Details from El Greco to Goya

At The Wallace Collection currently: two rooms packed with Spanish paintings on loan from the Bowes Musuem, in Barnard Castle. I love the colours and details in this selection.

The show is free of charge and on display until 7th January - well worth a visit!

Spanish Cherries

I spent a weekend up North visiting my brother recently, and while there took a trip to the Bowes Museum to see an exhibition of 17th Century Spanish paintings that he has just helped put on. 

Still life with flowers, artichokes and glassware

Juan van der Hamen y Leon, 1627

Really loved this Spanish still life on loan from the Prado in Madrid. Apparently what makes Spanish still life different from others, is that each element of the painting is set apart in it's own space. I particularly liked the translucent, glassy cherries.

High Street Torcs

Reminded of my visit to Gold: Power and Allure exhibition by these Torc necklaces in H&M today...

I prefer the ancient ones, unsurprisingly.

Gold: Power and Allure

Last week I went to the private view of an exhibition I have been eagerly awaiting for many months 

This astonishing exhibition at The Goldsmiths' Company showcases the story of gold in Britain, with treasures dating back as far as 2,500 BC. There is so much to see and in my case, gawp at, but with free admission there's no pressure to take it all in at once.

The entrance at exhibition were quite literally paved in gold for the private view.

They really knew what they were doing back in the day, and I was amazed at how contemporary some of the oldest pieces on display looked. Topshop, eat your heart out:

 

Loved the beautiful Torcs, or, 'neck-rings' as Wikipedia so elegantly describes them. 

 

Happily for me, there were so many amazing rings... This one was a definite favourite. I wish I could remember more facts and interesting things to relay here, but I was entirely bowled over by the exhibition. And of course, that had nothing to do with sisterly pride...

Well done, George. 

Gold

I saw this bracelet in a pawn shop in Shepherd's Bush market yesterday, and actually missed my bus I was so astonished by it. At first it was definitely just the price that got me - never seen anything like it in a pawn shop before.

The sovereigns, or bullion coins (coins made from precious metal kept as a store of value rather than used in commerce), date back from the early 20th century, and would obviously mean a lot to someone - they would have to for £1871. Since 1817 sovereigns have been made with the same specific standards that dictate weight, thickness and carat.
There was a definite stage at school, where girls wore sovereign rings to proclaim how badass they were. I remember Tessa and I spending a long time in Argos looking at rings for children that we could squeeze on to our hands.

They are really great, I still want one.
At work, my brother has just edited a really interesting book about gold, published by the Goldsmith Company. It tells of 25 gold facts, such as:

and

Fire

My brother and I had fun last week in Cornwall throwing a bonfire party for my grandparents. George was in charge of the rockets, I was allowed to light the little ones............. Turns out the pound shop sells great matches, and I reckon George is looking pretty good in one of the worlds hardest garments, that lovely anorak.