First I should say that after giving in and getting on antibiotics a couple of days before, Mum was finally returning to a non-miserable state. There seems to be various strains of horrible flu going around London and so I am very proud of my immune system for not caving in - good job white blood cells!
So, we started out going to an afternoon showing of John Buchan’s 'The 39 Steps.' It is quite silly, but a lot of fun (4 actors playing ridiculous numbers of roles - sometimes hard to follow which character when the only change was a different hat).
Then we went out to Veeraswamy for some delicious Indian dinner. I ordered Nizami Murgh which was really rich and luscious. So, was relieved that Mum had ordered a side of vegetables as well as the saag I had for a side. She ordered Nihari Lamb which was fine, but not so interesting. It is on the pricey side (like nearly every other restaurant in London), but I would definitely like to go back again some day. Yum!
Finally, we made our way over to the Royal Academy's exhibition from Russia. Mum told me a bit on the history of the exhibit. Most of the pictures started out in the homes of a couple of collectors. When they had to flee their mansions and leave all their wealth behind, no one knew what became of the paintings. Had they been destroyed?
One was a great patron of Henri Matisse. The artist died, not knowing what had become of some of his most precious works.
Years after Stalin was gone, the pieces were found. Now their homes are not with the original owner's heirs, but in Russian museums. There was great concern that the heirs would try and pursue these pictures if they were ever let out of Russia and in order for this exhibition to happen, the UK had to pass an act of parliament that no one could claim them there.
The first few rooms have my favourite works. Beautiful paintings by the French artists I had become so familiar with. Also, wonderful pictures by artists who I'd never encountered before. In fact, one of the first paintings in the whole exhibit that was so cool is by Charles Carolus-Duran, Portrait of Nadezhda Polovtsova.
As one progresses thru the exhibit, you see a great variety of styles. Just like the rest of the world, the paintings turn from Realist to Impressionist. From there we are sent into a Modernism that is more and more frenetic. I felt like it was almost a reflection of the state of Russian life getting more and more crazed. It makes me curious to see what Eastern European artists are coming up with now.
I am no great fan of Chagall or Kandinsky, but their works in this context and next to the other paintings in those halls gave me a greater appreciation. In any case, it was a chance to hear an interesting story and to see paintings that I'd never seen before and will probably never come across again. So, a treat!
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