Gaining Gainsborough

There was something about Christmas time in London this year. Even now I can’t quite put my finger on what set it apart. Christmas lights (check), Covent Garden Christmas decorations (check), mulled wine, both good and shocking (check), Selfridges windows being a little too enticing (check). Hmm… Oh wait, I’ve got it! It was the hoards of shoppers, the driving rain and myriad of people who simply could not handle an umbrella without battering those around them.

Seem familiar? If not, you weren't in Britain and are therefore very, VERY, lucky!

Now, I am not a Christmas Grinch, but I have to admit there comes a time when a girl wants a little space, a little quiet, perhaps a cup of tea to restore some semblance of sanity. In short, one often needs a sanctuary to escape the world at large. For me, relief this last festive season was found within the hallowed halls and passages of the Royal Academy, where quiet contemplation and exceptional artwork was about as heavy as it got.

We all need a few quiet seconds away from it all - unfortunately we can't all have a mountain lake on our doorsteps...

  In the gathering dusk of a frankly rather chilly and drizzly late December afternoon, I stepped from the hustle, bustle and over-populatedness (genuine word I’ll have you know) of Piccadilly into the courtyard of Burlington House and immediately felt better. Passing through the gold and wood revolving door the darkness of the day was replaced by the sweeping central staircase, the opulent gold highlights, a feast of old masters on the walls and a calm, contemplative air. And, relax…

Who doesn't love a little gold every now and again?

Now, what was I doing there except escaping my fellow man? Well, I have to admit to having a wee bit of a soft spot for paint and canvas. Wait, you already guessed? Bugger it… Well in that case, it should come as little surprise that my steps were pre-ordained to patter their way through the Constable, Gainsborough and Turner exhibition which was (and still is, hint, HINT) on. Now, Turner is one of my favourite painters of all time. I could write about his use of light until I even bored myself, and long after I had bored all of you, so the thought of getting to see some more of his work was all the enticement I needed. What I got on the other hand was something I wasn’t entirely prepared for.

Dolbadern Castle (1800). J.M.W Turner RA. Oil on Canvas.

This exhibition is fascinating if you like a bit of old school landscape artwork. The elegance of the Saloon, Slaughter and General Assembly Rooms was perfectly balanced by a series of beautiful black and white engravings from the dawn of English landscape printing. Not having read any of the booklet which I was clutching in my frozen mitts (I do so hate spoilers) this trip down memory lane into this particular branch of image creation was rather a welcome treat. I rarely like prints as I simply like owning originals (you may call me a snob, I frequently do), but seeing these exquisite and unparalleled engraving by the great William Woollett was a rather eye-opening experience. I shall leave it at that – suffice it to say I’m converted, at least for the moment!

Niobe, (1761). William Woollett. Engraving. After Richard Wilson RA.

Now to the main event. Turner; Constable; Gainsborough; giants in the world of the Landscape image. Now, I think we’re all fairly familiar with Constable (The Hay Wain) and Turner (Rain, Steam and Speed) in these terms, but the one that came as a welcome revelation to yours truly was Gainsborough. Now I’m not one for sugaring the point so I’ll stick to ‘I was pretty impressed’, but when I say impressed I mean IMPRESSED. His Romantic Landscape (see below) dominated The Large Weston Room and not just in terms of size (though that was a definite consideration) but also in terms of sheer food for the heart and spirit.

Romantic Landscape (c.1783). Thomas Gainsborough RA. Oil on Canvas

For me, and remember I was cold, tired, grumpy and in desperate need of escaping wet London, it was simply a view of a time and a place of great beauty, which imparted a feeling of such complete calm and tranquility that I simply forgot where I was. I am rarely if ever moved by something so stunning, but for me that painting was like being drawn into a dream. The murmuring of the other people died away, and I was alone in a warm glade looking a world imagined or perhaps lost but, thanks to men of ceaseless vision like Gainsborough, not forgotten.

If you have one romantic bone in your body, you should visit this painting (and of the course the other wonderful images that surround it, particularly Dolbadern Castle) as they’re treasures for the soul as much as the eyes. In a world which is moving ceaselessly toward, well, who knows what unseen goal, standing and staring is something which we can all enjoy and should strive for whenever we have the chance.