It was worth the trip. But I am still not sure that he was such an impressive artist. The references to the drama in his compositions is sort of fair, but in my eyes its more melodrama. Over the top. And his much trumpeted use of colour doesn't say much more than that. Yes, he had colourful canvases. But the pictures I most liked weren't his big set piece altarpieces, but his full-length portraits. Less flashy, but very sweet pictures.Especially a pair of a noble family, one of husband and son, the other of wife and daughter. Animated without being, well, melodramatic.
I then went next door briefly to the National Portrait Gallery. I do like this gallery, but you don't want to see it all at once. I took in the Van Dyck self-portrait which has just been bought for the nation at great cost. While one might argue at the price, one can't argue that he wasn't a great portrait artist. He didn't make it to Court painter for nothing.
By this time it was a real scorcher, so I headed off to Regent's Park. while the park has its big spaces for the energetic to kick a bal around, it also has lovely gardens. Firstly there are parallel avenues of flower beds interspersed with fountains and urns.
Then in the middle there are the Rose Gardens. Ok, hope you like roses....
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