What to say about the Manchester Art Gallery? Well it is Manchester and yes it is an art gallery. All very obvious I know but they need to be said. Now for the art, well the restaurant is very good - especially if you have eat gluten free food - the walnut brownie, I am told, is to die for. The other food is not bad either.
But wait what about the art? What was the art like? Any good? Good now there is something that you could spend an eternity debating , good in what sense? Good better than bad is that what you mean and so on. This, of course, is total drivel and my ham fisted way of coming round to the fact that I didn't think much to the paintings on display. Don't get me wrong there were one or two wonderful pieces but overall it was a disappointment.
The gallery is dominated by Victorian art, and especially the Pre-Raphaelites. To me they are are hugely ambitious works of unbelievable skill and technique but at the final analysis leave me feeling rather sick. There are some of the greatest Pre-Raphaelites on display but I sat and looked at them and felt I need to clean my teeth afterwards. Perhaps it was the drive for absolute details that makes me stand back in horror. However, I suspect it is just me as most other people around me thought the work fascinating. Or at least that was what I think they were think but it might just have been that they were suffering from a diabetic coma from all the sugar on display. God that is bitch and I need a real good slap. There that is better.
The one painting that really struck home was The Glass Blower. This is a painting created in the second world war and transforms the worker into some ballet dancer. I could wax on about this painting for ages but I won't. I loved it and I think that is all to be said.
One final thing. I have been enjoying the channel 4 series about British art. Much of episode 3 called Flesh was shot at Manchester. To précis the programme, the Victorian's liked to see plenty of bare flesh, as opposed to their prudish reputation. There is a wonderful painting in the gallery by William Etty called The Sirens and Ulysses. It is a wonderful piece of art which, to be quite honest, is just an excuse to show nude women and men. Of course this is art so nothing as smutty as titillation should be taken from the painting. I really don't think so.
A worthwhile day out was had by all.
Simon Marchini LRPS
Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk
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