WOW It's been a very busy week so far. I've been going into London every day this week trying to do all of the things on my list. On Monday, I went to the British Museum in the morning. I had been there before, but I didn't get to see everything I wanted. This time, I started with ancient Egypt. Seeing mummies and sarcophagi (is that the plural?) was just as creepy and fascinating as I thought it would be. Sometimes it takes going to a museum like this to remember just how small this world is and, at the same time, how unfathomable time is. I also went to check out the ancient Greek and Roman rooms. Found a display on Greek artifacts displaying images of theatre and spent a good 15 minutes in front that. Other great rooms were ancient North America, Mesoamerica, and a new display called "Cradle to the Grave", which tangibly tracks the lives of two individuals with a net of the medication taken throughout a 'modern' lifetime. Some other favorite artifacts were on the 'History of the World in 100 Objects' list by the BBC.
Yes. Those are fish mummies.
Head of Augustus
Ring of a mask of Dionysus
Terra cotta actors
Costumed actors in "The Birds"
Herakles killing the Hydra
Statue from Easter Island
'Cradle to the Grave' display
Eerie 16th century colonial print
After the British Museum, Jess and I headed to the Wallace Collection to see some paintings. The museum itself is an absolute treasure. You could spend an entire day, first seeing the paintings, and then seeing the beautiful antique furniture pieces, clocks, porcelin, and armory that dress the rooms. I was very intent on seeing Watteau's "Harlequin and Columbine" as well as other represenations of Commedia dell'arte in 18th century art.
http://www.wallaceprints.org/image.php?id=322943
I've recently gained more of an interested in a Dutch painter, Jan Steen, whose work we kept seeing in the Netherlands. There were some of his paintings here as well. I also really liked the Delaroche painting, "Edward V and the Duke of York in the Tower", since we were going to the Tower of London the next day. I was also very happy to stumble upon a Vigée Le Brun
And the famous rococo Fragonard "The Swing"
Really friendly staff
After we left The Wallace Collection, we took a short lived venture to Notting Hill. I made a small attempt to find the bookshop from the movie, but quickly settled and got a couple items on the cheap from a nearby Bookshop Warehouse.
Reading my new copy of Mrs. Dalloway on the bus passing Hyde Park was a lovely way to end the day.
Next stop, Tower of London!
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