The National Gallery of Scotland

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The national gallery of Scotland

Makarov A.A.

The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassicaledifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens. The building, which was designed by William Henry Playfair, first opened to the public in 1859.

Edinburgh attracts many art lovers not only for its beauty and fine architecture, but also the excellent museums. Chief among them is the national gallery of Scotland. Visit this gallery leaves a striking impression, even if the person in General terms, is the nature of its collections.

The Museum is small: only fourteen exhibition halls. One of them is reserved for prints and drawings, the other for paintings of Western European schools from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century. In these thirteen halls, the visitor encounters works Filippino Lippi and Perugino, paintings by Hugo van der goes, El Greco and Goya; here are three paintings by Raphael, four - Titian, two paintings by Veronese, Bassano, and Tiepolo, among works by Flemish and Dutch schools - three works of Gal's, as many by van Dyck, two canvases by Rubens, five by Rembrandt; a whole room is devoted to works of Poussin (in the gallery of them to nine); of the works of the French school of the eighteenth century are highlighted in the paintings of Watteau and Chardin, French art of the XIX century, in addition to Delacroix, and Daumier, represented by names such as Courbet, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas, Monet, Cezanne, Seurat, van Gogh, Gauguin, Bonnard... One room is allotted the largest masters of the English school of the XVIII-XIX centuries; and, of course, in the halls of the gallery you can see the best that was created by Scottish artists in the heyday of Scottish painting, in XVIIIXIX centuries. But it's not in the famous names or the number of works of great masters in the exhibit. Striking is the exceptionally high quality of most of the paintings. Typically, the selection of paintings is not designed for comprehensive coverage of the artistic phenomena of the era, opens a rare, unexpected aspects of the work of renowned artists. Dominated by characteristic examples of their art.

But is it possible to speak of "typical samples", where each artwork is a revelation? In this respect, the unexpected lies in wait for the viewer at every step, and then it turns out that thirteen not-so-great area of the halls of the National gallery of Scotland in terms of the richness of the experiences will not yield a larger Museum.

Like when going to the National gallery collection, the most significant of the museums of Scotland?

The opening of the gallery in 1859 it was used to exhibit paintings belonging to the nearby Royal institution paintings and sculpture from the collection of the Academy of fine arts and various works of art, bequeathed in 1835 to Edinburgh University and passed the National gallery.

In 1906, the gallery has received private funds to expand the collections, and in 1907 and its first permanent Director. For the first half century of its existence, the collection managed to grow through generous gifts or bequests made by individuals. This source of replenishment of the collection exists in the present. For example, in 1960 the national gallery received a gift of a collection of sir Maitland, the largest arrival of this kind in the history of the gallery. This collection, the Museum is obliged by the appearance in the walls of first-class works of the Impressionists.

With regard to purchases of major works of art, this invaluable assistance, as well as other museums in Britain, has a society known as the national art collections Fund. It is a society which originated in England in 1903, with the aim of preventing the export of works of art outside the country and preserving them for national museums. The society assumes special weight in the last decade, when the threat of diversion of art treasures from private collections in other countries has been particularly noticeable in Britain.

With monetary support from the National endowment gallery, for example, could buy in 1944, one of the best landscapes of the English masters of the nineteenth century John constable, and in 1955 - an early painting by Velazquez "Woman cooking eggs". However, it must be remembered that not all the paintings hanging in the gallery, and is her property. We have already mentioned that in the first years of the gallery's history, various institutions have provided their collections for display in its halls. In terms of the existence of large private collections of this practice is to lend their treasures to the Museum to smaller or larger time - is widespread in the West, including in Britain. In this way the National gallery of Scotland in 1946, received the paintings from the collection of count Elsmere, now the Duke of Sutherland, one of the most significant private collections in Britain. 12* Suffice it to say that it includes the above mentioned four paintings by Titian and three by Raphael, eight of the nine works of Poussin, four of the five works of Rembrandt and a number of other beautiful paintings, which visitors see in the gallery. The bulk of this collection is exhibited in a separate hall.

With the exception of English and Scottish painting, paintings galleries are grouped not by country, and eyelids; if the material is not very much, one room spans several centuries. For example, in the hall, begins the exhibition brings together works by Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and French schools of XIV-XVI centuries. Dominated by the work of the Italian school. Many of these early paintings represent only parts or fragments of larger paintings, but this does not prevent them to delight the eye and heart of the viewer.

