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Published: August 2nd 2006
Trafalgar Square
The National Gallery in the background along with St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.One of the things I was most looking forward to on my extended holiday was visiting the many museums and art galleries. I studied Art History in university and developed a great appreciation for the Great Masters. And what better place to start than London, home to the British Museum and National Gallery (among others, but I'll get to those in a later blog).
The National Gallery was first. Its work range from the Gothic period through to Romantic and Impressionist movements of the 19th century. It was the most amazing feeling to see paintings that I had only previously seen in textbooks and slideshows "in the flesh." My favourite painter is Caravaggio and I swear I spent a good twenty minutes transfixed in front of his "Supper at Emmaus." Delaroche's "Execution of Lady Jane" was another showstopper. It's a huge and very moving canvas depicting the last moments of the tragic figure Lady Jane Grey. Leaving the gallery in the early evening was a highlight as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and Trafalgar Square were lit beautifully in the twilight.
This is why I came to London.
Not to be outdone was The British Museum. British colonialism
allowed them to procure countless valuable artifacts from all over the world. The Rosetta Stone is there! The huge tablet which allowed us to decipher the ancient Egyptian language - just phenomenal. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Portland Vase, whole families of Egyptian mummies, the controversial Elgin Marbles - I was in heaven. So much history and objects symbolizing the achievements of human civilization in one building. Big ups to the breathtaking Central Court, roofed by glass panels and incredibly bright in its use of white stone.
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