I'm just back from what was to be a one day visit to the Van Gogh exhibition at the Royal Academy, London. All Easy Jet planes canceled until monday! They tell us this 3.5 hours after the flight was to leave.
However I did enjoy the exhibition. Two things stood out for me - I like Van Gogh's drawings better than his paintings! and that the photography of his paintings do not do justice to the way he laid down the paint. It is thick and pressed into and onto the canvas. The drawings in the letters to his family and friends are very lively - often done after the painting was completed.
The drawing and painting of the Postman was the one which startled me the most. In the painting the postman is aloof, withdrawn. In the drawing - done after the painting was completed - the postman is staring intently at the viewer in a very disturbing manner.
The delays led me to purchase a few paper backs for occupying myself. One by Henning and two by Stig Larsson (the first has just come out as a film with the same title as the book - The girl with the dragon tattoo). Good for someone with a long past Swedish heritage.
Stephen
