MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 21

I was in such a daze the other day that I didn’t know where to look first. I was feasting my eyes on a dazzling array of paintings filling several rooms.  My daughter and I had tickets for the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition at the Tate Gallery, by the Thames in London. I have to admit that I am not a great fan of the underground, because the trains are noisy, grubby, crowded and, well, under the ground, but if I was to see those wonderful paintings, then I had to endure it. Endure it I did, though when we finally embarked at Pimlico it was a relief to be on ground level again!

Ophelia by John Everett Millais

It was wonderful to see all those paintings together in one a glorious display. Paintings such as 'Ophelia', 'Beata Beatrix', 'The Light of the World', 'Hireling Shepherd', 'The Blind Girl' and my favourite, 'The Scapegoat', filled five rooms. I was so excited and was pointing out details to my daughter, telling her about some of the models who posed for the paintings, and showing her what to look for in the paintings when I suddenly realised that I had attracted a small group, all listening in! I have loved the works of the Pre-Raphaelites ever since discovering them as a teen in the 1960s, and have read so many books about William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Gabriel Rossetti and the others, that to come face to face with the paintings was just like meeting up with friends, and quite an emotional experience.

It was the richness of the colours and the incredible detail that really fascinated me – the painstaking attention to a single leaf, flower or butterfly. Surely those artists were amongst the first of the true wildlife artists, even though the nature details just were the background to the main subjects. One of my favourites has always been ‘Ophelia’ by Millais; his painting of a young girl floating on her back in the river and singing before she drowns, though a sombre subject, is incredibly beautiful. The model for the painting was Elizabeth Siddall who posed for the work in a bathtub heated by lamps. When the lamps went out she didn’t like to complain and so later developed a bad cold and her father wrote to Millais demanding medical expenses. Ophelia is covered in a rainbow of flowers, and both they and the stunning riverbank behind her are a triumph of botanical beauty.  I was also thrilled to see my special favourite, Hunt’s ‘The Scapegoat’, which he painted by the Dead Sea. Later, Ford Maddox Brown wrote, ‘Hunt’s ‘Scapegoat’ requires to be seen to be believed in. Only then can it be understood how, by the might of genius, out of an old goat, and some saline encrustations, can be made one of the most tragic and impressive works in the annals of art.’ I loved it!

The Scapegoat by William Holman Hunt

However, what did let the Tate down was the inadequacy of its facilities. Considering the sheer volume of visitors the gallery attracts, both from Britain and abroad, I expected the catering facilities to be, at the very least, able to provide a decent snack and a comfortable place to eat it. There were just a few tiny, tatty chairs and tables, and it was difficult to see what sandwiches and cakes were for sale as they were at the back of the counter. Also, the toilets were not clean – in fact, those in the adjoining Turner gallery were disgusting. The staff at the information desks didn’t seem well-informed, either – we asked at two separate desks in different parts where the iconic statue of The Little Dancer by Degas could be seen. At one desk we were told it had never been in the Tate, even though my daughter said that she had seen it there a few years before. On another desk, they seemed not to have heard of ‘Degas’ and certainly couldn’t spell it. As the shop was selling postcards of the statue, this was rather a let-down. Later, looking at the website, it implied that the statue wasn’t on show at present –I’d have thought that the information staff would have been able to tell me that.

Lambeth Bridge

Afterwards, we had a walk along part of the embankment, which was nostalgic for me because when I was a child, I was taken there for a walk most weekends. In fact, I loved the place so much that I insisted there was always a teddy bear called ‘Embankment’ in the stories my mother told me each night! (Odd child!) Of course, when I was small the Thames was really busy with barges chugging up and down and all manner of craft, but now, there weren’t so many boats, so I contented myself by watching the gulls. It was a bit murky and misty, but good to see that old river again. We couldn’t spend much time there as we wanted to catch the train before the rush hour. Even so, we almost made it to Westminster Bridge which gave me the chance to quote from the special poem by William Wordsworth, ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ :

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth like a garment wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky,
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did the sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Westminster Bridge

 For those of you who have kindly enquired, the second volume of my book of short stories – mainly humorous – is now on kindle. Twisty Ends and Tangly Tales 2 can be found on Amazon at http://tiny.cc/lzqqmw