Thursday: Courtald Gallery and National Portrait Gallery

What do you think, should I continue labeling my posts with the days of the week? Comments welcome! And on anything else!!

After class - which included excellent discussions on the plays we've seen and are reading - Jane informed me of an exhibit at the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House that would be closing Sunday. It was a viewing of Botticelli's illustrations Dante descending into Hades and then ascending into Heaven. Very beautiful! I didn't get pictures of the exhibit, naturally, but I did a couple shots of the Mansion. I'm planning on going back!

Stairway in Somerset House

That evening the group went to the National Portrait Gallery for a tour. Tim took us around the monarchs and courtiers living during Shakespeare's day.

Expounding on history

There were some amazing paintings here, we only saw a small sample. Like this cartoon, a draft of painting:

cartoon

This is only a portion of the cartoon, but how immense it is! We also came across a concise chart of the monarch of the period,

Succession of the Tudors and Stuarts

There were a lot more paintings, as I said, but the building itself was amazing! This is just a stairway between galleries, but how fun it is!

in the National Portrait Gallery

The Gallery is located behind the National Gallery, which faces Trafalgar Square. It was dusk when we exited the Portrait Gallery, so I went back a later day and got more pictures.

Entrance to National Gallery

I'm still uncertain about the horse, but it is so cool! That bow around his neck flashes neon words at night.