There are certain things we all took for granted before the pandemic, this is face we have become hyper aware the longer it went it. So now having the opportunity to drop by the National Gallery of Ireland on a sunny Tuesday has even more ceremony to it.
No matter how many times you visit The National, the sheer scale and beauty of the galley never fails to impress. At first you may thing it almost overwhelms the artwork as it is pure opulence however once you settle into the space the work begins to sing out.
The first piece I was utterly drawn in by was The Opening of the Sixth Seal (1828) by Francis Danby. It is a deeply emotive and discerning piece illustrating a section from the book of revelations. The contrast between flashes of light and the darkness below the earth is so striking that it is almost cinematic. The intensity and drama of the painting is almost an allegory for how we are all feeling at the moment.
Upstairs there is a wonderfully intimate but vast exhibition titled Living with art: Picasso to Celmins. The show consists of monochromatic prints and drawings by leading artists in their field. It is the private collection of Alexander Walker a film critic of the Evening Standard and give us an insight into how an art collector lives in and amongst their collection. It was a real treat to see Peter Doig’s print from his series of paintings based on film Friday the 13th, a personal favourite of mine.
I could spend the day being lost in work of the National Gallery of Ireland, there is so much to take in and I haven’t even scratched the surface. This a visual treasure in the city centre.
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