By Brittaney Mann
Experiencing visual art is something I wish everyone had the opportunity to do because it provokes introspection through the somewhat passive act of observation. I am a person that enjoys reading poems and such because I achieve a similar path to self-reflection when consuming that media, but sometimes art can take me down that path when my brain does not have the energy to visualize and connect words to an image in my mind.
I was a bit nervous to view the art in this museum when I first explored the rooms because I did not think I would be able to connect to it like I could with modern art. I was not raised in a religious household, so my Biblical literacy is lacking. Even without the background for these pieces, I was happy that I still found myself able to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of this art and experience strong emotions viewing it. Someone asked me what my favorite art to view was (between modern and classical), and I could not decide because both experiences were pleasurable in different ways. I think modern art allows me to question and understand my experience living now, but classical art pushes me to understand other people, especially those before me and realize what aspects of society have stuck around, and what aspects we have lost. That is a simplification of my experience in the two, but I think it sums up the major pieces going through my mind. A main thing I noticed and appreciated about society is how long domesticated dogs have been around; I knew they would have been with people for a while, but seeing dogs in art really made me think about it.
There were many pieces in this museum that I found intriguing, but the two I thought would be most interesting to compare and contrast were “A Muse (Calliope?)” by Cosimo Tura 1455-60 and “Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil” by Bartolomé Bermejo 1468. The thing that struck me most about these paintings is the pairing of gold bodies and red eyes of sharp-toothed creatures. I love how intimidating the color choices make the picture. The main difference between the two paintings is what they depict. Bermjo’s painting has images of conquering and war, while Tura’s depicts a woman who already has power. Overall, I just really enjoy how unsettled and safe these paintings make me feel. The National Gallery was an excellent museum, and I would love to visit again sometime.
Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/bartolome-bermejo
Theatre in London U of A 
Seems like finding someone who likes classical painting and modern art equally is unusual–that’s very interesting (and speaks well of your open-mindedness!).
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