Reporting In

The next day was a busy one, indeed.  We were forced to get off the tube one stop early due to the train breaking down so we decided to walk to the next station where we would change lines.  We think it was sort of a financial district so we didn't pass anything too exciting.  Although this building was pretty cool.

We got to the train station and that one was closed down too, probably to repair the train that we were on originally, so we just decided to walk the rest of the way to The Tate Britain Museum.  It was a bit chilly, but we got to see the MI6 James Bond building!

The Tate was not my favorite museum, but it had a few good things.  This atrium was really the best part though.

We headed to the back of the building to start the collection, titled 500 Years of British Art.  The lady in red, by Walter Richard Sickert, was quite striking.  From far away it looked like a different medium over the top of the painting, but no, it was all oil!

And this strange beauty by Victor Pasmore was quite intriguing.  Look at the sketch-like lines; they are in such contrast to the wandering tree limbs and non-horizon line.  And the little moon and birds just really cap it off nicely.  Great new find.

This next one reminds me of Grandpa's old puzzles.  All the white would have been tough to put together, but look at how beautiful it looks up close!  I've really been enjoying the snow paintings this year: I think partially because I appreciate how hard it would be to paint snow realistically.  The artist, LS Lowry, did a really interesting thing for the electric lines.  If you look closely in the third picture, you can see where they are scratched off.  Cool way to create an effect.

And to round out the commentary, here's a famous David Hockney piece.  Everything is very horizontal, and calmingly correct in its neatness.  It definitely gives a feeling of a warm summer day, and then is interrupted, in the scene as well as the paint style, by the pool splash.

(photos by e.hunt)