Latest news with #CCLand:TheWonderofArt
NZ Herald
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
King and Queen's official Coronation portraits revealed
Laura Lopes, a gallerist and Queen Camilla's daughter who joined them for the visit, said of the portrait: 'It's so incredible. It's very flattering.' Hitting her daughter playfully on the arm, Camilla, who wore a scarlet crepe dress by Fiona Clare with the late Queen's raspberry pip brooch to the engagement, joked: 'Don't say it's very flattering! I just love it.' Tuesday's royal visit marked the official re-opening of the Sainsbury Wing after a two-year transformation for the gallery's 200th anniversary. The King and Queen met supporters and donors to the gallery, including members of the Sainsbury family and broadcaster Andrew Marr. The King, a keen patron of the arts and architecture who nevertheless once famously described an extension of the gallery as a 'monstrous carbuncle', unveiled a plaque to mark the completion of a two-year building project and the re-opening of the wing. The extension, designed by architect Peter Ahrends, was scrapped, and the final, more traditional design, built in 1991, was created by the partnership of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown instead. John Booth, chairman of the National, delivered a short speech of welcome before inviting Their Majesties to unveil their new portraits. They were greeted inside the wing by a fanfare from the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry Band, echoing the welcome that Queen Elizabeth received when she opened the original wing in 1991. Sir Gabriele Finaldi, director, and Booth will later introduce the King and Queen to architect Annabelle Selldorf and some of the project, building and design team. They will view the new Roden Centre for Creative Learning and the new restaurant by Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli. The King and Queen will also be given a short tour of the gallery to see some of the works of art on loan from the Royal Collection in the redisplay, C C Land: The Wonder of Art, that opens on May 10. It includes Andrea Mantegna's painting series called The Triumphs of Caesar. Later in the day, the Queen visited a newly opened installation of poppies at the Tower of London to commemorate VE Day. Camilla admired the display of 30,000 ceramic poppies made to resemble a 'wound' at the heart of the tower, which was bombed during the Blitz. Her Majesty, wearing a red wool crepe dress by Fiona Clare and black cape as well as leather gloves adorned with poppies, matched the colours of the display. She said the display – modelled from the Tower's 2014 commemorative art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red – was 'rather beautiful'. During the visit, she listened to a reading of a specially commissioned VE 80 poem by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage before planting a ceramic poppy into the ground to complete the installation. 'A painting both human and regal' Peter Kuhfeld, who painted the King, was granted five sittings over a year-and-a-half, and said he wanted to paint him as 'both human and regal'. The crown, he said, had its 'own sittings', with the King keen to discuss 'certain aspects' of the work. Paul Benney, who painted the Queen, said he had hoped to capture 'humanity and empathy', having 'hours of fascinating and sometimes hilarious conversation' with her as he worked. Kuhfeld was first commissioned by the King to paint Prince William and Prince Harry when they were aged 5 and 3, and has since travelled overseas with His Majesty as an official tour artist. The commission was kept a secret, only briefly shared with the artist's granddaughter when she accidentally spotted the painting in his studio. 'I usually start with drawings to develop my ideas and then move on to several oil studies to work out problems of composition,' said Kuhfeld. 'During this time, nobody was allowed in my studio while I was working, but one evening my eldest granddaughter forgot, when coming to tell me supper was ready; she burst through the door and came to a standstill and exclaimed, 'Oh! It's the King!'' Benney said it had been an 'honour, privilege and total pleasure' to undertake the first official portrait of her since the Coronation. 'It is with some regret that the sittings for this important commission have come to an end,' he added. 'After nearly a year of being installed in a temporary studio at Clarence House, I have deep and abiding memories of many hours of fascinating and sometimes hilarious conversation with Her Majesty on countless varied subjects. 'I shall miss the quiet and relaxed atmosphere while I was working there, even when Their Majesties were engaged elsewhere. 'My guiding principles in this commission were to both acknowledge the grand and historic nature of the Coronation iconography with all the equipage of the monarchy and at the same time reveal the humanity and empathy of such an extraordinary person taking on an extraordinary role.' After being on display at the National Gallery, of which the King is royal patron, the paintings will move to a permanent home in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, where they can be seen by tourists during the annual summer opening. The tradition of state portraits dates back to the coronation of James VI in 1620. Following royal custom, the portrait of the King includes the Imperial State Crown, placed on a table to one side. He is wearing his Robe of State and naval uniform Number 1 Ceremonial Day Dress with medals and decorations. The Queen's portrait includes Queen Camilla's crown, formerly known as Queen Mary's crown. She wears her Coronation dress, which was designed by Bruce Oldfield. The new portraits were unveiled shortly after a new collection of artworks commemorating the Coronation. Commissioned by the King, other paintings and monochrome images show the Gold State Coach procession, heralds waiting to take part in events and the King and Queen during the Westminster Abbey coronation. The King followed a long-held tradition and commissioned five artists to capture significant events from the Coronation weekend, with four of the creatives being former students from his Royal Drawing School. The Coronation was held on May 6, 2023, and the King saw the finished pieces, now part of the Royal Collection, last September during a presentation at his Clarence House home. Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, the King joined Sir David Attenborough for his new film premiere about the world's oceans. The monarch, a lifelong environmentalist and sustainability advocate, attended the premiere to watch Attenborough's latest nature documentary, which calls attention to the importance of the ocean for the survival of life on Earth. The event comes ahead of Attenborough's 99th birthday on Thursday, for which the Prince of Wales recently paid a heartfelt tribute, describing him as a 'true giant' and an inspiration to 'my children and me'.
