An unusual exhibition of scultures and drawings by Michael Landy is on display at the National Gallery in London. His work has been inspired by the lives of saints depicted in the paintings around the gallery. You are not allowed to take photographs in the gallery so these photos are taken from their leaflet and a postcard.
It is not a large exhibition and here you can see the main exhibits. The models can all move and their movements are quite noisy. The sculpture in the foreground is St Jerome. He was a great scholar who translated the bible from its original Greek and Hebrew into Latin. Legend has it that he used to beat himself with a rock to prevent having impure thoughts.
This one is called 'Multi-Saint'. It is at the back of the room on the right. The saints depicted are:
St Peter Martyr (1205-1252) murdered with an axe blow to the head:
St Lawrence roasted alive on a griddle;
St Lucy plucked out her own eyes and sent them to an admirer who praised her beauty;
St Catherine tortured on a wheel.
This is St Thomas (Doubting Thomas) who refused to believe that Christ had risen until he felt the wounds of Christ.
It is quite a gruesome exhibition but it highlights the lives of the saints as shown in the paintings within the gallery. Sometimes we look at these paintings from an artistic viewpoint and not always from the subject and symbolism included within them.
It is not a large exhibition and here you can see the main exhibits. The models can all move and their movements are quite noisy. The sculpture in the foreground is St Jerome. He was a great scholar who translated the bible from its original Greek and Hebrew into Latin. Legend has it that he used to beat himself with a rock to prevent having impure thoughts.
St Peter Martyr (1205-1252) murdered with an axe blow to the head:
St Lawrence roasted alive on a griddle;
St Lucy plucked out her own eyes and sent them to an admirer who praised her beauty;
St Catherine tortured on a wheel.
This is St Thomas (Doubting Thomas) who refused to believe that Christ had risen until he felt the wounds of Christ.
It is quite a gruesome exhibition but it highlights the lives of the saints as shown in the paintings within the gallery. Sometimes we look at these paintings from an artistic viewpoint and not always from the subject and symbolism included within them.
Not really an exhibition to raise your mood ! quiet bloody too. The Multi Saint shows how cruel people were and probably still are ! Roasted alive !
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I can see why they don't let you photograph them they are rubbish for want of a better word. I certainly would not waste my time walking round that lot. I admire art and sculptures but that is neither. Sorry if it offends you but that stuff offends my eyes.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and certainly thought-provoking.
ReplyDeleteOuch!! poked out eyes and roasted on a griddle. I'm flying over to Melbourne in a few days to see Monet's "Water Garden" exhibition on display from the Musee Marmottan in Paris.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made it to the gallery!!!Wish I was there. I larfed and larfed.
ReplyDeleteM
Oh, my. I think this is one exhibit I would have skipped, so I wouldn't have nightmares. :-)
ReplyDeleteLove the art.
ReplyDeleteI must add though that if I beat myself with a rock I would have many impure thoughts. :))