Among the best works of the National gallery should certainly be attributed to a small, very well-preserved painting by the Italian master Filippino Lippi (1457?-1504) "Annunciation" is obviously formed part of the great altar of the image. Executed around 1496, it belongs to the late works of famous masters, whose art has absorbed the sophistication and intellectualism few nervous atmosphere magicheskogo court in the late fifteenth century. Perhaps the most amazing thing in this thing - a kind of correlation of poetic, lyricism of mood and understated elegance of the art form. It is impossible to resist the charm of immediacy that is felt in the expression of the young lady, gazing down at her child with some astonishment, indeed like a miracle. At first it seems that Madonna around everything should be calmer and easier. But the fact of the feature of the picture that a simple scene turned into an easy and precise brush Filippino Lippi into a sparkling jewel, something unusual, festive. In this case, the source of this festivity is the richness and sophistication of flavor, the complexity, the sophistication even certain lines of the drawing, especially figures of angels, holding the edge of the mantle of the Madonna. The figure of the angel on the right appears on a black background bizarre ruins of the old building. Apparel angel pink, with light violet shades; pink - dark purple, crinkly, thin waist, brown with Golden lights sleeves; green wings; scarf on his shoulders is written in thin glazes the colors of the rainbow. Around the outline of the figures of angels running light white wavy lines, like garments worn on top of another one, transparent, almost invisible. The colors of the garments of the second angel is gold with white. Tone clothes Madonna calmer: gray-blue with a greenish dress, cool shades of blue cloak with Golden lights on the lapels. Everything you need to add dark blue with green and pale yellow spots of the garment of Joseph. And the more you scrutinize a complex but harmonic colour structure of the painting, the more I admire the skill of the artist, this piece gave the viewer another piece of their talent.

Among the paintings that are in the same first room of the exhibition, draw attention to the work of an unknown artist of the school of Ferrara in the late fifteenth century "Madonna and child" and a fragment of a work by Pietro Perugino (CA. 1450-1523), showing four Nude male figures. The first of them is still drawn to the vanishing tradition of the Italian Quattrocento. The second allows us to feel the hand of the master of the High Renaissance.

The culmination of the exposition of the Italian school is the hall where collected together Italian paintings from the collection of the Duke of Sutherland. Chronologically, this parade of masterpieces of the Italian school opens "the Holy family with a palm tree" by Raphael (1483-1520). It is believed that this work is related to early Florentine period of the artist's work, was executed around 1507. According to your mood, character, flavor, somewhat hard and bright, as well as in the interpretation of the individual parts it comes close to the famous early images of the Madonna in the landscape - the Louvre, "the Beautiful gardener", the Vienna "Madonna in green" and "Madonna with scheglenkom" from the Uffizi gallery. Rafael creates a perfect world here serene but at the same time full of significance and peace. Very precise smooth line contour outlines of the figures, subjecting them to selected for this composition. But it is worth a closer look and now think that the picture space is not flat, not round, and the sphere in which center - man. The world takes on volume, convexity. Created by the imagination of the artist and the gentle landscape (palm adds some dissonance) is perceived not just as background but as a living environment. Details, particular - everything is subordinated to the whole; and all together, and people and nature, raised to the level of high, beautiful ideal. In this early painting already anticipates a lot more Mature works of Raphael.

The second masterpiece of Raphael in the halls of the National gallery, the so - called Bridzhuoterskaya Madonna. Executed circa 1508 and, as well as "the Holy family with a palm tree", referring to the Florentine period of the artist's work, she, however, gives the impression of more Mature and late work. Unlike the previous paintings, she immediately drew the attention of the perfection of form and drawing skills, and the ability to eliminate all superfluous. Finest haze - the famous sfumato - envelops the figure and gives a soft look, smile. It seems that the face emits a soft light, warming is generally not a very bright picture.

In this same room are four paintings by Titian (1489/90 - 1576), belonging to different periods in his career, and revealing different facets of his generous talent.

"Three ages of man" - an early painting, executed around 1515. Titian turns it into one of the favorite themes of the Renaissance, embodies the philosophical reflections on life and death. Titian decides the subject, how could it solve its artist of the Renaissance, is still experiencing a rise and not be affected is already close to crisis, while the cheerful artist, he's always been Titian. He created the stage, light and lyrical, full of clarity and clarity. Three ages of man... Childhood, serene and lighthearted, embody the sweet sleeping babies, which Titian depicted in the right part of the picture. With youth comes love. Boy and girl with two pipes in the hands of the Arcadian shepherd and shepherdess, intently staring at each other, - make the picture the best time of human life. This group is the main in the composition, it determines the emotional structure of the canvas. And a carrier of emotions is not only plastic solution, how much color: fuchsia and white sonorous tones of a girl's clothes come to life against the background of fresh green grass, light brown color of her hair set off the blue of the sky. Like a true Venetian colour - the main thing for Titian. And as if driving away the thought of old age and death, the artist pushes far into the picture a little and some slight, lonely figure of the old man, intently looking at the skull that he holds in his hands.

