The Submarine VOL 8 NO 2.. June 2013 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
EDITORIAL Some time ago I mentioned to Mr Watts that we might do an issue based on the artistic talent we have amongst us—very very quickly he seized upon thee idea and in almost no time a list of contributors, both staff and pupils, had been commissioned, and when the time came there was the work, ready to go. I had forgotten that artists are doers and makers, who dream in their own time. To make art is a primary imary impulse in all of us. It is based on sight, one of the most important of the five senses.. Children C love to paint and make things. In this regard Picasso is often quoted: ‘All All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up’. He is referring to a child’s lack of fear,, lack of constraint, and even lack of judgement in the final result— —it is the freedom of making, the spontaneity that is important. This vital visual creative force gets quickly diluted in all but the most committed. But what a tale they have to tell, those who keep at it. Above all, art teaches us how to look. Most of us are merely casual lookers, a one-glance glance people. But an artist studies form and line, colour and texture, volume and dimension. They express the visual world in their own terms, and like all creative people, seek their own voice—or rather, vision. In turn, art deserves serious looking at,, though all too often, because it appears so immediately accessible, we find ourselves being dismissive or judgemental. Yes, art does repay serious looking, a careful quartering of the piece. Only then do we come to appreciate the balance between chance and intention, and receive the thrill of the physical reality of the work that a human hand and eye have created, be it yesterday or a thousand nd years ago. ago But art also teaches us to look through,, to look beyond. It captures something essential beyond shape or Top: Columban Gothic 2013, Katie Stewart and form or colour. If we look properly at art we can carry away Freddie Morris (Katie Stewart, Instagram). with us into the actual world a new way of looking, a new Below: American Gothic by Grant Wood, 1930 insight. TMcC Librarian 1.
NEW ART BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY 50 Photo Icons: the story behind the pictures by Hans-Michael Michael Koetzle 100 Ideas that Changed Art by Michael Bird Abandoned Mansions of Ireland by Tarquin Blake Art from the First World War , Imperial War Museum The Art of China: 3000 years of art and literature by Jason Steuber A Grand Design: the Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum by Malcolm Baker and Brenda Richardson (editors) A Handbook of Greek Art: a survey su of the visual arts of Ancient Greece by Gisela M. A. Richter Irish Country Houses: a chronicle of change by David Hicks Islam: Faith, Art, Culture: Manuscripts of the Chester Beatty Library by Elaine Wright Leonardo and The Last Supper by Ross King National Treasures of Georgia by Ori Z. Soltes Patrick Pye,, Life and Work: a countercounter cultural story by Brian McAvera Street Fonts: graffiti alphabets from around the world by Claudia Walde Symbolist Art in Context by Michelle Facos Telling Images of China: narrative and figure paintings, 15th to 20th century, from the Shanghai Museum, Shane McCausland and Lizhong Ling (editors) A Terrible Beauty: British Artists in the First World War by Paul Gough Treasures of the British Museum by Marjorie Caygill, Urban Interventions: personal projects in public spaces by Robert Klanten and Matthias Hubner (editors) V&A: The Victoria and Albert Museum by Lucy Trench
Torso,, Bella Purcell _____________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE New Art Books in the Library………..…….. Library…… 2 The Chester Beatty Library Mr Watts…...3 The Last Supper Saya Kazuse..................4 Kazuse The Casino at Marino Mrs Haslett…………6 Haslett What’s Painting Me (1)……………….………..7 (1)……… Reading between the Lines Ms Cullen....8 The Bilbao Guggenheim Bella Purcell.…10 Poetry Howard Lawn………… ……………………….…11 Review Molly Dunne…………………… …………………………..12 The Lady Lever Gallery Ms Smith…....…14 Smith What’s Painting ing Me (2)………………….……16 (2)…………… DONORS: As ever, the Library is very grateful to those who donated books to us this term: Mr Finn, Mr Brett, Brett Dr David Sowby, Mr Swift, the Warden, Celine Klee, Mr Jameson.
