NewsDecember2012  

A Washington excursion:
November saw Chris' first ever trip to the USA - specifically, to Washington. In fact he flew into "DC" on the evening of the presidential election and the capital - and, indeed, the country at large - was buzzing with speculation about the outcome.

In terms of image-making Chris, it turned out, concentrated on just a handful of locations.

One such was the junction of Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street NW. It's a spot called "Archives" (Appropriately, given Chris' previous incarnation as an archivist). One resulting image is shown to the left here. Click it to see it's Panoramic Cityscapes collection page, complete with Detail Demos. (Opens in a new window).


Meanwhile, just one block away...
Chris writes: "Washington was great. I was excited about going because I really wanted to see their National Gallery of Art. In particular their collection of 18th century Venetian works. This was a hangover of having been blown away by the Canalettos and Bellottos at the stunning LONDON National Gallery exhibition 'Canaletto and His Rivals', two years ago". (See the News: Dec 2010 page). "I wasn't disappointed. I went back three times in the week I was there".

"The two examples here - one by each of those two artists (who were uncle and nephew, incidentally) - are real master-works".

The Canaletto (right) is 'Entrance to the Grand Canal from the Molo, Venice', (1742/1744).

The Bernardo Bellotto (left) is 'The Campo di SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Venice' (1743/1747).

"Both demonstrate the two artists' mastery in the positioning of the various elements of the picture. Likewise their use of colour, such as the small patches of reddish hues carefully placed to complement the generally cooler colours of the image at large".

"Given the similar aims and concerns of my own work, I could hardly drag myself away".


Since submitting the above Chris has also asked us to mention the gallery's 'Venice: The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute' (right).

It is JMW Turner's own take on the Venice of about a century after the above-mentioned. And simply glows with light.

And their Francesco Guardi's.

And, and, and...


Sullington Warren:
None of the various panoramas made at Sullington Warren that we reported on last week have yet joined the Panoramic Landscapes collection. And they may not either as Chris is not entirely happy with any of them.