Discombobulated by the National Gallery

• big sections which are simply just not accessible
  because of to restructuring / renovations / getting ready for NG200
  in 2024 (which I’d not read of prior to). That’s as in:

• Pretty much ALL of the Sainsbury Wing is out of action (Rooms 52-59 and 62-66 + the Basement Gallery
• plus Rooms 1-8 in the Wilkins Building – which is exactly where exhibitions which would have been in the Sainsbury Wing are now getting held – as in the new Lucian Freud exhibition
• plus a great deal additional rooms on the second ground of the major developing – which helps make strolling all over in a circle actually hard – you have to backtrack a whole lot.
• I appeared at the floor designs afterwards – which have no obvious / notable
  legend/critical and are for that reason are approximately incomprehensible
• you can obtain the floor program as at September 2022 which does not reveal that grey implies inaccessible and helps make no difference between gallery areas which are closed and areas given in excess of to other functions of the Gallery which have hardly ever been obtainable.
• base line – it is really difficult to get your head about even if you’re used to the structure of the gallery!

In the future couple of months, the image galleries in the Sainsbury Wing will
close to prepare for constructing is effective as element of NG200.
Discover out far more about particular person room closures on the Level 2 floorplan
web page.

Later this month London’s Nationwide Gallery is because of to announce options for
its 2024 bicentenary celebrations and an affiliated building task. But
while the a great deal-wanted upgrading of its Sainsbury Wing entrance will be
welcomed, it poses logistical troubles for the gallery—and it will have
a substantial momentary impression on exactly where paintings are shown. The Art Newspaper (13 June 2022)

• the explanations in the Gallery of how to transfer all around/by are
  both absent or complicated. They could make perception to museum staff but I know the Gallery perfectly and I
  was struggling. I was only lost muc of the time as to which section of the
  constructing I was in – as I’ve always navigated by art on the partitions earlier!
• substantial pieces of the collection have been rehung in distinctive galleries
• partly to accommodate the need to have to get the early art out of the Sainsbury
  Wing
• partly to accommodate the exhibitions which would generally be in the
  gallery at the base of the Sainsbury Wing have experienced to occur into the most important
  Wilkins Constructing.
• Dutch Floral Even now Lifes – which I stop by just about every time I acquired to the
  Gallery – are totally nowhere to be noticed.
• somewhat number of paintings appear to be in the same place 
• the ‘story of art’ in some galleries is seriously, actually strange! It
  just about appears to be like like “what can fit where by” exercise at situations.
• smaller spaces = much far more crowded I would advise going throughout
  several hours when the large quantity of excursions are not ‘working’

It was a serious aid when I got to galleries which appeared virtually the identical as
they often do. The Canaletto’s and Guardis are in the very same put as are the
Constables and Turners.

On the furthermore facet
I observed far more artwork that was new to me than ever observed on earlier visits! Some of which is extremely, quite fantastic.

In addition some hanging juxtapositions which enhanced the viewing – these types of as
the Vermeer Virginals below

A Younger Woman standing at a Virginal (c.1670) A Younger Woman seated at a Virginal (c.1670) by Johannes Vermeer

What upset me is that this present transform is naturally going to past at least
until eventually the stop of 2024 i.e. at least two additional many years – and may properly alter once again
during that time.

So where’s the artwork – and is it on perspective?

Seemingly you can glimpse up where your favourite artwork is – IF it is even now
hanging although the modifications take place.

NOT ON Show!!

There is a little something about relocating favorite paintings in art galleries which is
not good…
It is like dropping an outdated buddy…..