The Chalmondeley Ladies at the
Tate Britain
Aren’t these gals wonderful? According to the inscription on the front of
the painting, these women were born on the same day, married on the same day, and gave birth on the same day. The artist is from the British School 17th C. It’s a knockout painting!
Let me share a few others from the same museum:
It’s a Punch and Judy show!! Doesn’t get much better than this! I just love everything
about Punch and Judy————-(post to follow!!!) and here I bumped into this nice
old painting–was thrilled.
This familiar piece above is oil on canvas 1885-6 by John Singer Sargent. Just lovely.
This piece above is one of three by the artist. It portrays that first little tiff that a married
couple might have.
Let’s get literary and celebrate this nice poster for Wilkie Collins’ Woman in White.
And below we’ll follow with this striking “woman in red” showgirl:
And some later ones:
I love this “Ski Jacket” below—just the sound of it is good! I once had a wonderful royal
blue and red ski jacket—-by White Stag maybe? This painting is huge and painted
on two canvases . . .
and a more modern “Elephant” 1984 by Bill Woodrow below. The elephant’s ears are
cut out from a map of South America and Africa. On the floor is a circle of
small VW? car doors and a vacuum cleaner. OK?
Unfortunately the time period between 1910 and 1960 was closed for renovation, so I’ll
have to go back! But a pair of artists that were most interesting, I thought, are Gilbert
and George, born in 1943, and 1942 respectively. One piece was a green bushy sculpture
that exuded twittering bird sounds. This was in the room with the elephant. They
weren’t just bird calls, but an inviting kind of sound that made you feel there was more
around you than just that little bush!
And there is a long hallway that features murals by Gilbert and George—all in sepia
tones, huge scenes, each with two men featured (Gilbert and George I assume!) and
with poetic phrases at the bottom–slows you right down to stop and look and think.
Nice indeed.
I had a lovely time that morning at the Tate, and then enjoyed lunch with our daughter
and a friend out on the green lawn adjoining the museum, under a white tent. Perfect!