So Many Pleasant Surprises

St. Jerome in His Study

While generally my personal tastes favor modern and contemporary art over historic and representational pieces, the sheer size and quality of the collection at the National Gallery made this morning more enjoyable than our trip to the Tate Modern for me. A huge surprise for me was getting to see de Messina’s St. Jerome in His Study from the mid-1400s. I just spent my final semester in the architecture school doing formal analysis of this painting, and I had no clue that it was in this gallery. I had a slight out-of-body experience when I turned the corner and saw it for the first time! There is so much happening in this painting in terms of contrast. The chiaroscuro lends the composition so much depth, and the geometric shapes of the two archways balance the painting without mirroring each other too closely. The floor is the component that allows us to read the depth of the space most effectively, and all of it functions as a way to keep Jerome and his work at the center of a compositional space. It’s a masterful work by de Messina.

The Nativity at Night

A second piece worth discussing, which I think bears plenty of semblance to St. Jerome, is The Nativity at Night by Geertgen tot Sint Jans. The obvious parallel here is the use of contrast between light and dark to call attention to the most important pieces of the composition. This is probably the most intensely dark representational painting I have seen, and yet I could still make out the figures and faces that sit just beyond the light that the newborn Christ gives off. This suggests that the work was done in layers, and that at an earlier point in its development the interior space was probably fully realized, and then a dark wash was added on top of it. I really appreciate the depth that is provided by the angel in the night sky, which I would compare to the pastoral landscapes seen beyond the back windows in St. Jerome.

Impressionists and Post-Impressionists

This portion of the collection was the highlight of this gallery for me. I am a huge fan of Monet and Van Gogh, and I had no idea that so much of their work was displayed here. However, the biggest highlight was the Georges Seurat collection. I had never gotten the opportunity to see his work in person, and I am such a fan of the way he uses color. I felt a sense of comfort just looking at these pieces on the wall.