has an entire floor dedicated to medieval art, most from the 13th to 14th century. It always blows my mind how these artworks have survived, and how the colours are still so vibrant. Here are some of my highlights.
The Schnutgen Museum
The Schnutgen Museum in Cologne houses a fabulous collection of medieval and Christian art. Its main collection is housed in a beautiful old basilica of a church, one of the most unique settings for a museum I have ever seen. The name comes from the man who started the collection, donating it all to the city of Cologne. The entry fee is 7 Euros but for an extra 3, you can also visit the adjoining ethnological museum, the Rautenstrauch Josef Museum. I visited both. It is slightly hidden away, you would not stumble upon it, it was very quiet which I liked, but maybe they need to advertise more. As it was fantastic!!
The Schnutgen Museum
Death
Medieval life had an obsession with death. They feared it, had many theories about what it meant, and represented it often in their art. There are some fascinating pieces in the collection.
Christian statues and carvings
The gallery has a wonderful array of medieval artworks, mostly in the form of carving. Some are quite strange, for example the carving of St Denis holding the top half of his own head! All are exquisitly carved, the detail of the drape of a cloak or the curl of hair is so amazing, considering how old these pieces are.
Detail from a shrine showing teens from the passion of Christ, 1530, made from oakDetail from the adoration of the magi, 1480, made from oakReliquary bust, 1340, CologneAngel, 1530, made from lime
As well as carvings, there are many other paintings and objects. Two of my favourites were a 6th century oil lamp and a 12th century gilded altar panel.
Antependium from St Ursula, 12th century, oak, enamel and giltOil lamp in the shape of a cock, 6th century, cast bronze
The Rautenstrauch Josef Museum
I spent less time here, but as was 10 Euros to see both I thought I would take a look. It’s an incredible modern gallery space and the objects, collected in the 19th century from all over the globe, are presented impeccably. The main objects I was interested in were the buddhist artefacts, as this is something I collect.
Avatamsaka sutra, China, 1736Two standing buddha figuresBuddha, bronze, Thailand, 1500Buddha head, Thailand, 14th century, sandstone Bronze standing bodhisattva, 15th century
The Museum of East Asian Art
I was so excited to visit this gallery! I love Japanese, Indian, Thai, Chinese etc buddhist arts, especially buddha heads and bodhisattvas. It was 10 Euros entry, and is set in a single storey white, minimalist building next to a lake. It should have been everything I like in a gallery. BUT it was not 😦
I was so disappointed. The art in it is all fine, but just almost nothing I like. They had a couple of bodhisattvas, and that was it. I had hoped for more. Very frustrating. As a gallery it is a nice space, just not for me. Here are the three objects I liked. I feel sad just writing that sentence.
Bodhisattva, China, 17th centuryThe favourite disciple of the buddha, China, 1628Japanese mythical figure
There are many art galleries in this western part of Germany. I decided to visit two of them, some are closed for refurbishment so my choice was somewhat limited.
The Folkwang Gallery in Essen
I travelled to Essen from Dusseldorf, which is about 30 minutes on the train, to visit the Folkwang Gallery. I think the name means gallery of the people.
It’s housed in a very modern gallery space, think white walls, high ceilings and bespoke lighting. A sign said it was sometimes seen as the most beautiful gallery in the world. Can’t say I agree but it is a nice space.
It is also free to enter which seems unusual but welcome in this part of Europe.
The collection has recently been rehung by theme. A common trend I see in galleries. I don’t think it always works. Placing a 15th century bodhisattva next to a 1940s abstract painting seems a little odd to me. But I guess they are trying to ask viewers to see art in a different way. I prefer art to be displayed chronically or by artistic movement.
Bodhisattvas
An ancient bodhisattva always sets my soul alight! I collect them myself and I always love to see ancient examples, these are from the 16th and 17th centuries. They are so beautiful and serene close up.
Vincent Van Gogh
The collection has a few lovely Van Goghs, always a highlight. Also the Van Goghs were lit amazingly well, the lighting made the paintings sparkle, the colours seemed so vibrant, so clever, loved it!
A corner of the Asylum and the garden with a heavy sawed off tree, Van Gogh, 1889 The wheat field behind Saint Paul’s Hospital with a reaper, Van Gogh, 1889
Early 20th century painting
The gallery has many impressive early 20th century paintings in their collection, here are some of my highlights.
