Scenes at the Museum

I don't know how, but I had somehow forgotten what an utterly wonderful place the Victoria and Albert is; it is just awesome room after awesome room.( (And I am using the word awesome here in original 'fills you with awe' sort of way, not in twangy American ubiquitous sort of way). And not only is there an astonishing abundance of subject material, there are many people sitting around drawing this astonishing abundance, so I could just, you  know, sort of blend in. Which worked fine in theory.

I began in one of the cast rooms, where, among so so so many other magnificent items, including some whoppingly enormous pillars, there were casts of some relief sculptures with the cutest little figures ever. The casts are from a Spanish monastery, Santo Domingo de Silos, and these little chaps are below a crucifixion/ tomb scene. I am assuming they are Roman soldiers who are either sleeping or have collapsed, but they are really beautifully stylized and I love the composition.

I drew these in a relatively sheltered spot, but I wasn't happy painting there as haven't figured out the painting while standing bit yet. I moved to the corridor with sculptures and found a very comfy bench where I painted these chaps in.  Then I was tootling away on the sketch below when a (very nice it has to be said) woman told me I shouldn't be painting there! oops! I could see her point actually, at this stage I had my water bottle perched on a heater, and the paints balanced precariously  on my lap - probably not idea museum behavior.

This fine fellow is apparently the 'celebrated quack doctor Joshua Ward', who, if I have to be honesst, is a little finer in real life, I have made him a bit squat.

So my plans for drawing and painting were rather quashed - yes, I could have drawn, but I love to get the watercolours out, so it was a bit disappointing. I did this one in the cafe, I assumed the painting ban wouldn't be in force there, but it was a very hurried job, just in case. I was taken by the way the poor statue had to stand there guarding her modesty all day while gawpers ate all around her. 

After a bit more very enjoyable wandering, I head off across the road to look at the exterior. The plan was to sketch the wonderful door arches, but I started at the top and then sort of ran out of space! 

It was utterly freezing ( note the fingerless gloves) and  I spilled my water, so it was time to pack up and head home. Great day out though.