Exhibition: Building the Picture

I'm not normally really one for art galleries, but wandered along this evening - since they open late on Friday - on the doddery old District Line, to the National Gallery, where they're running an exhibition called Building the Picture: Architecture in Italian Renaissance Painting. It's free, as is the gallery itself - this is the norm in London, and it's a fantastic thing.

I knew to head from Embankment up Villiers Street, then diagonally along Duncannon Street. You really can't miss it after that - it's the important-looking building across the road. As I crossed Trafalgar Square, I noticed the stages already set up for the Pride festival, next month. I hear Conchita Wurst is to perform..

As I mentioned, I haven't been inside the National Gallery before. I'm consistently amazed that such gorgeous buildings don't charge admission - the entrance hallway is absolutely stunning. I climbed stairs with black marble walls to get to the central hall, which was a riot of colour - the paintings hit you immediately. I'm glad, though, that I printed my own map from the website - the only desk I could see was unoccupied when I arrived. Which also meant I couldn't get an audioguide - but then, all the paintings have miniature descriptions beside them, anyway.

It's not far to the Sunley Room, where this exhibition is held - just head straight along the central hall, it's at the far end from the entrances from the square. There's a small room to the right, where they're showing short films related to the exhibition - I stayed for the end of the one that was showing when I arrived. All are available, as are the paintings themselves, to view on their website - some with audio descriptions! Really a fantastic resource - kudos to the webmaster.

The room that you enter for the exhibition is tiny, but it spills into the room next door. Just follow the paintings with buildings in them! I visited this exhibition because I love mediaeval and Renaissance paintings, and have always found the depiction of buildings in them rather spooky - all those ethereal, half-finished buildings: archways from nowhere, leading to nowhere: windows that open on impossible landscapes. They're all here. For some paintings, the descriptions point out architectural features that refer to identifiable buildings in Florence - there are accompanying maps.

When I was done looking at unearthly buildings, I had a wander around some of the gorgeously costumed subjects of the portraits. Saw some I recognised. I had a wander over towards the major exhibition of the moment - Making Colour - which is a ticketed event, taking place in the modern wing. It was completely sold out for tonight though, and don't even bother heading over there if you can't get a ticket; you won't get anywhere near it. Never mind - I swung by one of the two gift shops I could see, on my way out, and bought - of all things - a purple velvet-covered pencil, for my friend who's into both purple and stationery. Sadly, I couldn't get into the larger shop - despite still being able to see customers inside, and the fact that it was 10 minutes before the scheduled closing time, the door was already locked. Anyway, mindful of what it must cost to keep such a gorgeous collection, in such a sumptuous setting, and employ staff to stop us running off with the paintings - I upped their suggested donation of £4, and considered the evening a bargain at £5.

The stairs down from the entrance proved challenging, what with me needing the rail (bathmophobia strikes again) and everyone wanting to sit beside it, hang off it, and generally get in my way. I managed eventually, via a circuitous route. I was starving by the time I got back to Villiers Street, so decided to eat in La Piazza, as usual - where I had pasta, for a change. I can recommend it. Service was unusually quick - Friday night, I guess - until I had finished my meal, when I had to wait until the food was ready for the table beside me before they would clear my table. So, still some way to go with the service, it seems.

For tomorrow (with Skylight still standing-room only), there's a very good film. Return to Homs is a film made by a native of Homs, in Syria, about two of his mates - also from there - and how the war has affected them. Showing in the Picturehouse, Clapham, the trailer looks terrific - and there's a Q+A afterwards with the director.