Weisshorn as seen from Montana, Ferdinand Holder, 1915Flowers in Chinese vases, Max Peiffer Watenphul, 1936Still Life, Henri Matisse, 1907Violinist, Ida Gerhardi, 1906The Pont Des Arts, Paul Signac, 1912The Water Lilly Pond, Claude Monet, 1916
The Kunstsamlung Nordrhein Westfalen in Dusseldorf
This gallery contains 20th century art, from 1900 onwards, mainly European but has some American artists. There was no exhibition on but the permanent collection was available to see. Entry is €9. The main highlight is the collection of some impressive Picassos.
Picasso
Woman sitting in an armchair, Pablo Picasso, 1941Woman at the mirror, Pablo Picasso, 1966
Portrait of Fernanda, Pablo Picasso, 1909Jacqueline, Pablo Picasso, 1963
Other collection highlights
Wasily KandinskyFigure by the sea, Nicholas de Stael, 1952Portrait of Max Jacob, Amedeo Modigliani, 1916
I am here in Vienna for the first time and have four days to explore the galleries of this magnificent city. I have long wanted to visit Vienna, ever since I visited a Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele exhibition in Japan in 2019. I have five main galleries to see plus whatever else I can fit in:
– The Albertina – The Belvedere – The Leopold – The Secession building – The Kunsthistorisches Museum
1 March 2023, The Albertina
The Albertina is a gallery famous for having some beautiful old masters drawings including works by Rafael, Michaelangelo and Albrecht Durer. My current interest in art started when I read a book called the ‘1,000 paintings to see before you die’ and in that book there were two works by Durer that are in the Albertina. They are ‘Hare’ 1502 and ‘Wing of a Blue Roller’ 1512.
Wing of a Blue Roller, Durer, 1512Hare by Durer, 1502
I do not know a huge amount about Durer but his work does strike me as so different to what other artists of that period were doing. Whilst he did paint portraits, some of his work is studies of birds, trees, plants, animals and the human body. At a time when religious and classical subjects were the flavour of the day, it seems to me that he really was forging his own artistic path.
The other outstanding collection in the Albertina is the Herbert Batliner collection. He was a Lichenstein lawyer who died in 2019. He amassed an amazing collection of artworks, and donated it the Albertina. The focus of his collection is Impressionism, but he also collected many other artists including:
– Alberto Giacommeti – Pablo Picasso – Amedeo Modigiliani – Henry Manguin
The gallery is worth visiting alone just to see his collection. There are some beautiful works by Claude Monet and Paul Signac.
Entry is roughly €19 to get in. It is open late Wednesdays til 9pm, which is when I went and Fridays too I think.
2 March 2023, The Belvedere
If the Albertina was the starter, the Belvedere was the main course! What a stunning collection of art. Mind. Blown! This is probably a good time to mention the Vienna Secession. It was an Austrian art movement formed in 1897, by the artists Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffman, Koloman Moser and Otto Wager.
The art of the secession is identifiable as similar to that of the art nouveau movement. In fact the exhibition at the Belvedere demonstrates how Klimt was inspired by other artists of the time. The reason it is called the secession is because the group saw themselves as seceding away from traditional artistic styles of the day. The Belvedere displays many works of the secession along with probably my favourite artist Egon Schiele. There were so many amazing paintings by Schiele and by Klimt in this gallery.
In fact the Belvedere is 3 galleries. The Upper gallery has lots of the Klimt works, and is the largest. The Lower gallery seems to have more exhibitions. In March 2023 when I visited they were showing a selection of paintings from the gallery celebrating 300 years of the gallery. They were also showing an exhibition showing the artists who inspired Klimt, including Lawrence Alma Tadema, Margaret MacDonald MacIntosh and Van Gogh. Both are excellent exhibitions.
The entrance fee of €22.90 gained me entrance to both galleries. I recommend booking online as you have to select a time slot and saves queueing.
Like all the art here, there is a huge depth in the work on display. For maybe the second time ever I actually had to say I had seen enough art! The poster below is from the first Secession exhibition, from 1898.
Poster advertising the first secession exhibition in 1898
There are so many artworks to chose to accompany this post, here are some of my favourites.
Gustav Klimt at the Belvedere
Egon Schiele at the Belvedere
The Belvedere has a great collection of Schiele’s works, some of which are below. However the museum I am going to tomorrow has the largest collection in the world, the Leopold. To say I am excited to go is an understatement!
Victor Ritter Von Bauer, Egon Schiele, 1918City on the blue river III, Egon Schiele, 1911 Mother with two children III, Egon Schiele, 1915Portrait of Edith, 1918, SchieleDeath and Maiden, 1915, Egon Schiele
3 March 2023, The Leopold
The Leopold Museum was founded through a donation of a huge and significant private art collection and has become a leading gallery for Austrian art, especially that of Egon Schiele. The couple who collect the original artworks were Elizabeth and Rudolf Leopold. The museum opened in 2001. It is spread over about 4 floors, the permanent collection being on three of the floors. It is mainly late 19th and early 20th century Austrian art.
