A Visit to the National Gallery

Sixteen Gravesend Arts Society members enjoyed a group visit to the National Gallery in London on Tuesday September 29th.The sun was shining and we were greeted by our guide, Lucrezia Walker dressed in a striking white outfit. The theme of our tour was “Women in White” and our focus was on six paintings, including a medieval altarpiece, Botticelli’s “Venus and Mars”, Klimt’s portrait of Hermine Gallia and the tour culminated in the show stopping “Execution of Lady Jane Grey” by Paul Delaroche.

Lucrezia explained the symbolism of colours used in the images and how the artists’ use of pigments has changed over time. She helped us to read the paintings, and she held our attention with amusing anecdotes and her detailed knowledge. We were unanimous in our appreciation of our guide and most of us stayed on to enjoy the gallery, cafe and shops before heading home at our leisure.