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THE CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY Mr Watts recommends the ‘exotic jewel’ that is the Chester Beatty Library—and mentions an extra attraction The Chester Beatty Library is a rare and exotic jewel nestling in the grounds of Dublin Castle housed in the old Clock Tower building which is on the site of Dubh Linn (Black Pool) which gave its name to Dublin City. Within these walls is one of the most extensive and important collections of ancient Egyptian papyrus texts, illuminated Bibles and Qur’ans and many European medieval and renaissance manuscripts, Turkish and Persian miniature paintings, Japanese scrolls and woodblock prints, Chinese dragon robes, carved Rhinoceros horn cups, delicately carved jade books and many other outstanding works of art and examples of exquisite craftsmanship from all over the world. These extraordinary world renowned collections became the property of a public charitable trust on the death of Chester Beatty (1875 -1968) an American mining engineer who had spent most of his professional life collecting as he worked in Africa and Europe. We are very lucky to have this treasure trove on our doorstep as many scholars from all over the world travel to study some of the unique texts found here. The Clock Tower is a relatively new centre for housing and displaying his collections. The refurbishment of the building and the design of the exhibition space specific to the particular needs of these collections is also an award winning work by an Irish team winning European Museum of the year in 2002. It opened on 7th February 2000 celebrating the 125th anniversary of the birth of Chester Beatty, and since then it has been one of the most visited museums in Dublin.
The Arrest of Christ, Book of Kells – sketch, Leslie von Negenborn
While there it is also worthwhile to stop for a coffee and some delicious baklava, if not a full meal in the excellent Silk Road Cafe which is too conveniently placed in the atrium, very tempting! 3.
THE LAST SUPPER Saya Kazuse considers Leonardo’s famous work of art
The Last Supper – sketch, Saya Kazuse
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onversation had long been a subject of interest and debate among artists who wanted to depict not just actions but also communication. Leonardo solved this problem in The Last Supper by using gestures estures and facial expressions, making the painting one of the most famous and important works in the history of Western art. Leonardo decorated thee walls of the monk’s refectory, but was dissatisfied with the fastfast drying fresco. This prevented him using the kind of fine detail he liked so he researched for new technical solutions and experimented with mixed media. He mixed oil with tempera paints, like ike that used for panel painting, but this, combined with plaster and the damper climatic conditions of northern Italy, spelled disaster, and in less than twenty years the great painting began to disintegrate. Since then every generation has worked hard to preserve it. There are differing opinions among art researchers as to which episode from the Gospels is depicted in The Last Supper. Some consider it to portray the moment at which Jesus has announced the presence of a traitor and the apostles are all reacting with astonishment. Others feel that it represents the introduction of the celebration of the Eucharist by Jesus, who is pointing to the bread and wine with his hands. And yet others feel it depicts the moment when Judas, by reaching for the bread at the same moment as Jesus, as related in the Gospel of St Luke, reveals himself to be the traitor. In the end, none of the interpretations is convincing. 4.
Leonardo imagined, and has succeeded in expressing, the desire that has entered the minds of each apostle to know who is about to betray their master. In the face of each one may be seen love, fear, indignation or grief at not being able to understand the meaning of Christ. The subject of The Last Supper is Christ’s final meal with his apostles before Judas identifies Christ to the authorities who arrest him. Leonardo imagined the chaos that would have followed when Jesus announced, ‘One of you will betray me’. In a superb psychological study of human emotion, the apostles reel in horror, each one full of self-doubt and confusion, and reacting with denial or disbelief. To solve the problem of the long composition, Leonardo arranged the apostles in groups drawing away from Christ or leaning towards him. They are connected by a series of hand and facial gestures communicating their fear, anger or even sorrow. One lifts his hands as if to say, ‘Lord, it is I’ and clasps his hands to his breast, while Peter, with a knife clutched in his hand, leans forward to John, seated on the right of Jesus, and whispers in his ear. This action has the effect of pushing Judas aside and isolating him from the group. He recoils in an opposite pose from Jesus, his hand clenched, with Peter’s knife at his back. The central figure of Jesus remains serene and dignified, alone in the knowledge of what is about to befall him. The painting is cleverly arranged to give the impression of the wall receding back and the group has the appearance of sitting at the top table in the room. The painted window forms a natural halo behind the central figure of Christ, with all the perpective line converging on his face. This—and his blue and red garments—draw the eye immediately to him.
