Skiving on a Monday afternoon

[liadnan]

Ho hum. Everything went relatively smoothly in this afternoon's hearing. Was feeling vaguely out of sorts with the world on my way back, so thought 'to hell with it, what on earth is the point of being self-employed if you don't skive from time to time.' So, like I half thought I might, I swanned off to the Tate at Millbank for a few hours.

I don't usually do review type things, and there is no particular reason why I should this time, but I feel the urge to run through my flying visit... So...Wandered all the way round the galleries, which have been re-done since I was last there. I do like the way the Tate keeps changing its stuff around. Spent a while looking at things I don't know particularly well. Massive triptych by John Martin of the Last Judgment and associated stuff (with lots of poets and painters getting into heaven and lots of other identifiable people, including lots of Evil Papists, off to hell. The canvases are enormous, and the people, although known individuals are identifiable, seem utterly insignificant. I'm looking at a postcard of The Plains of Heaven as I write this and one can hardly make out that there are figures.

On via Watts into the pre-Raphaelites.. a Dante Gabrieli Rossetti I've never seen before of the Annunciation. Mary (apparently modelled by his sister Christina) cowers in a corner looking absolutely terrified. Amost everything except her hair (auburnish) is in shades of white. Apparently the painting was absolutely slammed when it was exhibited.

My usual turn around the Blakes.. nothing new there. Though I am amused by Blake's picture of his dream, in which Milton appears telling Blake that he had made all sorts of philosophical/theological mistakes in his poems and can Blake sort it out please...

Bit of Elizabethan portraiture.. "a young lady aged 21, believed to be Helena Snakenbourg, later a powerful figure at Elizabeth's court". And even at the age of 21, you can tell she knew it. Very beautiful, though if that corset is accurately depicted it was even worse than usual. Her waist is very little short of being the point of a V.

Michael Ayrton... The temptation of St Anthony (1942)... very dynamic though I can't say I'm sure I'd be tempted. Draws me back to look at it again and again though. St Anthony almost a cartoonlike figure lost amid his surreal temptations.

Across the main hall via the display. I often find that contemporary, conceptual art sounds bollocks when described to me, until I see it, whereupon I say, "ah, now I see." (Something similar applies to contemporary classical music, though there it has to be heard live). This definitely applies to Rodin's The Kiss wrapped up in a mile of string. Go see, honestly. Or not, as you wish.

Also manic headspinning thing of multicoloured geometric lines all over the floor.

Finally out via the Turners. I go and see them every so often and I still don't understand how he managed to make his paintings, more an idea of a hint of a painting when you look at them closely, so beautiful.

Feeling.. itchy feet. Nothing to do with work, I'm afraid I like being a lawyer. But I want to go somewhere, do something, get novel published, climb a mountain.

At least there's me holiday coming, if not till August. I'll always have Athens....

Comments

[lizw.livejournal.com]

This definitely applies to Rodin's "The Kiss" wrapped up in a mile of string.

I saw that ten days or so ago with angelmine, gemoon, conflux and thekumquat. I liked it too, and I thought the title was quite thought-provoking ("Distance", describing two figures that are both kissing and literally bound together...)

[liadnan]

Yes... I'd forgotten what she called it, but it does make sense. Not sure if it would work so well if the image wasn't so iconic, but there's nothing wrong with that.

[complexity.livejournal.com]

i like your "ho hums". they're cute. :)

[liadnan]

Thankyou.. more of a list of "Wot I Did" than any real thought or analysis though, I'm afraid.

[clodaghfiona.livejournal.com]

i realize this comment is late - but may i just tell you how incredably jelous i am that you live near the tate...there are no good pre-raphaelite paintings here!!!...AND..siiiigh...to be able to say i saw a rosetti or a waterhouse...you lucky brit :)