Spring is here and I am off to London again. I start with coffee at Leon on the Strand. Excellent wifi! T of N is a big fan of Leon and I can see why. Friendly service and healthy 'fast food'. Next it is along to Somerset House. I feel nostalgic at the site of both of my daughter's graduations. She has a BA and an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art which is situated in a wing of Somerset House. I am here today to see the exhibition in the East Wing which is on till 10 April. 'Out There' is all about our Post War Public Art. My parents' generation lost a great deal of their infrastructure and indeed I remember driving across Manchester with them to visit Aunts and Uncles, seeing the bomb sites and feeling very depressed without really understanding why. The rebuilding of the nation, thanks to the Marshall Plan, was ambitious. (The Marshall Plan was the loan of thirteen billion dollars to Europe from the USA. I only heard about it recently and understand that it was not paid back till the nineties. It makes me think that the current austerity is SO wrong. I digress)
Not just cities and towns were constructed, we also aquired the NHS, new schools and the Arts Council. The exhibition by Historic England focusses mainly on the public spaces which aimed to raise the nation's mood. The Festival of Britain is covered along with photographs of sculptures by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and many others. The new town of Harlow and it's sculptures is comprehensively displayed. There is a 50's documentary about the creation of the town. It strikes me as outrageous that the women who had worked so hard in the war were now put back indoors while all the jobs were created for men. How must they have felt?
Much of our public art has been lost, destroyed or stolen. A number of successful campaigns have saved others. Over 99% of us live within a mile of a nationally important historic place! Explore what is near you at HistoricEngland.org.uk/list
It is hard to drag myself away but even more fun to have lunch with my Art Historian after rushing over to Mayfair in the sun.
Next it is back to The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House to see a couple of exhibitions as well as reminisce in the main collection. http://courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/collection, please have a look, there is some wonderful art here especially from the Impressionist era.
First I see the beautiful work of Bruegel. Read about it here
I feel a little too tired to really appreciate this wonderful stuff but I give myself a talking to and focus next on Botticelli and his amazingly intricate drawings. People have magnifying glasses to see the detail. http://courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/what-on/exhibitions-displays/botticelli-and-treasures-from-the-hamilton-collection
Alll I am fit for now is a cuppa at Paddington and home to my meditation group.
So much to see and learn.
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