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Top: Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci Main picture: Mark Crampton by Katie da Vinci-Stewart (Instagram)
Elephant by Leslie von Negenborn
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THE CASINO AT MARINO Mrs Haslett explains the wonderful visual trickery of the Casino, recognised as one of the finest garden temples in Europe
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ne of the most intriguing and important Neoclassical buildings in the country, The Casino at Marino on Dublin's north side enjoys a worldwide reputation. It was created by James Caulfield, the first Earl of Charlemont together with his friend, William Chambers, who was to become one of the leading British architects of the time, over a period of twenty years between 1755 – 1771. Charlemont had spent nine years on the Grand Tour of Europe and was determined to bring back to Ireland the latest and best architectural ideas, and, in the fashion of the time, create a small elegant garden temple to be set in open parkland—a project which was designed to unite his love of Italy and Ireland. He had met all of the major collaborators in the project in Rome—Joseph Wilton the sculptor, Cipriano the painter, Vierpyl the sculptor and above all Chambers, whose design was published in 1759. In true Enlightenment style Charlemont made the philanthropic gesture of opening up his fine park to the general populace so they could admire his elegant and perfect temple for themselves. Enjoying wonderful views across Dublin Bay to the Wicklow mountains it was essentially conceived as a place where he could entertain his guests in sumptuous style. Furthermore, it was to be the focal point of his newly created park which was developed in the style of Capability Brown. Sadly none of this park remains. The design and lavish realization of The Casino have fascinated and appealed to its visitors, and it is now recognised as one of the finest garden temples in Europe, comparable to Gabriel’s Petit Trianon at Versailles. It was outrageously costly as no expense was spared as continued on page 13
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WHAT’S PAINTING ME (1) In which we ask selected critics to nominate their favourite works of art Mr Higgins: Van Gogh – Starry Night Sky? Starry Sky? It’s the one with the swirly stars. They’re like galaxies. The Submarine: Is it the astronomy appeal? Mr H (looking it up on his laptop): He painted it long before spiral galaxies had been discovered, yet look at it, there they are. Plus I just like it. Yes, it’s called Starry Night. The Submarine: Wow. Dearbhla Gernon: ‘Lady with an Ermine’ by Leonardo da Vinci – I can’t remember the painting exactly but I do remember the glow the lady had to her pale skin, she was painted with great use of the contrast of light and dark, causing her natural glow to radiate from her flawless face. I thought her hand was disproportionate to her face but it was so well painted showing her elegant positioning. I thought the painting showed a woman in very high fashion at the time of the Renaissance and how different our idea of beauty is today. Mr Patterson: No, I don’t like art. Or poetry. Friedericke Wagner: Trajan’s Column. It’s impressive how detailed the 2500 figures on the column are, and that they were able to build such a column in ancient times. It’s pretty impressive too that it was made by many different builders but still the whole column looks as if it was made by one person. Rev Crossey: An artist called Jack Vettriano. He’s a really popular Glasgow artist, but he’s panned by the critics. He does glamorous people on beaches, things like that. The Submarine: Which one of his would you choose? Rev Crossey: Mad Dogs. It has this Impressionist feel. It raises questions, why are they there, who are they, what are they doing? The Submarine: And the light is very Impressionistic. You can’t see their faces either. And Mad Dogs because…? Rev Crossey: Yes, out in the midday sun. Julian Kruse: ‘What to think and what not to think’ – I don’t know the artist. It’s an awesome installation of neon lights in a dark room, thought-provoking, cool, modern. Ciaran Chisholm: ‘Drawings on a Prep Notebook’, artist unknown. Very detailed and abstract. Interesting to look at. 7.
