I like art galleries and museums above all for the atmosphere there. Muffled whispers, echoing footsteps and a piercing chill. Oil paintings - like electronics - do not like heat, direct sunlight or humidity.
Engaging with classical art requires enjoyment and concentration.
Barriers mark the border between mortality and varnish-scented immortality.
The eyes of blasé, passionate, joyful or disappointed girls follow the viewer's every step.
Foaming with leaden white,
the waves darken with deep indigo and glow with royal blue.
They wash warm ochres and dim sienna from the sand.
The green of the Emeraude forming patches of grasses
awaits for the flower buds to blossom in cadmium red.
Gazing at the painting long enough, we can almost hear the steps of hand-stitched slippers and the rustling of taffeta gowns. We can feel the delicacy of lace, appreciate the transparency of tulle and feel the softness of wool carpets.
It has been a very long time since I visited any classical art exhibition. In fact, I haven't been to any art exhibition for a very long time. And I came across this exhibition by pure chance. My Mum flew to visit us in Ireland, and I managed to persuade her to stay a few days with me in Belfast. As she loves plants and flowers - I took her to the botanical gardens at the Ulster Museum. And as we were two steps away from this museum - I decided to take Mum there as well.
The Ulster Museum has temporary exhibitions in addition to the permanent exhibition (which, by the way, is huge, and it is almost impossible to visit everything in just one day). This time we managed to get to an excellent exhibition of Irish oil painting. I didn't think we would spend almost a whole day there. In addition to a variety of canvases by great artists like P.A. Renoir, Sir W. Orpen, J.B. Yeats there was also a solo exhibition by Sir John Lavery. I will add photos from the latter in the next post in the series about the Ulster Museum.
I must admit that I really missed interacting with such great talents. I would have been happiest spending hours with each canvas tracing the brushstrokes and the mastery of rendering nature with oil and pigments. It seems as if time stands still and in fact it flows faster than usual. There is always too little of it to savour, to admire.
I enjoy staring so much. To have time to stare is the greatest happiness.
I hope you will have lovely week!
Yours,
Strega Azure
Walter Osborne (1859 - 1903) 'Cherry Ripe' oil on canvas
Mainie Jellet(1897-1944) 'Seated Female Nude' (1921-22) oil on canvas
George Russell 'AE' (1867 - 1935) 'The Watcher' oil on canvas
Jack Butler Yeats (1871 - 1957) 'The Riverside(Long Ago)' 1922 oil on canvas
5.Henry Paget(1856 - 1936) Portrait of William Butler Yeats(1889) oil on canvas
Dermod O'Brien (1865 - 1945) The Fine Art Academy, Antwerp (1890) oil on cavas
Sir William Orpen (1875 - 1931) 'Resting' (1905) oil on canvas
Pierre - Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919) L'allee au bois(The Woodland Path) around 1874 - 1880 oil on canvas
William John Hennessy (1839 - 1917) Fete Day in Cider Orchard, Normandy, 1878 oil on canvas
Paul Henry (1876 - 1958) A Prayer for the Departed 1910-12 oil on canvas
Paul Henry (1876 - 1958) A Man of The Hills (1910-13) oil on panel
Paul Henry (1876 - 1958) The Blacksmith (1910 - 13) oil on panel
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Paul Henry (1876 - 1958) Dawn, Killary Harbour (1921) oil on canvas
Sean O'Sullivan Neach(1928) oil on canvas on board
Sir William Orpen(1878 - 1931) 'Self Portrait (1905-10) oil on canvas
Margaret Clarke (1888 - 1961) 'Robin Redbreast' oil on canvas
Jack Butler Yeats (1871 - 1957) 'Return of the Wanderer,1928 oil on canvas
Sean Keating (1889 - 1977) 'Slan Leat Ahair (Good Buy Father)', 1935 oil on canvas
Jack Butler Yeats (1871 - 1957) 'On Through The Silent Lands, 1951 oil on canvas
Derek Hill (1916-200) 'Tory Island from Tor More',1958-59 oil on canvas
Sir John Lavery (1856-1941) 'The Green Coat', 1924 oil on canvas
Sir John Lavery (1856-1941) 'The Lady in Black(Mrs. Trevor)', 1908 oil on canvas
Sir John Lavery (1856-1941) 'Eileen, Her First Communion' 1910 oil on board
Paintings used for triptych:
- sky detail from painting Sean Keating (1889 - 1977) 'Slan Leat Ahair (Good Buy Father)', 1935 oil on canvas
- Sir William Orpen(1878 - 1931) 'Self Portrait (1905-10) oil on canvas
- detail from painting Pierre - Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919) L'allee au bois(The Woodland Path) around 1874 - 1880 oil on canvas
I used Adobe Photoshop to crop pictures and added in some contrast to description plaques
All pictures are my authorship if not stated otherwise.
All rights reserved @strega.azure ©
All rights reserved @strega.azure ©
Love this tour. Thank you for sharing! 🤗
More is coming!
Looking forward to it!!
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