Caravaggio's Cupid - the Wallace Collection

Still somewhat hungover from the previous night, I thought I would see Eoin most of the way back to Paddington for his train, but divert to see a little exhibition I had been meaning to go to at the Wallace Collection.

Now when I say "little exhibition" I really mean it. Essentially it is an exhibition devoted to only one exhibit, Caravaggio's Victorious Cupid, which is on "special" loan from Berlin. Well it's not quite on its own. There are also two Roman marble statues, which are also in Berlin and were once also owned by Caravaggio's patron Vincenzo Giustiniani. The exhibition is augmented by sketches of other works (especially other cupids) and the area in which Caravaggio and his patron lived. 

And given Caravaggio was renowned for his technique of painting in shadows, fittingly the rooms are dark with areas of intense illumination. It's very dramatic, manageable, informative, not too pretentious. 

It was actually very nice just to have the one painting to look at. Normally I wander through hundreds and don't maybe absorb that much, or think too deeply about the painting before me as there are so many others just waiting next to it. 

This painting is extraordinary for a number of reasons. First the realism. Second the symbolism of Love Conquers All. Cupid stands astride musical instruments, sketch books, architects tools, literature, music scripts, a globe (so the world) a crown (so earthly authority) a suit of  armour (so war).

Cupid is neatly idealised. By which I mean cute cheeky face, but a rather chunky torso for a prepubescent boy. It was no surprise to read that Caravaggio was assumed to be gay, and that according to one seventeenth century writer, the model was his twelve year old servant and lover (although not clear that he was his lover when he was only 12). But does show you started work earlier in those days! The wings were also painted from a pair of real eagles' wings he had been given.

And apparently it was quite the thing back in the day to compare "modern" works like those of Caravaggio or Michelangelo, with ancient ones, like the two sculptures in the exhibition. The Cupid painting was kept behind a green curtain so that when Giustiniani was showing guests around his collection, he could open the curtains at the end with a flourish to reveal the star painting of his artworks.

If you haven't been to the Wallace Collection it is well worth it for the breadth and quality of what is on show, from grand rooms, to armouries and a great picture gallery upstairs packed with Rubens and Rembrandt, Dutch masters and French Rococo 

 

White Lies at the Roundhouse

I would love to give you a detailed review of the White Lies gig at the Roundhouse. Trouble is I have very little memory of it!

So, Eoin had a good lie in, we went to my local market where he indulged in an emergency pain-au-chocolat and then we headed down for a late (gone 2pm) Sunday roast at the Salisbury, an extraordinary pub in Haringey: a glorious Victorian/Edwardian rambling place with wood panelling and stained glass. And we had a very good roast. Problem was that we didn't go on to anything else, just spent the afternoon drinking.

However, I clearly enjoyed the gig enough to have come away with a good number of photos. And I know the support from She's In Parties was good as I messaged a couple of people to say so (although the typing was clearly going. Can you slur a text?)

And I have had White Lies songs going around in my head ever since, so they clearly impinged on my subconscious memory. Just the conscious one that seems to be missing! So. Enjoy the photos. I have nothing more to offer!

 

Stephen K Amos and The Ariston with Eoin

I was really looking forward to this weekend visit from my young friend Eoin. It was built around coming down to see White Lies on the Sunday, but I proposed doing some stand up on the Saturday evening, and then seeing as that didn't finish too late, added on a pub gig only half an hour away.

We started off with early Chinese meal in Chinatown. I mention that as it rather saved the evening (in contrast to Sunday). So the comedy was at Leicester Square Theatre to see a comic who I always love live, Stephen K Amos. And we had a couple of beers while we were there.

Stephen had an opener, Ninia Benjamin, and she was pretty awful. I could see Eoin looking at me as if to say "why did you bring me here? For this?" But fortunately Stephen turned that all the way round. Eoin loved the show, and inadvertently became a star of it. (Typical Eoin.)

So Stephen tends to a do a bit of audience interaction, and for the purpose of this routine he wanted to find a representative young person. Although we were not in the front row, we were in the second row and so Stephen alighted on Eoin. And Eoin being a great sport he went along cheerfully. To the extent that in the foyer, where Stephen was doing a book signing, on our arrival Stephen announced "It's Eoin everybody!" and Eoin gets a spontaneous round of applause!

Nice photo of the three of us below.

So with Eoin clutching his signed book, we went four stops up the Piccadilly Line to Kings Cross and then walked down to a new pub venue to me (although not a new venue) the Water Rats, to catch the Ariston. Actually this gig was billed as "Big in 2026" with a number of bands scheduled, but I figured we would only catch the last, the Ariston, whom I have seen a couple of times before.

But actually we caught most of the Pedestrian Band's set too. And once again Eoin was looking at me a bit "why  have you taken me to this?" Exacerbated by it being boiling hot in there. But fortunately the Ariston were much better. And I wanted to see them with their new guitarist, furthest away from the camera, who manfully played in his leather jacket for the whole set despite the place being a sauna.

 Fortunately we were close to Kings Cross, so easy journey home; so easy in fact that we could just pop into my pub for a last orders pint before going home. And opening a bottle of red wine. I wasn't sure where I had left my wine saver, but we cured that problem by finishing the bottle before going to bed. Just glad we had had dinner