Around 1520 by Titian was painted "Venus of Anadyomene" that is emerging from the water. But, strictly speaking, water and sky, merging with her, not playing some independent, essential role in this evocative painting. There is a little shimmering pale blue background. Its neutrality makes even more focus on the figure of Venus, which appears as a beautiful and very earthly vision.

The image of Venus, chaste and antique Venetian-sensitive, seems so complete, so solid that "anadiomena of Venus" by Titian is perceived as the incarnation of ideal feminine beauty, in the future well established in the art of the Venetian school. Unfortunately, the records made later, lowers the purely pictorial quality of the canvas.

And next to these such tranquil works - two huge paintings in which the fury of the brush, and the confusion of feelings. It - "Diana and Actaeon" and "Diana and Callisto" paintings Titian executed at the end of 1550 years for the Spanish king Philip II. It is known that they were sent to Madrid in 1559. Tiziano was then already seventy years old.

The first of the paintings depicts a young man, Actaeon, who, while hunting, accidentally saw the goddess Diana while bathing. The second picture shows the final moment of the myth of Diana, when the angry goddess learns that one of her nymphs, the beautiful Callisto, seduced by Jupiter, when he appeared to her in the guise... most of Diana.

Both paintings indicate the onset of a new phase in the work of Titian, as well as the emergence of other trends in the art of Italy in the second half of the XVI century. In these paintings no longer crystal clear and balanced compositions of the High Renaissance, including the early work of Titian, such as the "Three ages of man." Instead of the joy - fear, confusion, anger. The composition is dynamic. Several elongated figures given in complex ways. Alarmingly, almost stormy sky. Predominant in both paintings the tone of malinovoye, Golden and brown - not bright and muted, almost faded. The paint falls on the canvas is a strong, restless strokes. Looking at these pictures, feelings of anxiety and admiration for the virtuosity of the brush of the famous Venetian master.

At the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna is stored a later version of the painting "Diana and Callisto", the song which made big changes, even amplifying expression.

Similar in mood to just reviewed the works of Titian and stored in the National gallery of Scotland great works by Tintoretto (1560-1635). In the gallery you can see the monumental painting "the descent from the cross" and "portrait of a man", both from the collection of the Duke of Sutherland. In "portrait of a man" by Tintoretto paints the face of a confused man, unsure of himself.

On the contrary, "Mars and Venus", a great song by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588), a contemporary of Tintoretto, and of his cheerfulness and outright admiration of human beauty reminds us that the traditions of the Renaissance stayed in Venice longer than in other cities of Italy. Veronese repeatedly appealed to this plot. Although researchers usually prefer other versions of the painting, the one that belongs to the National gallery of Scotland, is certainly among the most memorable paintings of the Museum. Master brilliant decorative compositions of Veronese with its generous brush and it turns his creation into a genuine celebration of life. Together with the artist we admire in Venetian full-blooded beauty of the created images, enjoy a variety of free brushwork and richness of colour combinations. Light Golden strands of hair of Venus in harmony with the olive-brown shawl. Slightly reddish, lightly tanned like the color of the body of the goddess comes alive next to the steel gray color is gorgeous helmet of Mars, a helmet with a gold crest and purple crest. Just remember, considering this canvas that the brown pattern on a dark Golden cloth lying on the knees of Venus, and drawing the drapery hanging on the tree, and later additions. The painting was in the collection of the National gallery at the moment of the opening of the Museum in 1859.

Among the masterpieces of the gallery also acquired in the mid-nineteenth century and was the main core of its collections are "the adoration of the Magi" Bassano, and two canvases by Tiepolo.

"Adoration of the Magi" performed at the beginning of the 1540-ies Jacopo Bassano (1510?-1592), the most talented representative of the family of Da Ponte, called Bassano the name of a small town near Venice, where the family was born. This is a great product fully shows how strong the genre elements in the religious compositions of the artist.