It’s a very modern building, has a nice cafe and a great shop. It costs about €15 to enter. I loved the collection, obviously the Schiele works I loved too! Schiele was a ground breaking artist, painting in a technique unique to him. He does not paint in a realistic manner.
Having read quotes from him, he was interested in painting the soul of the people he saw, the truth he saw of the Austrian landscapes and the objects around him. He was a contemporary of Klimt, though was about twenty years younger.
He met Klimt in 1907, and they both exhibited at the secession building, which I visited today also. Schiele finally made it big in 1918, with a successful show at the building. He finally felt he had risen out from under the shadow of Klimt. Tragedy then struck. His wife Edith, featured in many of his portraits, died of flu in 1918. Schiele also then died of flu just a few weeks later.
What could his career have become if he had survived? He was just 28 years old when he died.
Schiele landscapes
Schiele portraits
Klimt at the Leopold
The gallery also has some wonderful Klimt’s, including one of his masterpieces, ‘Death and Life’, 1910.
Death and Life, 1910, Klimt
The Secession Building
I also visited the spiritual home of the Vienna secession movement. This black and white photo shows the original members, including Klimt, seated on the left.
Artists of the Vienna Secession, including Klimt, seated
As mentioned, Klimt was a key figure, and he created a wonderful artwork on the walls of the building for the 1898 show that launched his career. The work is called the Beethoven Frieze. The building is a nouveau masterpiece with a wonderful golden crown on top of the building. It costs €12 to enter.
4 March 2023, the Kunsthistorisches Museum
My final day and I headed off to what I think translates in to the ‘art history museum’, You can find it in the ‘MQ’, the Museum Quarter, opposite the Natural History Museum. It is €21 entry.
The collection is vast so I did not attempt to see it all. The first floor has all the pictures. The ground floor is Egyptian and Roman artefacts plus lots of items from what I think was the Hapsburg Royal collection.
The art here is more ‘traditional’. Think Titian, Velasquez, Rubens. Some of the stars of the show are the paintings by Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel. He is famous for being one of the first artists to depict everyday people and everyday landscapes. One of his most famous works is largely credited as being the first painting to ever show a winter landscape. Some of his other famous works shown in the gallery depict peasants partying and celebrating and going about everyday life.
Another artist show here is Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Painting in 1563 he created 4 paintings showing the 4 seasons. However what is unusual is that he created 4 portraits of people showing the seasons using inanimate objects such as fruit, dead fish and guns! They really are fascinating and strange works of art.
The Roman and Egyptian collections are vast, lots of sarcophagi and statues. Whilst I enjoyed the gallery, it is not all to my taste, I prefer straight up painting!
Pieter Brugel
Hunters in the snow, 1565, Pieter BrugelPeasant Dance, 1568, Pieter BrugelThe Tower of Babel, 1563, Pieter Bruegel
I visited the Museum of Eastern Art on a trip to Italy in September 2022. It is truly one of the best Asian art galleries I have ever visited and I would highly recommend going. Laid out over three floors, it covers the art of China, India, Japan, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, the Himalayas region, including Tibet and also has a section on Islamic art. For more information go to the Museum website.
Here are some of my highlights from the collection, as well as video compilation of my time in Turin and Genoa.