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
National Gallery to let one person sleep overnight in ‘once in a lifetime' stay
The National Gallery in London has revealed it will let a member of the public sleep inside overnight for the first time as the Sainsbury Wing reopens after a two-year refurbishment. Ahead of the Trafalgar Square museum reopening and to mark its 200th anniversary, a person will be chosen to be allowed to rest on a bed near the paintings on 9 May. The gallery is launching a prize draw as next month the wing sees the return of the earliest paintings in the collection. These include Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ, Jacopo di Cione's 14th century work The San Pier Maggiore Altarpiece and Paolo Uccello's recently restored The Battle Of San Romano. The bed will be in the area that connects the Sainsbury Wing, which has generally housed early Renaissance paintings, with the rest of the gallery. The winner will also enjoy a dinner for two at Locatelli, a restaurant set to be opened in the museum by Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, and once their friend departs a private tour of CC Land: The Wonder of Art with a curator. CC Land: The Wonder of Art is a curated rehanging of the gallery's works, spanning the Western European tradition from the 13th to 20th centuries. It sees paintings from French Impressionist Claude Monet, Italian Renaissance painter Titian, Flemish painters Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony van Dyck, Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn and British landscape painter Thomas Gainsborough kept in their own dedicated rooms. When the chosen person wakes up on 10 May, they will have a breakfast hamper, and be able to enjoy exploring before the official re-opening of the Sainsbury Wing at 10am. Current subscribers to the gallery's newsletter will be automatically entered, and anyone else can go to the National Gallery's website. The competition is open until 6pm on 28 April, after which the overnight sleeper will be randomly selected. The gallery was previously open overnight to the public during the Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers exhibition in January, which allowed slots to be booked from 9pm until 10am.
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
National Gallery to let one person sleep overnight in ‘first' as section reopens
The National Gallery has revealed it will let a member of the public sleep overnight for the 'first time' as the Sainsbury Wing reopens after a two-year refurbishment. Ahead of the Trafalgar Square-based museum completely re-opening in the capital to mark its 200th anniversary, a person will be chosen to be allowed to rest on a bed near the paintings on May 9. To choose the lucky person, the gallery is launching a prize draw as next month the wing sees the return of the earliest paintings in the collection. These include Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ, Jacopo di Cione's 14th century work The San Pier Maggiore Altarpiece and Paolo Uccello's recently restored The Battle Of San Romano. The bed will be in the area that connects the Sainsbury Wing, which has generally housed early Renaissance paintings, with the rest of the gallery. The winner will also enjoy a dinner for two at Locatelli, a restaurant set to be opened in the museum by Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, and once their friend departs a private tour of CC Land: The Wonder of Art with a curator. CC Land: The Wonder of Art is a curated rehanging of the gallery's works, spanning the Western European tradition from the 13th to 20th centuries. It sees paintings from French Impressionist Claude Monet, Italian Renaissance painter Titian, Flemish painters Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony van Dyck, Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn and British landscape painter Thomas Gainsborough kept in their own dedicated rooms. When the chosen person wakes up on May 10, they will have a breakfast hamper, and be able to enjoy exploring before the official re-opening of the Sainsbury Wing at 10am. Current subscribers to the gallery's newsletter will be automatically entered, and anyone else can go to The competition is open until 6pm on April 28, after which the overnight sleeper will be randomly selected. The gallery has previously been opened overnight to the public during the Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers exhibition in January, which allowed slots to be booked from 9pm until 10am.
