This painting is “Saint John the Evangelist” by Domenichino in the late 1620s.
As you can see, there is a sheen reflecting the light in the glass installed in front of the painting. It doesn’t help that the National Gallery has bright lighting.
I find it a bit depressing. It’s so intrusive, awkward and unwelcoming to any visitor. These glass panels were never part of the original display culture of the museum.
I went to see a Rembrandt and noticed how hard it was to discern his deep blacks and background dimensions. It is quite common now to see a lot of the early impressionist works behind glass.
It must surely damage the artwork themselves, and create a humid micro-climate behind the glass?
And ... Why?
According to Dr. Finaldi — director of the National Gallery in London, it is because of how art has become cultural symbol of vandalism and attack:
Finaldi also speaks frankly about the impact of climate protesters who targeted John Constable’s Hay Wain in July 2022, Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers in October 2022 and Diego Velázquez’s “Rokeby Venus”, in November 2023. The Velázquez incident, involving a hammer, represents “a gear shift to a more brutal and violent attack”, Finaldi says.
Reluctantly, the gallery has recently glazed several hundred of its most important paintings which had not previously been glass-protected. Finaldi explains: “It is costly and puts them at one slight remove from the public, since it pushes the painting a little further back into the frame and produces a deeper shadow at the top of the picture.”
In the 1990s the National Gallery proclaimed “from the Tube to the Titians in three minutes”. Entering the gallery is now slower, because of security checks, but this normally short delay is “part of modern life”.
“Modern life”, indeed! 😑
Is it not possible to reduce the light? And could the angle of the light be more downward, thus taking the impact off the walls and onto the floor?
ReplyDeleteSome of these halls and rooms were designed to allow sunlight into them. So, it's hard to adjust that part.
DeleteInteresting did not know they were glazing now
ReplyDeleteThese climate protestors need to get a real job.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's strange that they target art,
DeleteI know in our Gallery at the Muesum we are not permitted to take photos at all due to the flashlights going off - hence light fades the art work.
ReplyDeleteDue to vandals, I can see why glass is put in front of the artwork, hopefully the long term of this will not harm to works.
Just a handful of idiots ruin it for everyone.
Yep. A few morons ruin it.
DeleteYes, bright lighting can be a put-off in a museum.
ReplyDeleteHi Pradeep. Lighting can be a problem indeed.
DeleteIt's a shame that so many paintings have had to be glazed as a security measure. But if mindless protesters are determined to attack precious paintings, there seems to be no alternative.
ReplyDeleteWe may be the final generation that could see paintings in person without anything in between.
DeleteWould non-reflective glass not be a possibility? It would have the effect of dulling the paintings further, though.
ReplyDeleteSecurity is now part of modern life as you say. It is a sad reflection of course on modern youth but is their way of expressing their views and there is no way of bringing such criminal damage to a stop.
ReplyDeleteNot far from where I live is Salt Mills in Shipley. Within its cavernous walls are tables full of books on art and photography. Perhaps that will be the only way we can look at art work.
Hi Thelma.
DeleteGod. That would be depressing. To see art in a book only :(
I think it's attention seeking by rich spoilt brats who have no respect for other people. Art galleries cater to them now.
I had no idea that this glazing was done to these amazing works of art. Very depressing! I understand why people need to protest (peacefully) but do not understand the defiling of these age-old classics. I find that appalling frankly and the protestors lose sympathy because of this kind of vandalism. Modern life indeed!
ReplyDelete