India
‘Buddha’s parinirvana’, showing the stupa, the symbol of the Buddha’s ultimate extinction, 2nd Century Bharhut area (Madhya Pradesh) India ‘Ganesha’, Hindu god of wisdom, the remover of obstacles 7th century Northern India, made of red sandstone ‘Tara – star’, Buddhist female manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, 10th century Madhya Pradesh, India‘Saptamatrika’, the Seven Divine Mothers with Vinadhara and Ganesha, 11th century North India, sandstone ‘Vishnu’ – The god Vishnu with Lakshmi, goddess of fortune and riches on his right and Sarasvati, goddess of speech and knowledge on his left 12th century, North-East India, Basalt
Burma
‘Crowned Buddha’, 18th century Arakan, Burma, lacquered and gilded bronze ‘Buddha seated in bhumisparshamudra’, 18th century Burma, lacquered and gilded bronze
Thailand
‘Bust of Buddha Shakyamuni’, 15th century BronzeThe Buddha in the gestures of fearlessness and reassurance, 18th century Oxidised and gilded bronze ‘Buddha in bhumisparhamudra’, 17th century Lacquered and gilded bronze
Pakistan & Afghanistan
‘Head of Buddha, 4th century North-Western Pakistan or Afghanistan, stucco with traces of pigments
Japan
‘Kongo Rikishi standing on a base’, Kamakura period, 13th century Cypress wood ‘Shokannon bodhisattva’, 14th century Japan, cypress wood and gilded lacquer ‘Guhari Amida’, 14th century. Guhari is an esoteric version of Amida Buddha, he wears a tiara and is characterised by the vajra, the symbol of lighting typical of tantric Buddhism Cypress wood and gilded lacquer‘Amida with radiant aureole’, 17th century Edo period Lacquered and gilded wood, subsequently blackened ‘Guhari Amida’, 14th century
Tibet
‘Four dancing dakini’, 15th century Gilded bronze‘Sitatara’, 16th century Gilded bronze with pigments and turquoise ‘Vajradhara’, 15th century Gilded bronze
The Scottish National Gallery is housed in an imposing neoclassical building in The Mound in central Edinburgh. It’s free to enter but currently you have to book a timed entry slot. It seems like there is large development project happening to expand the gallery. This, along with the COVID pandemic, means that there is a considerable amount of art not on display.
There is a very nice shop attached and a cafe with some great food too.
Despite being limited in the number of artworks on display, the range is wide, from 14th century religious masterpieces to post impressionist works by Van Gogh. I enjoyed the gallery, looking forward to visiting again when the entire development project is complete.
The Adoration of the Kings with Saints Ursula and Catherine of Alexandria by Vitale da Bologna, 1350The Madonna of the Yarnwinder, by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1501Madonna and Child by Master of the Embroided Foliage, late 15th century The Virgin and Child with Two Angels by the Ferrarase School, 1470The Monarch of the Glen by Edwin Landseer, 1851Lady Agnew of Lochnaw by John Singer Sargent, 1892Montagne Sainte Victoire by Paul Cezanne, 1890The Big Trees by Paul Cezanne, 1902Orchard in Blossom, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888Olive Trees by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889Haystacks by Claude Monet, 1891
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is in Edinburgh on Queen Street. Free to enter and similar to all other galleries, entry is by timed ticket only currently. The building is in an impressive red sandstone gothic revival building. The central hall contains a collection of beautiful friezes depicting scenes from Scottish history as well as a painted ceiling depicting the constellations. The artworks range over hundreds of years and contain more modern portraits of contemporary Scottish figures such as Annie Lennox and Alan Cummings.
The shop did not appear to be open but the cafe was open and was pretty decent.
Scottish National Portrait GalleryMuriel Gray by Iain Clark, 2005Alan Cumming by Christian Hook, 2014Tilda Swinton by John Byrne, 2002
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
There are two modern galleries in the city, Modern 1 and Modern 2. They are two impressive neo-classical buildings in the west of the city, opposite each other. The buildings are surrounded by lovely parkland with shady trees to sit under.
Modern 1 is the main gallery, modern 2 is for temporary exhibitions. Modern 1 also has a lovey cafe with a garden too. Both are free to enter but currently you have to book a timed ticket.
I spent about an hour in the gallery. Not a huge collection but interesting in its interpretation of what modern art means. It included some art from the early 20th century which I really liked, particularly the Scottish Colourists works.
The Scottish Colourists
Twilight, Royan by John Duncan Fergusson, 1910Boats at Royan, Samuel John Peploe, 1910Veules les Roses, Samuel John Peploe, 1910Dieppe, 14 July 1905, John Duncan Fergusson, 1905
Pop art
Portrait of Maurice, Andy Warhol, 1976In the Car by Roy Lichenstein 1963\
Surrealism
Explodoing Raphaelesque Head by Salvador Dali, 1951
Kelvingrove Art Gallery sits within an imposing red brick Victorian building, within Kelvingrove Park, which is to the west of Glasgow. A free to enter gallery and museum, it is one of the best galleries I have visited in a long time and I had the pleasure of visiting today, Tuesday 13 July 2021.
Kelvingrove Art GalleryInterior entrance hall of Kelvingrove
Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the British Art Nouveau style
Mackintosh is the most famous of a group of four artists who created a modern movement of architecture, art and design that centred around Glasgow in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The other 3 artists were Margaret MacDonald (nee Gilmour), Frances MacDonald and Herbert MacNair. A lot of their work is displayed here, including furniture from some of the famous Glasgow tearooms they designed, as well as household items such as kitchen silverware and crockery and furniture. Their style was innovative, daring and truly modern in it’s approach.
