National Gallery -CityLit 100 paintings (Oil is struck)

Julia tells us more about the Arnolfini 

Well we (a mixed bunch of largely retired types on CityLit Art course )  had a week off for 'half term' but back moving through the years (and countries) as we find out more of the European Art story.

The good news is that we had less religiosity and more 'real life' with the added bonus of Oil paints.

Oil offers the artist the chance to create colour with far more flexibility than (egg) tempera  and in the north of Europe painting on wood was far more practical than the walls that were often the base of works in the south.

[Here is a video about oil painting in Venice]

Although European artists did not use oil extensively until the 15th Century recent discoveries in Afghanistan have uncovered work by 7th century  Buddhists who worked in oils.
(Oil is the base that pigments are suspended in)

We were again in the National Gallery and to me it seemed slightly less crowded than of late - apart from around 'The Arnolfini Portrait' by Jan Van Eyck.

I've looked at this painting a few times both with a 'guide' and by myself -it bares repeated analysis far more than many  paintings - and the narrative complements the skills that are showcased.

There are a number of videos that interrogate this work - Sister Wendy's is one of my favourites.

Another painting we took a look at was 'The Exhumation of Saint Hubert' by Rogier van der Weyden

 The Exhumation of Saint Hubert
by Rogier van der Weyden

This too was an oil painting but it does not have the  brilliance of Van Eyck's work.


The painting is about him being exhumed (dug out)  from the ground - Hubert was the Saint of Hunters - who became virtuous after losing his wife in childbirth and an encounter with a Deer.


[I have realised through the studies of Art that many Saints in many paintings where Christ is often featured may not reflect 'Historical Jesus' as the saints were alive at a later time - this is perhaps more about Catholicism than Christianity.]

POLITICS

Budget earlier in the week not a great deal to recommend it, little done to address  poor UK productivity - Phil Hammond (like his predecessor George Osborne)  did some fine work politically increasing the impression of a split at top of Labour between Corbyn and McDonald and implying all is well with UK PLC.

Well done to former Tory Sports Minister Tracy Crouch for showing some courage in resigning over delay in introducing a reduction to the maximum bet on those Fixed Stakes Machines found in Betting shops (apparently there are around 2 people a day in the UK taking their own lives  as a result of gambling addiction problems).