Posted on

The Cheapside Hoard: as good as the Crown Jewels.

cheapside

The huge number of glittering jewels actually made me gasp as I turned a corner of the exhibition space at the Museum of London.

The Fort Knox style security (no bags allowed plus huge security gates) fed the feeling of excitement around this exhibition. It was cleverly curated with portraits from the time showcasing the jewellery which featured in the hoard.

The tale behind the huge stash of jewels is fascinating & the not knowing why they were buried in a cellar in Cheapside makes the whole story more compelling.

Posted on

A sumptuous collection of Elizabethan portraits.

elizabeth i

 

Much of the Elizabeth & her people exhibition was concerned with royalty & the upper classes. There was some focus on trade and John Gresham who developed the Royal Exchange on a model of the Bourse in Antwerp.

Interesting when viewed alongside the Cheapside hoard. The hoard has made me look more closely at Elizabethan jewellery & I now appreciate how much an individual would have worn.

Posted on

Handel House Museum


This is a gorgeous little museum in the very heart of the West End is where Handel wrote the Messiah. It is also a great example of a Georgian house. The Handel section of the house is interesting & the guides are very well informed & friendly. The one thing I found most interesting is that Jimi Hendrix live in the flat in the 60s. Brilliant musicians from different eras.

Posted on

Barocci: Brilliance and grace, National Gallery

Rest on the Flight into Egypt. Before 1573 by Fredrico Barocci

 

He is now almost totally forgotten but when he was alive there were queues for days to see his altarpieces. (Like the Leonardo in 2011) He wasn’t commissioned until he was in his 30s, which gives me great hope. Not that I will ever draw anything other than a stickman but that I may achieve greatness later in life.

‘Rest on the Flight into Egypt’. Before 1573 by Federico Barocci

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-reviews/9893595/Barocci-Brilliance-and-Grace-National-Gallery-review.html