Telegraph
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
National Gallery to let art lover stay the night among paintings
An art lover is to sleep in the National Gallery – the first time a member of the public has been allowed to stay there overnight. One competition winner will occupy a bed placed near the paintings on the night of May 9, to mark the gallery's 200th anniversary and celebrate the re-opening of the Sainsbury Wing. After a prize draw which runs until 6pm on April 28, the winner will be able to invite a guest for dinner and will be given a private viewing of an exhibition. Their bed will be positioned in the area that connects the Sainsbury Wing, which has generally housed early Renaissance paintings, with the rest of the gallery. The Sainsbury Wing is to reopen after a two-year refurbishment on May 10, with the earliest paintings in the collection returning to the gallery. These include Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ, Jacopo di Cione's 14th-century work The San Pier Maggiore Altarpiece and Paolo Uccello's recently restored The Battle Of San Romano. The winner and a guest will be given dinner for two at Locatelli, a restaurant set to open in the museum run by Giorgio Locatelli, the Michelin-starred chef. After the guest has left, the winner will be given a private tour of CC Land: The Wonder of Art by a curator. When the chosen art lover wakes on May 10, they will be given a breakfast hamper, and have time to explore before the official re-opening of the Sainsbury Wing at 10am. CC Land: The Wonder of Art is a rehanging of works spanning the Western European tradition from the 13th to 20th centuries. Paintings by Claude Monet, the French impressionist; Titian, the Italian Renaissance master; Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, the Flemish painters; Rembrandt van Rijn, the Dutch painter; and Thomas Gainsborough, the British landscape painter, will be kept in their own dedicated rooms. Current subscribers to the gallery's newsletter will be automatically entered to the prize draw, and anyone else can visit The gallery was opened overnight to the public during the Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers exhibition in January, which allowed slots to be booked from 9pm until 10am.
The Guardian
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
National Gallery sleepover prize draw offers chance to dream among paintings
As far as sleepovers go, it's a one of a kind: an overnight stay in a luxury bed in the middle of the National Gallery's exhibition rooms, dreaming under the world's greatest paintings. Perhaps you'll be inspired by the venerated artworks to pick up a paintbrush, or you'll have a surreal experience like Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum, whose character – a night security guard – finds its exhibits come to life after sunset. You could even unearth a long-buried conspiracy, and find your discoveries adorning the pages of the next Dan Brown novel. For the first time in its history, the National Gallery in London is offering an overnight stay to the lucky person who wins its new prize draw, which has been launched before its public reopening next month. Marking the gallery's 200th anniversary, the competition will select the first member of the public to enter the gallery's Sainsbury Wing after its two-year closure and experience the biggest rehang of the entire collection, entitled CC Land: The Wonder of Art. Anyone over 18 who subscribes to the National Gallery's newsletter will be entered into the draw to sleep in the bed, which will be on the 'bridge' that connects the Sainsbury Wing with the rest of the gallery. The competition is open until 6pm on 28 April, and the winner will be randomly selected. According to the gallery, the evening will start with a dinner for two at its soon-to-be-opened restaurant, Locatelli; then, once the gallery's doors are closed to the public, the winner will receive their own private tour of the exhibition with Christine Riding, National Gallery director of collections and research. As they make their way through the gallery, they will see more than 1,000 works of art, which trace the development of painting in the western European tradition between the 13th and 20th centuries, from familiar masterpieces to paintings that have never been seen in the National Gallery. 'This is the first time that we have had such an exciting opportunity to rethink, and refresh, how we present one of the greatest art collections in the world, under one roof,' Riding said. 'Our visitors will discover anew some of the most famous and iconic works of art ever created, alongside personal favourites and recent discoveries and acquisitions.' The next morning, the winner will also receive a breakfast hamper before having the gallery to themselves to explore before the first public opening of the Sainsbury Wing at 10am on 10 May. The National Gallery's rehang is its most extensive in years. The gallery's 200th anniversary celebrations this year also include the opening of a supporters' house, for members and other supporters, and a learning centre. The National Gallery is no stranger to overnight events. In January, it opened its doors for 24 hours for the final weekend of its sellout Van Gogh exhibition, which was visited by more than 200,000 people. It was the second time in its history the gallery stayed open overnight (the first being for Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan in 2012). Sir Gabriele Finaldi, the director of the National Gallery, said: 'Our bicentenary provides the perfect opportunity to consider a new way to tell the story of the incredible paintings in our collection, and include some exciting surprises. 'So we feel it is fitting that through this prize draw one of our visitors should receive a first look at the newly transformed National Gallery and Sainsbury Wing and have these wonderful pictures to themselves for one special night.'
