If you’re hungry for a bit of “cinematic brain food,” join the Friends of the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum for the Great Museums of the World documentary film series at the Gold Town Nickelodeon in February for an up-close visit to the National Gallery in London.
It’s like taking a personalized art history class featuring 2,300 masterpieces by late medieval to French impressionist painters Raphael and da Vinci to Vermeer, Rembrandt, Velasquez and Van Gogh. The subjects range from madonnas to Greek nymphs, from battles to flowers, from ships to scenery and, of course, a few portraits of the rich and famous.
In addition to the stories associated with the paintings, London’s National Gallery building has its own fascinating history. Starting with a personal collection in a home in 1826, the gallery has been centrally located on London’s Trafalgar Square since 1838, free and accessible to the rich from the West and the poor from the East.
In 1941 during World War II, paintings were moved to brick bungalows built inside a slide mine in Wales. During the London blitz, the building was bombed nine times, with no glass left at the end of the war. But the bomb raids didn’t stop Brits from pursuing their passion for art and music. Throughout the war, musicians performed at the gallery, never missing a beat even though bombs exploded in nearby rooms. The bare walls featured contemporary art during the day that was stored underground at night.
Explore the buildings and the paintings of the National Gallery in London at Gold Town Nickelodeon’s museum film series Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 pm and again on Sunday, February 28 at 1 pm. You might even see the statue of George Washington donated to the museum by the Commonwealth of Virginia or Greta Garbo, part of a marble mosaic on the floor.
Art is about life, so it’s all there.
