In Lieu of Sherwood, Arcadia

[princeofcairo]

Mine excellent host was not feeling up to full snuff this morning, so Nottingham was off. Instead, I went on a pilgrimage of my own, to the National Gallery to visit the greatest painting of the nineteenth century.

James and I had stopped off in front of the Gallery yesterday so that I could see the statue of George Washington in front of it (he'd

Comments

[david_devereux]

I seem to recall that the Tate has a fair collection of Turner's work as well, so you might care to pop along there if time permits.

[david_devereux]

The real Tate, that is, not the new one.

[princeofcairo]

Went there last year, and loved it. That's where we had our epiphany in re Turner and Impressionism, and where we saw Turner's paint box, preserved as it was on the day he died. Spine, meet chills.

[david_devereux]

Good-oh, I just wasn't keen on the idea that you might be missing out.

[mollpeartree]

So do you think you'll go to Nottingham at all? You mom thinks our niece would appreciate Nottingham souvenirs because of her interest in Robin Hood.

[princeofcairo]

It's not looking likely, sadly.

[copperbird]

Did you see where Turner sketched in the horses of the sun in the sky of that picture?

[princeofcairo]

I saw them explicitly in Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, and although I didn't notice them sketched into Fighting Temeraire, I suppose you can find them if you look.

[anonymous]

I don't know how much longer you're in this country, but if you're still around tomorrow or Sunday and James is still under the weather, you'd be welcome to grab a train out here and go see the half of the Fitzwilliam Museum that was closed back in 2003.

--
Phil Masters

[jholloway]

Make sure to check out the new medieval gallery, which has a wicked-good collection of coins, found in a mighty hoard while digging a trench for a water pipe. Plus great academic institutions squabbling like little kids over what the hoard was to be named.

Are they still showing the illuminated manuscripts? Probably not.

Even if it is mostly closed for renovation, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science is worth seeing, although I bite my tongue when I say that the Oxford one is nicer.

[anonymous]

Are they still showing the illuminated manuscripts?

Sadly not. 'Twas nice while it lasted. (Even the souvenirs... Well, I picked up a really stylish dragon pin to wear at RPG conventions.) They do apparently have an Albrecht Altdorfer exhibition and some Japanese prints, both of which I ought to catch sometime.

Even if it is mostly closed for renovation, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science is worth seeing...

It is indeed, but it has aggravating opening hours for those of us who do our sightseeing at weekends: 12:30-4:30pm from Monday-Friday.

--
Phil Masters

[jholloway]

Yes, the opening hours are pretty dumb. Since I'm on a student schedule (and it's just out the back door of my college and a few minutes from my department), it's no hassle for me, but there are so many people who should see it but don't get the chance to.

Bookstores in London

[bluegargantua]

Hi,

I'm going to be in London next week. I recall that you recommended a great bookstore for esoteria in San Francisco, but I wonder if you have a favorite London bookstore that I should check out.

thanks,
Tom

Re: Bookstores in London

[princeofcairo]

The Atlantis Bookshop, by the British Museum. Crowley used to hang out there and annoy the help.

Re: Bookstores in London

[bluegargantua]

Thanks!

Tom