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... |
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.