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With the exhibition Pioneering Painters: The Glasgow Boys 1880 – 1900 opening this weekend, we'll be bringing you a series of videos over the next week or so that feature key works from the exhibition.
The first video, below, introduces the star of the RA's poster campaign for the exhibition: 'The Druids – Bringing in the Mistletoe' (1890) by George Henry and E.A. Hornel. Taking ancient Celtic lore as its subject matter, the painting was groundbreaking in its use of gold paint, a medium that would later be associated with artists such as Gustav Klimt.
The video features commentary by Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden, a committed supporter of the Glasgow Boys and instrumental in realising the exhibition in both Glasgow and London, and curator Jean Walsh of Glasgow Museums, who explains why the painting took Europe by storm.
RA Magazine's blog is compiled by members of the editorial team plus invited guest bloggers from the Royal Academy and beyond. Get in touch here.
All comments on this post - (2 comment)
My visit today was a bit of a disaster! Queued in the cold from 11.30- 12.05 for a ticket,followed by luke warm, overpriced coffee and dry egg sandwich. Overcrowded exhibition, badly laid out,- crammed 3 paintings with audio guide into a tight corner. Then the lights went out!! Orderly evacuation, but no information given once outside in the cold again! You should be able to do better than this R.A. What must overseas visitors think?!!!
Posted on: January 21, 2011 6:00 PM by Sally Capel
I visited The Glasgow Boys exhibition a couple of weeks ago at The Royal Academy and have to say I was somewhat underwhelmed. Not by the pictures which were, of course, mostly superb but by the presentation. The pictures are essentially crammed into just four rooms which were, despite it being a weekday, equally crammed with people who had paid their not insignificant admission fee. Why is it that every visit to the RA makes me feel I have been fleeced? Admission fees are outrageous and then you are faced with the hard sell of the audio guide which is another few pounds. If you want to have a coffee, be prepared to pay way over the odds. I know money is tight but the RA just comes across as a greedy money grabbing business. It's not about presenting art or making it accessible - it's about making profit.
Posted on: December 15, 2010 10:04 AM by Will