July 2020
UPDATE 12
A favourite picture hanging in you house
Most of us have a picture hanging in our house that we are particularly fond of. So why not take a photo of it with your phone, camera or ipad and email it to us. You can tell also us the reason why you like it so much. As it`s always interesting to see what the other art club members like, we`ll share our photos on the website.
Let`s go to Barcelona!
This week we`re off to Spain to see the works of art in Barcelona. We go first to the Picasso Museum. As the museum was closed during lockdown, the head of security was asked to film some of the rooms so that they could be displayed to you. If you`re inspired by that, you may want to watch a short art demo video from the Tate on portrait painting in the style of Picasso. We then take a guided video tour of the highly individualised buildings created by the famous architect, Gaudi.
To enter the Picasso Museum, click on the link below,
http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/ca/colleccio/sales-de-la-colleccio/index_en.html
Paint like Picasso
Here is a short 5 minute art demonstration from the Tate. It features the artist, Selwyn Leamy, who showsus how to paint a portrait in the style of Picasso. we can see how he lays out his palette, the size and shape of the brushes he uses as well as his canvas.
Take a video tour of Gaudi`s buildings in Barcelona
If you have ever been to Barcelona you must have seen some of the famous Gaudi buildings. Gaudi`s architecture was an exponent of Catalan Modernism and featured ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. His masterpiece is the church, Sagrada Familia which is the most visited monument in Spain. When planning his buildings he preferred to make a 3D scale model rather than draw out a detailed plan on paper.
You can take a guided tour of Gaudi`s buildings by clicking on the link
The Louvre Reopens
What is it like to wander the Louvre in the age of social distancing? The Louvre before lockdown attracted around 30,000 visitors a day but on the first day of reopening sold only 7,000 tickets because of social distancing. The first visitors were asked about their experience in the museum as lockdown eases.
Click the link below to read their views.
National Galleries of Scotland - Portraits for Mother`s Day
As many people were unable to see their mothers on Mother`s Day due to lockdown, Alice Strang, a Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary art, looked at some of the works which examine motherhood from chilbirth to Grandmotherhood in the National Galleries of Scotland
If you`d like to see the paintings with written commentary, click the link below.
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/features/mothering-sunday-no-other
The Beano Art Quiz
Here`s one for the children in your life but you might like to have a go, as one or two of the questions aren`t too easy.
UPDATE 11
View from my window
The winner is Margaret Malloch!
Thank you to all those who took part in our recent competition. The entries were judged by Sonia Newman who trained at Liverpool School of Art and who is a member of Glasgow Women Artists. The first prize went to Margaret Malloch.
You can see all the entries in our` View from a Window` link at the top of the page or by clicking here:
Let`s go to Russia!
On our visit to Russia this week,we are going to two museums there; The Hermitage in St Petersburg and The armoury chambers in Moscow.
The Hermitage has a huge, world famous collection and is usually thronged with tourists but here we have the chance to wander through the empty rooms on a virtual tour. you might even see one of the many cats that have the right to live there!
In the Kremlin Armoury you might be interested in the exquisite costume collection from the Russian court. In complete contrast there is an exhibiyion introducing the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh to the Russian people. On display are some very familiar pieces of furniture from the Hill House in Edinburgh.
The Hermitage
The Hermitage
The interior of the Hermitage
To enter the Hermitage, click on the link below for Floor 2 then click Begin the Tour and go up the grand staircases.
https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/panorama/virtual_visit/panoramas-m-2/?lng=en
The Hermitage Cats
If you go to the Hermitage you may see a cat strolling around, lying on a chair or sunning itself in the courtyard outside. This cat is one of sixty cats living in the basement of the Hermitage and protected by the museum. Cats have been there since the 18th century and were originally used as mousers. These cats have their own press secretary and three people who act as caretakers as well as their own kitchen and even a small hospital!
As of 2007 the museum bagan adopting cats needing homes.
Catherine the Great
This portrait of Catherine the Great can be seen in the Hermitage Museum. She was the wife of Peter the Great who made reforms that had a lasting effect on Russia. Catherine the Great is seen as an outstanding politcal figure, a passionate art collector and one of the greatest women in world history. There are beautiful costumes, many belonging to Catherine the Great in the Kremlin Armoury. You can see these and more in the item below,
The Kremlin Museums, Moscow
Costumes in The Armoury Chambers at the Kremlin
During many centuries a unique collection of costumes and dresses, belonging to the Russian Tsars and Emperors, has been developed.
In this display, you can see dresses, headwear, footwear and accessories worn in the Russian Court.
To see the costumes, click on the link below.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh Exhibition at the Kremlin
In 2014, the Kremlin Museums held an exhibition of some of the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This was one of the Kremlin Museum`s cultural projects intended to introduce the Russian public to world art masterpieces of the 20th century. There was a display of furniture from Hill House as well as paintings, stencils and posters.
If you`d like to see the exhibits, click the link below.
The Great British Art Quiz: set by the National Trust of Scotland
Here is a different quiz. It tests your knowledge of paintings found in National Trust properties in Scotland. there`s also very interesting information given on each painting.
Click on the link below to start the
quiz.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/apr/01/the-great-british-art-quiz-set-by-the-national-trust-for-scotland
Print 