Art Through Open Eyes

Yesterday we began our day with a walk toward Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. We were asked to write our blog comparing and contrasting two different paintings from the gallery that moved us. I picked Edgar Degas’ Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando and the Le Nain Brothers’ Three Men and a Boy.

I have always loved Edgar Degas’ work, and I was specifically intrigued by this piece of his. Most of his work is of ballet dancers at eye level, but I enjoyed the viewpoint this painting gave me. There is a lot of life and movement that occurs in this painting, and the bright colors is different to the normally muted tones of Degas’ other works.

Three Men and a Boy also showcases the human figure, but this was done in a portrait style instead of an “action shot.” I loved the fact that this painting was unfinished because you can begin to imagine how the painting was created in the first place, and it leaves room for interpretation of what the painting would look like finish. Personally, I think the painting is beautiful the way it is, and you get a different experience in this one than the Degas painting. The Three Men has much more muted tones than Degas, and the Three Men draws you into the painting not because of the movement but because of the intense gaze that shrouds the center of the canvas. The middle figure is said to be the artist himself, which is why he stares so intently at the viewer, but this look is what brings so much life into the painting for me. I couldn’t stop staring back at the mysterious man in the photo.

I’ve also decided to include Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in this post because it’s one of my favorite paintings. I think it’s amazing how something so positive and beautiful was created by a man who was suffering from intense depression. Even through his storms he was able to create something that showcases the beauty in life and provide a little bit of hope to those who see it.

After the art gallery, I got to take part in my first cream tea at the British Museum for Alyssa’s birthday (yay!), and it was delicious. I’m looking forward to the day I will partake in high tea. Honestly, tea time doesn’t happen as often as I thought it would in London.

Today I spent most of the day with Allie and Alyssa going through bookstores and picking up a few discounted architecture books. I ended the day with an AMAZING production of Heathers the Musical, and we waited outside afterwards to get the cast to sign our playbills. It was a 9.8/10 show because some of the accents were weird, but the set and singing was some of the most beautiful I have heard and seen on this trip. This show made me really happy and gave me intense butterflies.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time ❤