READING BETWEEN THE LINES Ms Cullen considers the importance of line, and discusses the one that connects Leonardo da Vinci with Sean Scully to view and appreciate art is (for the most part) free and I enjoy the fact we can Thedipability in and out and view what pleases us at a particular moment in time. Regular trips to various galleries also allow us to have new favourites which can be updated regularly. What is it that makes us enjoy viewing a painting? Is it the subject matter? Yes, sometimes. Is it the colours or the scale of the work? The answer is yes, sometimes, it depends. However, the one element which appears to be a consistent point of interest and which holds appeal for me is the simple line. Line—so what is line? We are always on about lines. There are no fewer than 62 explanations for line in the Collins English Dictionary. Lines can be metaphorical, real or imagined. Is a line a series of dots or is it a continuous mark starting at one point and ending at another? Is there actually a line on the horizon? Does the suggestion of a line mean there is a line? Look at this text; is it not just a series of lines? Lines have the ability to take us places, to get us from one point to another and our lineage shows us where we have come from. Lines of communication connect us but some lines divide us. There are mathematical lines, timelines, boundary lines, lines that are crossed and lines drawn in the sand. We read between the lines and sometimes we walk the line. As children we were asked to take a line for a walk. Naive, but no more naive than some of the first art works of which we have evidence such as cave painting or the Neolithic stone carvings at Newgrange. Thinking back to those first lines made by man on stone, or indeed the first lines made by a young child, was it simply just a mark that was made which travelled from one point to another? Or as Paul Klee said, ‘a dot that just went for a walk’? I remember being at University and during a review of my work I was asked ‘when does a line stop being a line?’ What seemed like a silly arty type question has actually stuck with me. Is it when it becomes a shape or does a shape still not get to have a line? The master of blurring the lines was Leonardo da Vinci. The technique ‘sfumato simply translates as smoky effect or, as it is explained in the Oxford Dictionary of Art, ‘a blurring or softening of harsh edges by subtly blurring tones and colours’. Leonardo is famous for employing this 8.
technique in his work, most notably in the painting of the Mona Lisa. Where some artists seek to define the line da Vinci tried to blur it. It is undoubtedly a difficult technique to master but one of my favourite of his works is ironically the unfinished ‘Adoration of the Magi’. Before the edges could be blurred da Vinci had to draw the lines and in this work we get to view numerous characteristics of exemplary draughtsmanship. Not only do the lines in this work explain the narrative of The Adoration, they create a sense of passion and energy which might otherwise have been flattened by paint and ‘sfumato. Lines appear from the shadows of the steps in the background of the under painting. The lines which depict the horses rearing up embody movement and weight .The figures in the foreground are composed of light delicate lines and the architectural lines are faultless. Another superb reference for da Vinci’s line drawing is his numerous notebooks where he logged all of his ideas and designs from natural science to engineering. Figurative drawing and painting continue to be a strong point of interest for me but rather than dwell on easily recognisable lines, by contrast, lets briefly look at the abstract paintings of Sean Scully which are housed in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin. What are these paintings? Are they lines or stripes and if they are stripes what is the difference? Maybe they are planes. Perhaps they are shapes and the lines that appear between them were a happy accident. The lines between these shapes differ depending on the colours layered beneath and the force at which the paint was applied. Up close the lines are not as straight as they might appear, suggesting raw human energy. I love the arrangement of the lines yet I also enjoy that there is no real order and when they end you are left wondering where they might reappear. He speaks of his own work as being ‘endlessly linear’. But what does that conjure up in one’s mind? Is it a straight line going nowhere or is it infinite? Does it twist and curl? And where will that line take him in his quest for artistic expression? In any case it allows us, the viewers, to take it to a place of our own. Every artist and art movement is concerned with line. Whether they resist it like Yves Klein or embrace it like the German Expressionists it is a constant cause for comment and critique. After only scratching the surface of the complexities of line or indeed the lack of it, I find myself more confused than ever! And whilst I acknowledge that my quest for the perfect line will be a long and tortuous journey, this quote by Henri Matisse best describes how I currently find the line in my own painting pursuits. ‘I don’t paint things. I only paint the difference between things’. And it is here I will finish, now that I have come to the end of the line (literally)!
