2 posts tagged “london”
Pigeons have left dropping all over her pristine white marble leg. The sharp needle things surrounding her on the plinth can't be placed on the sculpture itself. There's one of those flying vermin perched right on there.
Feeding pigeons has been illegal in Trafalgar Square for some years now, but when I was there this Monday people were still doing it. Pigeons are vermin. Flying rats. Just because they have wings does not make them cute. They defecate all over the place, including your head. They are disgusting. People would not throw crumbs at the rats running around on the ground, so why do they do so at the pigeons?
Don't feed the pigeons. Ignore that song in Mary Poppins, it's way outdated.
Here is the same picture with a little Photoshop cleanup of the pigeon shit.
We finally got to the Hans Holbein exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Basel on Saturday. Hans Holbein was the artist who did the famous portraits of people like Thomas Cronwell and Jane Seymour when he got to Britain, but he achieved his first fame in Basel. I was glad I got to see it, and am planning to see part 2 of the Holbein extravaganza later this year in London if I can make it.
Apart from his lovely portraits, what impressed me most was his beautiful drawings. Such a delicate touch he had. They had several works from his workshop, presumably done by apprentices, and the difference in touch was quite amazing.
The Basel exhibit ends this weekend, but anyone going to London later in the year should try to see Holbein Part 2 at the Tate Britain.
Incidentally, Hans Holbein the Younger, who is the famous one, was such a better artist than his father, the Elder. I wonder how dad felt about his son being so much better than him. There was also a brother, Ambrosius, who mysteriously disappeared from all records.
Whenever I visit museums, I always raid the shop, even if I don't buy anything. But museum shops usually leave me a bit dissatisfied. I think it's because everything is repro: reprinted posters, postcards, re-constituted-plaster-repro thingies. After having viewed the real thing, the repros don't really do it for me., The notable exception is the fabulous shop at the V&A in London, which has real art and craft works from living artists. Yup, I definitely have to get to London.
