Only early birds catch Leonardo at the National Gallery
National Gallery
TO be a real art lover these days you have to be organised . . . and get up early in the morning, apparently.
TO be a real art lover these days you have to be organised . . . and get up early in the morning, apparently.
As I peered over a balcony at London’s National Gallery to glimpse the far-off end of a queue which snaked around the magnificent old building, I realised just how pitiful my organisational skills were.
Turning up at about midday, I had hoped to poke my head into the gallery to see the much talked about Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan exhibition.
But the woman at the counter soon put me in the picture. “Some people queue for that from 7am,” she said. “You won’t get in today.”
Limping sadly away, crestfallen and disappointed, I realised that on this occasion I would not see this exhibition’s highlights which include two versions of Virgin of the Rocks – belonging to the National Gallery and the Louvre – which are being displayed together for the first time. Neither would I see the full scale copy of the Last Supper, accompanied by Leonardo’s own preparatory drawings.
But instead of turning away, I decided to stay and explore what the rest of the gallery had to offer.
Housed in a beautiful building in the heart of Trafalgar Square, I have always been amazed and impressed that entry there is free to the public to enjoy an array of staggeringly impressive – and famous – works of art.
Where modern art galleries often leave me feeling a little confused and often quite conned, the National always leaves me with completely the opposite impression.
The scale of the works on offer (more than 2,000 pieces) makes it practically impossible to see and thoroughly enjoy every piece so, for those with a few hours to spare, it is lovely to be able to dip in and out, concentrating on whichever period of art history takes your fancy.
One of the highlights for me, is the chance to see Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting, which is one of a series of four which the artist is believed to have intended to use to decorate Gauguin’s room in a rented house in the South of France.
The slightly drooping seedheads indicate that the flowers were slightly past their best, but the painting certainly never disappoints.
As a fan of Impressionism, I always enjoy seeing Monet’s work at the gallery; notably his 1871 painting The Thames Below Westminster, which I think really captures the smoky, industrial atmosphere of 19th century London.
Less famous but perhaps my favourite painting at the gallery is Lake Keitele by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Painted in 1905, the picture shows a lake north of Helsinki and is striking to look at with its shimmering blue colours and intricate landscape details which have been painted as reflected images in the water itself.
Whereas other students at uni had pictures of the stars from the TV show Friends on their walls, I had a print of this painting Blu-Tacked up in my student accommodation.
I like to think it was about more than me just trying to look clever; it reminded me of a wonderful painting and a gallery full of some of the most amazing art from all around the world.
The closest tube station to the National Gallery is Charing Cross, which is just a few minutes walk from the site.
The Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan exhibition will continue until February 5. Advance tickets for this are sold out but a limited number of tickets are available to buy in person on each day of the exhibition subject to availability. The National Gallery recommends that visitors arrive well before the opening time of 10am as queuing starts early. Visitors are warned that they should allow up to four hours queuing time.
Entry to the National Gallery is free but tickets for the da Vinci exhibition cost £16 at full price, £14 for concessions and £8 for students, job seekers or those aged between 12 and 18. Under-12s go free with a paying adult. Family tickets are also available.
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