Portrait of Oisin Large 2013 (pixlr)
Portrait of a Man by Jan van Eyck, 1443
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Portrait of Tami Adeola 2013 (Vintage Camera)
THE BILBAO GUGGENHEIM Bella Purcell shares her favourite gallery Of all the galleries that I have visited, I would have to say that the Bilbao Guggenheim in Spain stands out in my mind. It is a museum of modern and contemporary art. Not only does it contain some brilliant examples of modern art, it houses them in such an amazing building, designed by American architect Frank Gehry. The entire gallery, including much of the interior, is made from titanium, creating an incredible effect as the sunlight is reflected from the various curved parts. I really liked this because it gave me a sense of the artistic function that it was serving even before I got inside the building. There is so much to see in the Guggenheim, from arresting LED instillations to several Rothko paintings. The instillation that I love the most is Richard Serraʼs piece ʻThe MaAer of Timeʼ. It is found in the largest room which is 30 meters wide and 130 meters long. It consists of large pieces of bent steel pieces. It is said to perhaps be the largest installation ever to be housed in a gallery and it was designed specially to be a permanent exhibition at the Bilbao Guggenheim. What is special about these pieces is that you are invited to be a participant in the art piece; you can walk in and out of the various spirals and zigzags created by the immense pieces of metal. It is almost mazelike. Another aspect to the Guggenheim Museum that I like is the outdoor art. There are two large sculptures outside that are among my favourite pieces from the museum. The first is a terrifying sculpture of a giant spider by Louise Bourgeois entitled ʻMamanʼ. Itʼs colossal size means that you can walk around between its legs and look up at the spider as it towers over you. The exaggerated length of the legs and rough feel to the piece make it very compelling to look at. The other major outdoor sculpture is Jeff Koonʼs ʻPuppyʼ. It is a 13 meter high topiary of a Terrier puppy decorated with flowers. Of course, this huge dog is quite an attraction for tourists, and for good reason. I love the quirky feel that its presence give to the surroundings. Generally, I feel that the Bilbao Guggenheim museum is a great art gallery because it allows so much interaction with the art that is placed all around. It creates a brilliant environment for viewing and connecting with all of the weird and wonderful pieces that it contains.
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Translation of ‘Рано утром…’ Howard Lawn Early morning on a Monday, Walked the laziest of men, A bearded youth yet rather handsome, With a sketchpad and a pen. All our street was in a hurry, Off to do their daily chore, Auntie Pat was doing knitting, Sitting at her open door. Andy Warhol, Self portrait
He it was who looked up smilin’ ‘What a profile!’ laughed the lad, ‘Stay as you are!’ And with his pen, He drew her portrait on his pad.
Talented People Howard Lawn, 1964
Let a century go by now, And another after that, Knitting—Auntie Pat’s still sitting, As a portrait in our flat.
Where have you been! Haven’t you seen? All of the talented People I mean… Wherever you go, Well, What-de-yeh know, Toddlers, teenagers, Stealing the show… I saw a display Of young artists today, Whose figures of clay Just blew me away… Then that kid in the street, Who had two magic feet, And the girl in the mews On her own…singing blues… I find it impossible—that’s why I stare, At all of those talented people out there. No matter whatever may come thru’ life’s door, The boat will not stop though you fall at the oar, The battles won’t cease when you die in the war, No matter what happens— There’ll always be more…plenty more. So never despair, if your best will not do, Step aside, 11. Let those talented people through!
Mantak Suen, Portrait (Ms Cullen, Sketch Me)
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REVIEW Molly Dunne reviews 100 Ideas That Changed Art by Michael Bird 100 Ideas That Changed Art by Michael Bird doesn’t focus on any one aspect of art but gives you a brief introduction to one hundred different topics. I think the reason I like the book so much is that it is really accessible; you can open it on any page and begin to read. It describes ideas from as early as cave paintings through to the internet and street art all the way to ephemerality, which is art that doesn’t last. It examines traditional ideas such as portraiture and oil painting but also highlights more obscure aspects of art such as hallucinogens and conceptual art. Each entry explores when an idea first evolved, and how it resurfaces in the work of different artists up to the present day, and it Ife head: Bronze head of an Oni, one of the rulers of Ife in Nigeria, one of is very well illustrated with examples of medieval Africa’s most powerful and wealthy kingdoms, c. AD 1100-1500 works in the same genre, yet which are – courtesy British Museum. always very different in appearance. It is a great source of inspiration as it enables you to flick through various aspects of art and draw ideas from more than one source easily and accessibly. My particular favourite is idea number13, “Lost Wax Casting”. Originally it was used to make tools by casting molten bronze in simple sand or clay moulds. This method was refined and now enables bronze smiths to cast large objects such as statues with great detail and in extremely lifelike poses. __________________________________________________________________________________
Above: Portrait of Konstantin Seemann 2013 (Ms Cullen, pixlr) Left: Portrait of Edward Millet by Vincent van Gogh, 1888
Chai-Ro page, Book of Kells —sketch Leslie von Negenborn
