Queen Mother's art collection
These charcoal sketches are from The Royal Collection © 2006, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with gracious permission.
Watercolours and Drawings from the Collection of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother isn't the catchiest title I've come across. Never mind. This new exhibition at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from 19 May to 28 October 2006, boasts two beautiful sketches of the Queen Mother when she was merely Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, back in 1923. They were executed in charcoal by John Singer Sargent, who gave them to the Queen Mother as a wedding present. I didn't know these sketches existed until a few days ago. Now, if you want to praise Sargent as an impressionist, I won't argue with you. His use of light is brilliant. Look at the reflections on that hair! In charcoal! Forget all the French nonsense BBC TV has been broadcasting lately. It took an artist of Sargent's quality to refine impressionism into something worthwhile.
This exhibition is a bit pricey at £7.50, but those Sargent's...this will be the first time we have ever been allowed to see them!
posted by Unknown @ 15.5.06
2 comments
2 Comments:
Hi, Jacoblog.
Where have you been for the past week? Exams?
Another Sargent fan, eh? His Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose is one of my all-time favourite paintings. Those Chinese lanterns...and Lady Agnew of Locknaw. Have you seen that one? What a portrait! A woman with character challenging the viewer - and the artist. Wow!
Lucky you.
When you think about it, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose is the antithesis of the Blog Wall. Together they sum up the human condition. A few more Sargent's wouldn't go amiss.
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