I find their work so beautiful, with it’s focus on nature. Here are some of the artworks available to see.
The Mackintosh designed Ladies Luncheon Room in Glasgow, 1910Mackintosh cabinet Alms dish by Margaret Gilmour, 1900Mackintosh broochMackintosh jewelleryMackintosh vases
Impressionism and post impressionism
Kelvingrove also has a fabulous collection of French impressionism and post impressionism from the late 19th century, including works by Van Gogh, Monet and Cezanne.
Portrait of Alexander Reid by Vincent Van Gogh, 1887The Star Ridge with the King’s Peak, by Paul Cezanne, 1879Vetheuil by Claude Monet, 1880
The Glasgow Boys
The Glasgow Boys were a group of young artists that represented the beginnings of modernism in Scottish painting. In the early 1880s, they were united by their disillusionment with traditional academic painting, and painted contemporary rural subjects. I had not heard of them before my visit but was really impressed by the quality of their work, as it is very similar in quality to the French impressionists.
The Druids – Bringing in the Mistletoe, by George Henry and EA Hornel, 1890A collection of paintings by the Glasgow Boys
The Scottish Colourists
From 1900 until the 1930s, there was a movement of artists called the Scottish Colourists. Again, I had not heard of them but was highly impressed by the work that hangs in Kelvingrove that is by the group. They were a small group of 4 artists, Francis Cadell, John Duncan Fergusson, Leslie Hunter and Samuel Peploe. Similar to the French impressionists, their works was full of light and colour. Similar to the French impressionists their work was also seen as radical and shocking to Victorian eyes.
A collection of painting by the Scottish Colourists, ranging from 1899 to 1931A Lady in Black by FCB Cadell, 1925Interior – the Orange Blind by FCB Cadell, 1928Sails, Venice by Lesley Hunter, 1922Easter, Hmyn to the Sun, JD Ferguson, 1924
So much more art!
As well as all that there were lots of other great paintings I enjoyed, here is a sample.
Salopian Cup and Chinese Vase by Norah Neilson Gray, 1930Christ of St John on the Cross by Salvador Dali, 1951The Frog Prince by Jessie M. King, 1913The Port of Algiers by Albert Marquet, 1922Portraits of women at Kelvingrove, including (top left) Vivien Leigh by Thomas Dugdale (1936)
The Hunterian Art Gallery
The Hunterian is the legacy of Dr William Hunter (1718 – 1783), a pioneering obstetrician and teacher with a passion for collecting. The site sits in the ground of the University of Glasgow. The current building opened in the 1980s and house some amazing paintings, with a particularly large collection of work by James McNeil Whistler.
A new Whistler exhibition has just opened. Glasgow is lucky enough to have one of the largest collections of his work, as the person who inherited a lot of his catalogue of art, his sister in law Rosalind Birnie Phillip, donated most of the collection to the university. The artists of often claimed by the USA, as he lived the first 21 years there, but then lived mainly in the UK and in France, so we can claim him too!
The exhibition is a collection of his etchings, sketches and paintings, and is a fascinating insight into his artistic technique. The gallery is free and well worth a visit. It also contains the Mackintosh house. This a reconstruction of a house that Mackintosh and his wife lived in and decorated in the nouveau style. All the interiors and original, but the fabric of the building is a recreation. Unfortunately for me it is closed due to the COVID situation, but I have seen it before and it is fabulous!
Three portraits by James McNeil Whistler at the Hunterian Gallery, Glasgow
Tobacco Flowers by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1906
Glasgow Museum of Modern Art
The final art gallery I visited in the city was Glasgow MOMA. Now I am not really much of a fan of art after about 1960, but I decided to persevere with broadening my horizons. The gallery is housed in the old Glasgow Royal Exchange building and is free to get in.
Mercifully there was some art I enjoyed, as modern here includes artworks from the early 20th century. There were some pottery by a Scottish artist I saw yesterday called Jessie M. King which I liked, plus an interesting exhibition called ‘Taste’, showing artworks on a similar theme side by side. This includes some works by Stanley Spencer, Beryl Cooke and Andy Warhol. Definitely nowhere near as amazing as Kelvingrove but worth an hour’s visit as it is very central and easy to find.
The Glen by Stanley Spencer, 1952By the Clyde by Beryl Cooke, 1982Oyster Stew Soup by Andy Warhol, 1969
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Finally I just wanted to show some photos of a lovely place in the west of the city, the botanic gardens. There are two glasshouses to explore, a cafe and some lovely trees and plants to enjoy. Plus it was lovely and sunny too!
Ben Hills-Jones 