Dance

This marble sculpture is my favourite sculpture in the National Gallery. Dancer was carved by Antonio Canova between 1818-22. This is the second version of the work; the first is in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. She's graceful and life-like in her expression and sense of movement.

In a couple of the above shots this painting can be seen, with a show stopper of a name. Erneste Bioche de Misery is an 1807 portrait by Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy-Trioson.

Vision

Here we have another Rubens, a painting titled Stormy Weather, circa 1635-36. Again, because of the light of the internal courtyard behind me, it was only really possible to photograph from the side. It's different seeing it in the evening.

Bernado Cavallino painted The Vision Of Saint Dominic circa 1640-45. That deep blue colour particularly draws the eye.

Here we have a look down into the courtyard, with the reflecting pool below.

For today I finish off with Benjamin West's masterpiece The Death Of General Wolfe, dating to 1770. West did several versions of this work (one hangs in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto), but this is considered the primary version. It depicts the British general James Wolfe, mortally wounded during the Battle Of The Plains Of Abraham at Quebec City during the French and Indian War. 

Venice

Yesterday I left off with a painting depicting Venice. Here we have another one. The Campo di Rialto And The Church Of Saint James is by Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) and dates somewhere between 1740-60.

Here we emerge into a large, long gallery space with a wealth of paintings and sculptures. My favourite sculpture is at the far end. I slipped into a side gallery before taking in this area.

Anthony Van Dyck painted Let The Children Come To Me around 1618-20.

I had to photograph from the side with this one, as behind me was an opening into the interior courtyard. This is The Entombment by Peter Paul Rubens, done between 1612-14 by the master.

Prodigal

Another Dutch painting, here we have Salomon Van Ruysdael's work River Landscape, circa 1650. 

A couple of Rembrandt paintings are part of the permanent collection. This is Heroine From The Old Testament, dating to 1632-33.

Jan Weenix gives us another take on the New Testament parable in this 1668 painting, The Return Of The Prodigal Son. 

And for today I finish with this Italian work. Francesco Guardi painted The Church Of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice around 1780-85.

Holy Grail

Still in the Baroque Room, this is Christ And The Woman Of Samaria, by Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri), done in 1647.

This is one of the busts in the room. Antonio Novelli sculpted Alfonso Altoviti around 1630. This was originally commissioned by Altoviti's family for his tomb, but its craftsmanship was such that a copy was placed in the tomb and the bust remained in the family's collection. Today it resides here at the National Gallery.

I left the Baroque Room and continued into the main galleries. Mary Magdalene seemed to be following me around on this visit, as I was drawn to several works depicting her. Mary Magdalen dates to around 1620-25, and is by the artist Domenico Puligo. Those of you who have read the somewhat preposterous tales of Robert Langdon will get the Holy Grail reference. 😉

The Gallery has a sizable collection of Dutch masters. Castle By A River is by Jan Van Goyen, and dates to 1648.

Baroque Room

Today we're having a look at some of the paintings inside the Baroque Room. Nicolas Poussin painted Landscape With A Woman Washing Her Feet around 1650.

Claude Lorrain, aka Claude Gellee, painted Landscape With A Temple Of Bacchus, around 1644.

This is a work by Veronese and his workshop, titled The Rest On The Flight Into Egypt, circa 1572, depicting the Holy Family.

Another work by Veronese, this is The Repentant Magdalen, done between 1565-70. 

And for today we finish off with The Return Of The Prodigal Son, by Salvator Rosa. Done circa 1655-65, it depicts the New Testament parable.

Venus And Eve

Carrying on with where we left off yesterday, this is Venus, by Lucas Cranach The Elder, a painting dating to circa 1518, depicting the Roman goddess of love. Cranach was known to paint the goddess along with her son Cupid, but here she's on her own.

Back to religious material, but of a more morbid nature. Eve, The Serpent, And Death dates to 1510-15, depicts Adam as Death, Eve as the temptress, and the serpent in the mix. I could have titled this post Naked Women, but that would have drawn in all sorts of the wrong search results. :)

Another work by Lucas Cranach The Elder, this is Christ And The Adulteress, dating to around 1533, depicting the New Testament interlude with Jesus rebuking those making an accusation against the woman in question.

The path took me into what's called the Baroque Room, a large space with paintings and sculptures mostly of a religious or mythological nature.