June 30-Jennifer Lemons Again!

Today we went to the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland. It definitely was an interesting adventure since I was given invalid directions, (Editor's Note: Fine, I said right when I should have said left, but, come on, my first mistaken directions in two weeks!) but we made it to the museum just to find out the exhibit was moved to another gallery. I think lady luck must have fallen asleep. So we trekked it to the other place and ended up with free entrance into their rotating exhibition. The exhibit was of drawings and was purely awe inspiring. It consisted of sketches of some of the most famous painters and printers, including masters such as Renoir, Raphael, Van Gogh and Monet. When looking at a piece of art it is always nice to see where it started and the process by which it came to be and that is what these rough sketches showed. Sketches? They were masterpieces in their own right.

The tour itself gave a great deal of understanding in how to look at art especially for those whom are not art enthusiast. The tour guide did a great job of keeping us involved in talking about very influential artwork such as a piece by Titian. I enjoyed every minute of the gallery tour and stayed beyond the tour to see the rest of the exhibit. I had to revel in the presence of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Degas. It seemed surreal to be able to see firsthand the greatest influences in art; the masters to which I gain inspiration for my own work. I wished others would have stayed longer to see the rest of the museum. The most interesting part of the gallery was the Scottish artist collection; a demonstration of art that seems to be overlooked in the classroom unfortunately.

Arguably, I think the National Gallery of Scotland is more enjoyable to see than the Louvre. Their collection is not as extensive, but with the old furniture and tables, it was if you stepped into someone’s home to see the work of art removing the barrier that a traditional gallery poses. This was my favorite thing we have done so far. We got to get up close and personal with the works of art that came out of the Renaissance and Enlightenment of Scotland. It wasn’t just about writers and philosophers or doctors and politicians. Art was a step out of political and religious control. The Scottish art that we saw was more about the people and it tapped more into the Nationalistic views of Wallace. It gave the common people something to relate to unlike the Italian artist who only painted complexed Greek mythology for the learned. The art of Scotland I think was more advanced for its time, drawing from the past to create a better future. It was art for the people and I think that is what I loved.