Desert Island Pics Revisited

 Thinking again about those essential paintings to take to a Desert Island. Already on the list are Red Ballet Skirts  by Edgar Degas and Christ of St John of the Cross by Salvador Dali, both of which are in Glasgow's galleries. King Asa of Judah destroying the idols by Francois de Nome wins a place because, despite all the research already undertaken, I will need the time that the desert island isolation offers to really make sense of it.

Added to these three most recently are Noli me tangere by Graham Sutherland and The Nativity by Arthur Hughes. I've yet to do the reading around Sutherland's works but this painting which exists in two forms at Pallant House and in Chichester Cathedral was an unexpected find. The former Dean of the cathedral Walter Hussey commissioned the work but the original version, now in the Pallant Gallery, didn't meet with approval at the cathedral. A new painting was produced and accepted but continued to be controversial. Anything that provokes such strong feelings must be worth a few years of serious contemplation.

This week's work has centred on the Pre-Raphaelites alongside Degas. Although Holman Hunt's Shadow of Death is fascinating it is Arthur Hughes' beautiful depiction of the familiar scene that is the more moving of the two. Described by many as the last Pre-Raphaelite Hughes' creates a moving simplicity that Hunt's complex and busy picture cannot match.

Still three more works to identify. The next batch of study will look at Stanley Spencer and Graham Sutherland. Finally there is a work by Hughie O'Donoghue, an Irish artist of recent times, to consider. Sadly the gallery at the Fitzwilliam displaying this work was closed this week. One of the pitfalls of a study of this duration is the difficulty of accessing works at the right moment. Not a problem when I spirit them away to that Desert Island.

Back in the nineteenth century

Turning back the clock this week to look at three paintings from the second half of the nineteenth century.

The Nativity by Arthur Hughes, the earliest, painted 1858.
David and Goliath by Edgar Degas, an early work of the artist painted 1864.
The Shadow of Death by William Holman Hunt, painted 1870-73.

Two of the works are English, one is French. I've spent today marshalling background information on the Victorian period and Pre Raphaelite Art in an effort to establish where there are gaps in my knowledge of the British scene. French history of the period is almost a total blank but more may emerge tomorrow. A reading day in Cambridge later this week should go some way to making good deficiencies.

At this stage, the three paintings seem to represent the main strands of changing religious thought of the period. Degas draws on a biblical story with no apparent spiritual intent; Hughes reflects the reinvention of tradition advocated by the Oxford Movement; Hunt uses his artistic skill to describe the role and identity of Christ much as a non-conformist preacher of the day might have done. Secularist, traditionalist and evangelist. Sounds remarkably contemporary.

Two thirds of the way through the sabbatical now. The Tour continues during August in Cambridge - the Fitzwilliam and Kettle's Yard - and back on the south coast to pursue Stanley Spencer. The absence of his work at Southampton was a disappointment but I hope a visit to the Memorial Chapel at Highclere will make up for that.

Back on tour

Pallant House Gallery in Chichester was a delight. Graham Sutherland's Deposition  is a focus work for my study and Dean Walter Hussey commissioned several works by the artist. Hussey's art collection was bequeathed to the Pallant and we found two religious works and one landscape on display today. A gallery label informed us that another painting was to be found in Chichester Cathedral just a few streets away.

Sutherland's religious work is challenging and has been controversial in the past. In particular his Crucifixion paintings with their visual reference to images from concentration camps published after World War II are harrowing. The very helpful Cathedral guide told us the their painting Noli Me Tangere was the subject of a knife attack in the early days and later suffered graffiti on the frame.

The day was a joy and more than made up for a disappointing visit to Southampton Art Gallery two days ago. The gallery there is undergoing building works, half the rooms were closed and nothing of relevance to my study is currently on display. At the Pallant we enjoyed an excellent lunch - the restaurant is small so booking a table was essential - and appreciated the setting of the paintings in both the original Queen Anne townhouse and the contemporary extension. Good to be back on tour.