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from page 6 Charlemont spent at least £30,000 in its construction – a fortune in today’s money! It was built of the finest Portland stone which was chosen in part to facilitate the delicate carving which characterises the exterior of the building. No expense was spared in terms of the materials which were used, both inside and out and Charlemont often found himself overstretched financially as his extravagant and idealistic vision unfolded. Essentially the entire building building is a series of tricks and its plan was ingenious. It has the appearance of being a square building whereas in fact it is a Greek cross. In spite of the overriding impression of symmetry each of its four facades is different and distinct and the decorative ive carving is richly intricate and symbolic. The external appearance is that of a single storey building whereas there are three storeys containing some 20 rooms. The podium contains 8 servants’ rooms and the attic storey contains a further suite of rooms whose windows are concealed behind the balustrades. The vases on the parapet are in fact chimneys. The four couchant lions on each corner of the building were to contain fountains. Of all the windows all but two contain dummy elements to preserve the perfect perfect proportions of the exterior. The corner columns are hollow serving as downpipes for rainwater and are said to emit a ‘singing noise’ during heavy showers. External tunnels connected the Casino to Marino House lest the presence of servants disturb the scene. s The subtle proportions tend to make the Casino appear much smaller than it is – a cube of 48’ to the walls and it is a revelation to enter the building and discover a range of rooms all with perfectly harmonious proportions with differing ceiling heights heights and the use of many stratagems to enhance their proportions and confound the visitor. The change of scale between the exterior and interior is remarkable and dramatic. Inside the Casino are wonderful plaster ceilings and all designed to increase the sense s of space and there are marvellous parquet floors using many different exotic woods which are used to form geometric and possibly symbolic patterns. Wonderful curved mahogany doors (both real and fake) abound but sadly the original furniture and fireplaces fireplaces have not survived. However, it is the genius of the design that impresses above all and the complex interaction between the various interior spaces is fascinating. Surprises abound as what appear to be large doors are in fact small, doors are not always alwa doors and some doors can become windows! Another surprise is that because of the ingenuity of the design each interior space enjoys natural light, including the staircase. One of the most unexpected surprises is to be found on the top storey in the State Stat Room—but but you can discover that for yourself. The Casino fell into disuse and disrepair but was rescued in 1930 when a special Act A was framed to allow the Casino to be taken into state care. care Itt has been open to the public since 1984 and is well worth a visit visit as excellent guided tours are offered to visitors. Perhaps the final surprise is that William Chambers never visited Ireland or saw the finished expression of his design. _______________________________________________________________
Sketch, Saya Kazuse
The Lady Lever Gallery, Port Sunlight Ms Smith suggests a visit to a fascinating gallery in The Wirral, outside Liverpool
Above: a finished work from The Briar Rose series of paintings by Edward Burne-Jones, and (next page), preparatory sketches. The Briar Rose is another name for the well-known Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty.
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've stumbled upon a number of small and fascinating galleries in various parts of the world but there is one in particular I've returned to a few times now - The Lady Lever Gallery in Liverpool. To be honest, its art collection is only one of the reasons it's worth a visit. The gallery is in the garden village of Port Sunlight which was built by a multi-millionaire soap magnate called William Hasketh Lever for his workers and their families. He named the village Port Sunlight after his business's best-selling soap, 'Sunlight Soap'. The gallery was built in 1922 and dedicated to Lever's wife, Elizabeth. Lever believed that art should be accessible to the public and his gallery has been serving the people of Liverpool and Merseyside since it opened ninety-one years ago. The Gallery's opening came just a few years after the village had suffered the loss of many of its young men in World War I. A stirring memorial of their lives stands on the walkway from the cottages to the gallery. In the 1880s Lever began searching for art to use in advertisements for his soap (a relatively new idea at the time) and he quickly became an enthusiastic, respected collector. There are now 20,000 pieces in the collection, including paintings, tapestries, china, embroideries and drawings. Many of the paintings are famous, large-scale pre-Raphaelite works illustrating intricate stories and poems. In my opinion the most interesting pieces are the drawings - simple pencil sketches show raw talent, and looking closely at the fine lines of the collection's numerous paper works is one of the highlights of a visit here. In fact, this summer there is to be an exhibition of the drawings of a well known Victorian artist, Edward Burne-Jones. Works too delicate for long-term display will be brought out of storage, many of which are preparatory drawings for large-scale works also in the collection. Seeing the steps the artist takes provides a great opportunity to understand their methods and can enrich the experience of viewing the finished article. If you do find yourself in Liverpool, I urge you to pay Port Sunlight and its gallery a visit! 14.
