May 9 National Gallery

May 9, 2008—
I regret the constraints that prevented us from spending much more time in the National Gallery. But I was able to take notes on a few paintings that stood out to me, and some day I will be able to spend a day or two, sitting and contemplating many more. Here are my notes:

“Portrait of a Young Man in Red” by Domenico Ghirlandaio
-Portraits during this period more commonly are done in the three-quarters view, which was replacing the profile view done in previous times.
-In this portrait, sunlight comes from above the man, who is in the foreground with countryside and mountains behind him.
-His bold, plain features contrast with the detailed yet unobtrusive backdrop

“The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist” by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1499-1500
-This is a sketch in sepia tones, with John the B. as a child and Christ in Mary’s arms leaning toward him. Mary smiles at Christ, while St. Anne smiles at Mary and points upward.
-soft lighting and indistinct lines

“Self-Portrait at the Age of 34” by Rembrandt, 1640
-He seems to be treating himself rather kindly—the lighting is soft, illuminating mostly his face.
-He shows himself in the pose of a particular Italian poet.

“The Umbrellas” by Renoir, 1881-6
-I think the liberal use of slaty colors gives the picture a rainier look.
-The people seem to be friendly, and enjoying the rain.

“Lake Keitele” by Gallen-Kallela, 1905
-What struck me is the amazing use of white; up close the picture is nothing but big smudges of blue, green, gray, and white, but from a distance the surface of the water appears to reflect the snow-capped mountains and a wooded island.
-It looks shiny and clear, like real water.
-The subject, Lake Keitele, is a real place north of Helsinki.