Scene bringing the gifts to the Christ child is not seen as a solemn event, depicts the noisy and colorful crowd, mostly absorbed in their own Affairs. But the large size of the picture, its addictive brilliance not allow us to consider the scene as a purely routine. The cloth was cleared in the early 1960-ies. Paint it sparkle. Released from years of layers of paint, revealed a bold combination of juicy color spots. They lead the viewer's eye from shape to shape, not so much highlighting the main characters, but emphasizing the structure of the composition. This "color melody" starts in the left part of the picture tranquil purple and deep orange stain the clothes of Joseph. Next - sluggish pink little body of the child, the background of which is pale-crimson and cold blue robes of the Madonna. The costume of the old kings, in the foreground, is perceived as neutral coricnevatogo spot. As a pause in the music, it gives rest to the eye before the next dazzling color chords. It's suit the young Magus: dark green velvet with Golden stripes, light yellow in the lights, brown in the shadows. Next to him the figure of a servant with dogs; here is dominated by an intense Golden colour with brownish-orange shades. And finally, juicy, dark-green coat on the figure of the young man, standing near the bright white rump of a horse, and the crimson banner in the upper right corner of the canvas.

Repetition of this work is in the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad.

Two paintings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770), stored in the National gallery of Scotland, especially noteworthy is the three-meter canvas on the theme of "Finding of Moses". It was originally even more: right in the first half of the nineteenth century was cut off a piece over a meter wide. This fragment depicting a warrior halberd fighter is now in a private collection. However, the incompleteness of the composition do not notice at once, blinded by a decorative Shine of the fabric, saturation and lightness at the same time his colour. Brush the last of the great Venetians recognized it immediately and accurately. In the age of the flowering of Italian dramatic art Tiepolo builds its theatrical and grandiose in size composition with great ease, a worthy contemporary of Goldoni and Gozzi. Looking for a flowing, glittering silk, forget that the plot is taken from the Bible. Nothing but subtle palm trees on the right in the background of the picture recalls that, according to legend, the action takes place in Egypt. Egyptian Princess and her retinue appear before the audience not in the ancient and not a modern artist clothes, but Venetian costumes of the XVI century. There is a hidden meaning. The artist pays tribute to the creations of his illustrious predecessor, Veronese, and its composition aims to revive in our memory the paintings of the Golden age of Venetian painting: in the arrangement of figures one can see some similarities with the painting by Veronese that are stored in the Dresden gallery. The date of the writing of the "Finding of Moses" I bet 13* but in any case, the painting refers to the creative period when Tiepolo already reached the heights of his skill.

The second painting by Tiepolo in the National gallery collection - "the

Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra", a small sketch for one of the frescoes of the Great hall of Palazzo labia in Venice, executed in 1745-1750 years and is a recognized masterpiece of the artist. In this work, as well as in the "Finding of Moses", Tiepolo pays tribute to the theatre, creating a fantastic scene in the spirit of the musical dramas of Metastasio with actors, lush accessories, spectacular scenery.

The whole scene is flooded with light. As of this writing, my favorite artist of paintings and frescoes on the story of Antony and Cleopatra by Tiepolo have long developed their own painting style. Shadow is almost there. A few bright strokes, quickening the broad bright planes of color create the impression of sunlight.

In the same room with paintings by Veronese, Bassano, and Tiepolo are the works of several masters of the Spanish school.

Domenico El Greco (1541-1614) is represented by two paintings, of which "the Savior" immediately attracts attention with its emotional power. This work was done, obviously, in the end of 1590 years and probably is one of the earliest versions of the image of Christ for the so-called "apostolado", cycle of paintings devoted to Christ and the twelve apostles. El Greco's Spain's first started writing these series of paintings and put them in his observations of human nature and characters. In the painting Scottish collection is inspired, liveliness of artistic vision and freedom of the brush, which immediately allow you to feel that this work is one of the artistic successes of the masters.

The only one in the National gallery painting Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), "Woman cooking eggs", applies to 1618, that is, to the early period of the artist. This is one of the genre scenes, the so-called "bodegones" that Velazquez often painted in Seville, at the time of his youth, even before arrival in Madrid in 1623. In fact, each of these studies, a kind of experiment in the development of the human figures and various items. The same faces, the same things occur in different compositions. For example, you can see the boy's face, he is also depicted in the painting by Velazquez "Breakfast" in the Hermitage collection. At the time of writing Edinburgh the paintings of velбzquez played already a lot of genre scenes. It is written in a confident manner, a master, a well-studied Caravaggio's achievements in the field of light and shade. Vividly and emotionally transmitted person to pose for him Andalusian peasants. As always in their "bodegones", Velasquez lovingly writes each of the items here especially numerous, identifying the volume of their shape, their texture. Although in the song there is some deliberateness and obvious fragmentation of its parts, examining this painting, you feel captivated by the skill of the young artist, with disarming directness approver value to the everyday world and the everyday.

art national gallery Scotland

References

1. History National galleries of Scotland (1850-1900)

2. Playfair Project

3. National gallery of Scotland, James Drummond

4. John EMMS, The National Gallery Of Scotland.

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