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WHAT’S PAINTING ME (2) continued Arthur Sohler: The exhibition of the cities Pompeii and Herculaneum – volcanic eruption. It was nice to see the simulation of the eruption, and how it happened. There were also many, many remains in the museum. Eliza Willisch: Elephant by Leslie Negenborn. I was really impressed by this picture! The elephant in the middle looked so real even with blue ears. How she is able to draw such paintings impressed me. She is really talented. (See page 5) Paula Mora Real: Metropolis Building, Madrid. It is one of my favourite buildings in my city. It is an old building, but it looks like new, it’s very original—the bottom part is grey with some windows—it’s semi-circular, the top part is black and there are some golden details. The black roof has flowers…. Up the building there is a black angel (it is a statue) and down the angel is written ‘Metropolis’. Tami Adeola: Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. This painting had perspective in it with a natural background. The painter used a lot of sfumato making her look a lot more realistic. Oil paint was used instead of the regular egg-white paint. This was not a religious painting just a painting of a pregnant merchant’s wife. We know this because her hands are swollen.
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WHAT’S PAINTING ME (2) Mr Finn: Art? Recently? Mainly primitive phallic symbols drawn on copies, desks, walls, and prep notebooks…no shame left, they used to whoops, cover it up, but not any more. Oh, you mean like in a gallery? I haven’t been near a gallery in a while…I’ve a friend who’s an artist, Gonzaga past pupil so he’s best quality. Cian McLoughlin. He paints professionally, really good self-portraits. He did a lot of stuff for the Beckett centenary, portraits of Michael Gambon, John Hurt, Barry McGovern, Brian O’Driscoll. He used to live in London, and did a lot of the old Irish over there. Ms Robinson: I don’t do paintings—when was I in a gallery last? Emmm…emmm. Emmmmmmmm. The Submarine: Does Alex paint yet? Ms R: No, he’s only three, he just eats everything. He’s a real sportsman.
Tara McCormick: The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Vermeer – At first when I saw it I was bored. When I looked at it for a bit longer all I could stare at were her eyes. They didn’t show much expression but there was definitely a story behind them. She looked distant and sad...troubled. Her pearl earring almost jumped out of the picture at me, some say it was a mistake, a blob of paint gone wrong. I don’t think this is true, it’s too perfect. Maybe it was one of her prize possessions, one of her treasures. Maybe someone gave it to her, who? I wanted to know what her story was, who she was and where she came from, why was she painted? I think there is a lot more to this painting than meets the eye. Alex Owens: Water Lilies by Monet. I just like the simplicity of it more than anything, also the colours in it. It’s an appealing painting to any girl I think, with its shades of blue, pink and white. Mr McAlinden: Yes, I was in the National Gallery last weekend. I always go and see The Liffey Swim. The Submarine: Jack B. Yeats, excellent. Mr McAlinden: I look at the faces in the crowd, a different face each time. Sad, I know. The Submarine: No, they’re fantastic, real Dublin faces. Nicola Dalrymple: I’m not sure of the artist or the title. It was a painting of a young Romanian girl who was making clothes or something. For her rag doll which was on her lap. It really told a story I thought and it was beautifully painted. Ferdinand Jenckel: Miniatur Wunderland – Train Museum, Hamburg – It is a nice museum, the whole of Hamburg is shown in miniature. You can see all the airports and other things. And also other countries are shown in detail, it is really interesting, you have to go there if you are in Hamburg. 16.