Yesterday I did not only see the Francis Bacon exhibit (
here you can see it without actually visiting in person - link from
tiny red) but I got to see what is behind some closed doors at Tate Britain.
I got to see the
Prints and Drawings room - called Tate Britain's best kept secret, though it's for the public. But very few people know about this. Normally an appointment has to be made to get access. Visitors can request to see drawings and watercolours from Blake to Turner as well as Modern Prints. The best things is that you are allowed to come with pens and watercolours to work after the materials from the collection.
Then I got to see the laboratory in the basement where they do research on watercolour pigments and how to best conserve these kind of paintings. They have access to many kilos of pigments from the Turner Bequest - that is his actual materials. I got two papers with me home to work on. Not Turner's old watercolour papers though...
I got to see the Prints and Drawings room - called Tate Britain's best kept secret, though it's for the public. But very few people know about this. Normally an appointment has to be made to get access. Visitors can request to see drawings and watercolours from Blake to Turner as well as Modern Prints. The best things is that you are allowed to come with pens and watercolours to work after the materials from the collection.
Then I got to see the laboratory in the basement where they do research on watercolour pigments and how to best conserve these kind of paintings. They have access to many kilos of pigments from the Turner Bequest - that is his actual materials. I got two papers with me home to work on. Not Turner's old watercolour papers though...
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7 comments:
ojojoj vilket besök. Jag blir helt avis!
what a great discovery!
how lucky! do you have to get a group of people together to make the special request or alone would do?!
Olechko - you can make the request just as one person. If you follow the link in my post you should find some phone number or other way to contact them. They also recommended me to check online if I wanted to see something special - so they could pick it out for me before I come. Tate Modern is supposed to have digitalized almost all its collection - and they said I could see much of it online. (I haven't had the time to check yet, though)
Please let me know if you find something extra interesting!
Lucky you... lucky you. Such an inspiring day of discovery and brilliance!
Amazing. Just looking at those little containers of pigments is a joy! Was your heart beating so fast with delight?
wow! what a great experience that must have been. i'm a little envious i can't see the bacon exhibition in person, but the interactive site is amazing.
i love your drawings in the posts below... you are quite gifted at capturing human expression and emotion in your sketches.
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