Local, Near and Far: Our journey of exploring the world.

Tag: Van Gogh

The National Gallery

With only two hours in central London via a long layover, David and I decided to spend our time at The National Gallery.  We love art and wanted to see the gems that are housed in London.  The Gallery is open every day and is free so it was a perfect fit for us.

Trafalgar Square - View from the Museum

Trafalgar Square – View from the Museum

From the airport, we headed into London via the Tube and after a short walk, ended up in Trafalgar Square at The National Gallery.  When we arrived at the museum, I had to eat something before I could enjoy the art.  We headed down to the café, a little afraid of the prices; to our surprise, it was very reasonable.  The chicken curry sandwich, carrot cake and coffee were delicious and perfect.

Once we arrived, we realized we were right on time for a tour.  Guided tours are offered daily at 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM.  We joined at least 50 other patrons as a docent guided us through the busy rooms.  At first, I was discouraged when the docent stated she would show us only 4 pieces on the hour-long tour due to the large size of the group. But, I can honestly say, it was the best museum tour I have ever experienced.

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The Collection of Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass

Through May 24, 2015, the Kimbell Art Museum is featuring a special exhibition, The Collection of Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass.  An influential family in Fort Worth, the Bass family, is graciously sharing their private collection.  Works by Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Miró, Chagall, Rothko, Rodin and Maillol normally inaccessible to the general public, are on view, for FREE.

This collection has so many masterpieces that it is hard for me to pick favorites. However, there are a few pieces in particular that need mention.

I think the stars of the show are two pieces by Vincent Van Gogh, Street in Saintes-Marie’s-de-la-Mer and Enclosed Field with Ploughman. Displayed side-by-side, look for the drastic change in style that occurred between the two paintings, created only one year apart.

The Renzo Piano Pavilion

The Renzo Piano Pavilion

I love Claude Monet’s work. The Bass’ piece by Monet, The Gare Saint-Lazare, Exterior View, does not disappoint. The steam engine and train had just been invented, radically altering life in Paris. Monet captures these changes in his series of paintings of trains and train stations across the city.

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