The Perfect Gentleman Issue 7 | Page 26

Painter’s Paintings’ Art Exhibition by Lorella McDonald A while ago I went to see the exhibition at the National Gallery called Painter’s Paintings. It was a birthday treat from my mum and I was thrilled to pop along. When we see ‘blockbuster exhibitions’ advertised, they tend to focus on just one artist like Leonardo da Vinci for example and track the work of that particular artist focusing on why that artist was so significant in the history of art and mankind. However, when I go to these exhibitions I often find myself wondering who inspired these artists? Now, this type of art may or may not be your cup of tea but surely as a society we are culturally indebted to these great creative minds and, hopefully, when you come out of an exhibition like this it will prompt you to consider who your own inspirations are in your own lives. Painter’s Paintings is on at the National Gallery, London until September. Admission is £12, £10 concessions and if you are a member of the National Gallery, it’s free. Go and discover your own inspirations! The rooms for the exhibition Painters’ Paintings are well curated, I found them pretty self-explanatory. There was a self-portrait of the painter, say Matisse, on the wall with an explanation setting the scene and context and then around the room were the different paintings by the different artists which the painter acquired as they worked throughout their lives. I found this exhibition a rather fascinating and at times moving experience. A glimpse into the behind the scenes world of the artist themselves, some of them saved up to the last penny to buy their favorite works from their favorite masters, even going into debt for their art! 26 The Cultural Reviews