El Greco and Others

The trigger for the trip to Paris, from which I have just returned, was the much-publicised Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre. For months, all the papers wrote about this most important Leonardo exhibition, which, we were told, one had to visit.

It may be because of the enormous PR hype that I was somewhat disappointed by the exhibition itself. A not small part of the exhibition was devoted to drawings, some of which were so dimly illuminated, that one could hardly see them. Moreover, exhibitions of Leonardo drawings are not that unusual. There is one currently at London’s Queens Gallery. 

I really travelled to Paris because of the Leonardo – or as the French call him Leonard de Vinci, and the El Greco and Toulouse Lautrec exhibitions at the Grand Palais were to be an added bonus. As it turned out, the big wow for me, was the El Greco exhibition. They managed to get the most wonderful El Greco paintings, many of which are spread all over the world’s museums. If you are around Paris before 10 February – go and see that exhibition.   

Talking with my hands

A close friend of mine has more than once told me off, for talking with my hands. No longer will I allow him to do so. Both Leonardo and El Greco, in their Supper depictions leave no doubt that talking with one’s hands, was definitely acceptable in the committed classes. 

Marco d'Oggiono after Leonardo da Vinci

Marco d'Oggiono after Leonardo da Vinci

Atelier of El Greco: The Feast in the House of Simon