Facing The Modern: Exhibition @ The National Gallery

03 November 2013

Yesterday, E and I went to see the "Facing The Modern: The Portrait in Vienna 1900" exhibition at the National Gallery.

We booked a late afternoon time, so it was dusk by the time we arrived and the gallery was lit up in all its glory.




The exhibition was in the building they are usually held in, right next door.




Photos are not allowed inside, but there were 6 rooms full of portraits and death masks from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. It was interesting to see the progression of the paintings in reaction to the social and political movements at the time, and to see the variation of paintings done by the iconic artists.

Both of us being big Klimt fans, we were left unsatisfied by the small handful of paintings on display by him, and I wanted to transport myself back to Vienna on that cold, November day 3 years ago when I went to see all the Klimt at The Belvedere.

I like to grab a couple of postcards of my favourite paintings at exhibitions, and this time was no exception.








As for Trafalgar Square, it looked very pretty at night.




And there were also some interesting characters around....





London never ceases to amuse me.



15 comments:

  1. Aww I wanted to go to this yesterday! However M had a few drinks and was not in a mood afterwards to go walking round. Sounds like I needed to book anyway, definitely want to go.

    Hmm maybe...

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    1. it's on until late january so i'm sure you'll make it! it's apparently advisable to book, although i'm pretty sure you can do it last minute x

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  2. U will make somebody really happy with those postcards:) I ve got one really beautiful my friend sent me from Vienna, Water Serpents from Klimt and I love it! U choosed really beautiful ones! xx

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    1. i hope so! i've kept nearly all the ones i've received from people in the past too, they can be quite special x

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  3. Postcards from exhibitions are the best, it's like you take a little bit of the exhibition away with you to cheer you up on a rainy day.

    B xxx

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  4. I haven't been to a gallery in far too long. I remember I used to visit the Tate for a good old wander round quite frequently, I miss it!

    Jennie xo | sailorjennie.com

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    1. i hope you make it to one soon! they put you in quite a unique, pensive and reflective state i find. perfect for people like us, constantly surrounded by technology and multi-tasking :) x

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  5. You are SO PRETTY and I love your hair! I love that first picture of the Gallery, and I always buy postcards of my favorite pieces when I visit art museums. I need to figure out a nice way to display them. Also I think death masks are so interesting. It's probably because I love history, but I think it is so cool to put a real, detailed face to someone from the past, especially those that lived before photographs. Whose were there for the exhibition?

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    1. thank you lovely! there were death masks of the composers Mahler & Beethoven, and of the artists on display like Klimt and Schiele. i totally agree, it's kind of a morbid thought but so interesting to see x

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  6. aww nice pictures!! I like your blog :3
    http://maybetonightt.blogspot.co.uk/

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  7. arriving by dusk was a great plan. i bet the inside was amazing but also the outside as well!

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    1. it really was quite pretty - thank goodness it wasn't raining, you never know with London ;) x

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  8. Aw, I can't wait to visit London some day! Love all of these shots ;)
    xo TJ

    http://www.hislittlelady.com

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