An Afternoon at the V&A
I decided to head for the V&A yesterday instead of the BM. It’s been ages since I did the V&A and the costume court is invariably closed when I do, so it looked like a good opportunity.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that you can now get into the main museum directly from the South Ken tunnel (it really is past time for a renovation). The short entrance section of tunnel had been decorated in marvelous baroque-style cut-metal work in black and red - reminiscent of Thai shadow puppet work. It turned out to be Simon Periton’s
The Anti-room of the Mae Queen 1
The entrance gives straight into the Dorothy and Michael Hintze gallery, mainly 20C sculpture, and the first thing one sees is a twice-life-size elegant torso of a woman in pink granite - which turns out to be Eric Gill's 'Mankind'. There are also three of his stone carved alphabets (of course), which would make any self respecting mason want to weep. The relief carving on 'TAX AD' is as sensual as any of his life sculptures. The cabinets also contained a ceramic mock up (made for Wedgewood) of a group of Axis Deer by John Skeaping (another favourite - though I don't think of him as a sculptor), and a scattering of Rodin's work. There was also a life-sized terracotta by Dalou of a "Peasant Woman Nursing a Baby" 2, dated 1873 and superbly detailed, even to the upturned basket she was sitting on. I could have spent a year there just gaping (pity one can't touch).
After that I just did some wandering around - the shop had some lovely crockery by Lin Cheung - tiny silver and gold glazed coffee cups on elongated shadows of mother-of-pearl glazed saucers - clever and practical. The metals gallery had a wonderful display of biscuit tins, including an oval tin post box money box similar to one I had as a child (so designs hadn't changed much between 1926 and 1956), and an 'anvil' complete with blacksmiths tools moulded in and with a Landseer print of 'Shoeing the Mare' on one side. Further up the gallery is a modern (1980) fire grate cut from a single sheet of steel plate (rather like the wind chime we put up in the garden last week) and a 17C fireback with imps jumping which must have looked very effective with a fire in front of it. The music galleries were closed, but I did catch a tour guide talking about the chandelier-like installation of flattened brass instruments Breathless by Cornelia Parker. The instruments, acquired from old brass bands, were squashed by part of another age-old institution, Tower Bridge - so suitable for both the metals gallery and the Music room.
It was getting on for 3 when I rushed through the Arts and Crafts gallery and made my way back to the entrance - only to find that the quickest way was through the Costume Court - so that was another hour of browsing (I do think that the labels on the sporting clothes need a check with some experts - they really do not understand the history and significance of hunting clothing, either for men or women).
Most enjoyable afternoon. Now, shall I go for the Tower of London or the Ideal Home Exhibition today?
1 In flux - last night’s Brainbox quiz show had a question about whose lips the iconic 40s sofa were modelled on - Lana Turner, Jane Russell, Mae West? Not one person on the show blinked when the contestant mused "well the one who sticks out most is Mae West"…
2 See icon (hmmm)
I was pleasantly surprised to find that you can now get into the main museum directly from the South Ken tunnel (it really is past time for a renovation). The short entrance section of tunnel had been decorated in marvelous baroque-style cut-metal work in black and red - reminiscent of Thai shadow puppet work. It turned out to be Simon Periton’s
The Anti-room of the Mae Queen 1
The entrance gives straight into the Dorothy and Michael Hintze gallery, mainly 20C sculpture, and the first thing one sees is a twice-life-size elegant torso of a woman in pink granite - which turns out to be Eric Gill's 'Mankind'. There are also three of his stone carved alphabets (of course), which would make any self respecting mason want to weep. The relief carving on 'TAX AD' is as sensual as any of his life sculptures. The cabinets also contained a ceramic mock up (made for Wedgewood) of a group of Axis Deer by John Skeaping (another favourite - though I don't think of him as a sculptor), and a scattering of Rodin's work. There was also a life-sized terracotta by Dalou of a "Peasant Woman Nursing a Baby" 2, dated 1873 and superbly detailed, even to the upturned basket she was sitting on. I could have spent a year there just gaping (pity one can't touch).
After that I just did some wandering around - the shop had some lovely crockery by Lin Cheung - tiny silver and gold glazed coffee cups on elongated shadows of mother-of-pearl glazed saucers - clever and practical. The metals gallery had a wonderful display of biscuit tins, including an oval tin post box money box similar to one I had as a child (so designs hadn't changed much between 1926 and 1956), and an 'anvil' complete with blacksmiths tools moulded in and with a Landseer print of 'Shoeing the Mare' on one side. Further up the gallery is a modern (1980) fire grate cut from a single sheet of steel plate (rather like the wind chime we put up in the garden last week) and a 17C fireback with imps jumping which must have looked very effective with a fire in front of it. The music galleries were closed, but I did catch a tour guide talking about the chandelier-like installation of flattened brass instruments Breathless by Cornelia Parker. The instruments, acquired from old brass bands, were squashed by part of another age-old institution, Tower Bridge - so suitable for both the metals gallery and the Music room.
It was getting on for 3 when I rushed through the Arts and Crafts gallery and made my way back to the entrance - only to find that the quickest way was through the Costume Court - so that was another hour of browsing (I do think that the labels on the sporting clothes need a check with some experts - they really do not understand the history and significance of hunting clothing, either for men or women).
Most enjoyable afternoon. Now, shall I go for the Tower of London or the Ideal Home Exhibition today?
1 In flux - last night’s Brainbox quiz show had a question about whose lips the iconic 40s sofa were modelled on - Lana Turner, Jane Russell, Mae West? Not one person on the show blinked when the contestant mused "well the one who sticks out most is Mae West"…
2 See icon (hmmm)