One difference between America and England that my TA Emily noted early on in the course is that here, museums are free and most of the churches are not, while in America, the opposite is true. London is absolutely full of interesting (and indeed free) museums, so here is my quick guide to a few that I visited.
The National Gallery
Located at the top of Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery houses a very impressive collection of European art dating from the Middle Ages through the Impressionist period. The Gallery is very nicely laid out, with the various wings arranged chronologically, and it contains a helpful resource center called ArtStart where you can peruse the gallery's entire collection on touch-screen monitors.
The National Gallery must-see:
The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck;
Venus and Mars by Sandro Botticelli;
Rain, Steam, and Speed — The Great Western Railway by J.M.W. Turner;
Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh.
The National Portrait Gallery
Just around the corner from The National Gallery, the NPG is a smaller, but still quite impressive, collection of portraits. The closer you get to the ground floor, the closer you get to the present-day portraits, and, like the National Gallery, the NPG has a resource center where the paintings can be viewed and free black and white print-outs may be obtained. Now is an especially good time to visit, as the museum is currently hosting the BP Portrait Award competition — an annual event wherein people submit portraits to be judged. A selection are placed on display at the gallery, and the top four win prizes valued at up to £500 (about $830).
The National Portrait Gallery must-see:
The Coronation Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I;
The Chandos Portrait of William Shakespeare;
Portrait of Lord Byron in Albanian Dress by Thomas Phillips;
The BP Portrait Award Competition
Whitehall Banqueting House
Once the English Royal Family's largest palace, Whitehall burned down in 1698. All that remains is the Banqueting House, which contrary to what you may assume, was used not for banqueting but rather for staging masques and entertaining royal guests. Built in 1622 by Inigo Jones, The Hall is just one large room with the entire ceiling covered in paintings by Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens. The paintings, which were commissioned by Charles I, served as a reminder to the visitors of the Divine Right of Kings—ironic considering Charles was to be executed as a traitor to the crown after the English Civil War.
Whitehall Banqueting House must-see:
The ceiling.
The British Museum
The British Museum is located a convenient block-and-a-half away from our hotel, so it's been a favorite for quick visits. The museum is very large, filled with exhibits of art and artifacts from various cultures. Among these displays are some of the more controversial items in museum history — the so-called Elgin Marbles: statues and sculptures that Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon and brought to England in the early 19th century. While he claimed to be doing so in order to protect the Greek cultural heritage (Greece was then under the control of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and indeed much of the Parthenon had already been looted), the current Greek government has requested that the statues be returned. When you enter the exhibit you can take a leaflet explaining the museum's position on why they should be allowed to keep them, and from what I can tell their chief reason seems to be "Because we like them here," but perhaps that's just my bias showing.
The British Museum must-see:
The Rosetta Stone;
The Elgin Marbles.
The National Maritime Museum
Located in Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum is a bit further abroad, but still an easily-traveled distance away. The museum stands just off the Thames, at the foot of a grassy hill, on the top of which sits the National Observatory (location of the Prime Meridian monument). The National Maritime Museum is a history of humanity and its various attempts to cross the sea, from times long past, through the Age of Sail, up to present-day shipping endeavors. The museum is spacious and filled with interesting, and interestingly set-up, exhibits. Definitely one to take the kids to.
The National Maritime Museum must-see:
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's Undress Jacket, worn at the Battle of Trafalgar;
Bust of Captain John Paul Jones after Antoine Houdon.
| Read more like this: All posts by Kelsey Sharpe Touristy sites Travelers' tips |