Recently we took a day trip to Canberra to see the big Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia. It was the first comprehensive retrospective of his work to be shown in Australia, and I was keen to see it before it finished.
I figured Easter Sunday would be good, people would be distracted by Easter eggs and family lunches and not crowding up the gallery. I was Wrong. So Wrong.
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| Sadly this was as close as we got.... when you only have a few hours you can't wait in line for ever |
So I picked up the free brochure Toulouse-Lautrec, Paris and the Moulin Rouge, and we went to the National Portrait Gallery instead.
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| Not a portrait |
And then on to the National Library. To see the The Dream of a Century exhibition. Which was interesting, but I thought it was more about Canberra. It was actually about Walter and Marion Burley Griffin. I hadn't realised much about their other work besides designing Canberra- particularly that their Indian work.
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| Exhibitions about architects don't always hold a boys attention it's much more fun to slide down a rail |
18 comments:
Too bad about Lautrec but it looks like you had a great day anyway. I have to admit I'm a bit baffled by the winner of the portrait prize; I guess it lust wasnt my cup of tea, or in this case, bowl of milk.
I love your 'not a portrait' pic and your son sliding down the railing - reminds of trips to the art gallery with my stepsons!!
I bet this was a fun event -- maybe not for a young boy though :)
An adventure can be something different from what one expects...it looks like you took what you could find and enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing...here's MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST
Nice pictures -- too bad that line was SO long!!
Here is my SATURDAY SNAPSHOT post.
I admire the cultural environment that Canberra has. I would love to see a TL exhibition. Thanks for these interesting photos!
It looks like everyone had the same idea..hope you can get back for the exhibit!
Great minds think alike? Great shots of plan B adventures.
Love how you made the best of it. But I hope you do get to see the Toulouse-Lautrec at some point, it sounds great.
Does Toulouse Lautrec have any ties to Australia? I should probably know this, but wondered if he journeyed there or if it is simply an exhibit of his work. I'd love to see it. Here's Mine
Ok, I'm guessing the orange spongey looking thing was some kind of statue? Did it have a name?!?
Looks like a blast, although I'm with you, I could not have stayed in that long long line!
Sim- I found that winning portrait really really disturbing. I like cats and I know she loved her cat, but it was too sad- perhaps that's why it won, such emotion?
Yes Brona dragging boys around looking at art, isn't always easy is it?
Diane- Hopefully he gets something out of it, not just a slide down the rail.
Adventures often are different to what you expect though aren't they? I don't mind that. I did really want to see the exhibition.
Thanks Melissa. It was long, and slow, deadly combination.
Canberra does have a great cultural environment. So handy that all these galleries are lined up, we just walked between them.
The exhibit has already finished Bonnie. I'll just have to look out for TL in Paris later in the year.
Thanks Irene.
Thanks Melwyk. We'd driven three hours, we had to do something. Sadly the TL exhibition has already finished.
Paulita I don't think he has any ties to Australia. There was none mentioned in the small brochure we got- they would have mentioned it if there had been I'm sure. He died so young, and was quite poorly during his life, I can't imagine that he could have travelled all that much, and especially that far.
I don't remember noticing a name Stacy. It should have one shouldn't it?
Wow, what a long line! I wouldn't have imagined it would be a big draw for Easter either.
Geez Louise (how long have I been waiting to use that one!), as a Canberra resident you put me to shame. I did not even attempt to visit TL and have not yet seen the NPPP. I better get moving to catch up!
;-) megan
Oh what a shame Louise ... I won't say it was a great exhibition then! I wasn't there ... I was at the Folk Festival. (You didn't tell me you were coming ... not that I could have done much about it really as with Folk Festival, Easter Sunday lunch and a visiting Aunt I was pretty much occupied).
I couldn't believe it Alyce- I don't know what they were all doing there.
Megan- when you live in the middle of nowhere it is important to try and get to things. Mind you, there was an exhibition I wanted to see here in town, that I never got to see, despite being 50 metres from it many, many times.
I know Sue, it is a shame. These day trips are so rushed, this one particularly so as the boys had to be home in time for the first episode of Doctor Who.
I haven't been to Canberra for many years. I think I must be just about due for a visit!
Serendipity leads us where we really should have gone in the first place, I think. Plan. But don't plan too much?
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