It Looked Fine to Me

It must be because it's term-time, but there were hordes of other people in the tunnel from South Kensington station to the museums on Exhibition Road.  The Victoria and Albert Museum is another one where I have a little trouble getting a handle on things.  However, due to some reorganization of galleries, this time I felt I made some progress.

 The rotunda.  Directly beneath this is where they stick the information desk and the entrance to the shop.  As you do.  The chandelier is a Chihuly, that was commissioned for this space.  I spent a not inconsiderable time wondering how they are going to dust it.

 Directly off the rotunda is a sculpture garden and medieval sculpture.

 Sheep!  Well, a lamb.  Well, technically Agnus Dei.   Oh and St. John the Baptist. 

 Sheep!

Then I actually spent some time in thoughtful consideration of the map, and went directly upstairs to the British galleries.  I met a lady in the lift who sort of collapsed against the wall and said she'd been wandering around for ages. It's like that. I sympathized.  Because of the location of the lift, I started backwards through the British galleries, but at the items I like the best:  The Arts and Crafts movement and the pre-Raphaelite workshops.  This screen is hand-embroidered.  Every inch of it. 

Another one where you might have to smush your nose up quite close to the screen.

Further on, they have a room devoted to public art in honor of Queen Victoria and her family.  They had a model of the Albert Memorial, probably about 7 feet tall, which is extremely detailed and was put together basically so that the Queen could have a look at it and give her approval.  In another nook, a marble bust of Prince Albert, modeled when he was still living, that apparently she rejected entirely because she thought it made him look too old.   He looked fine to me. 

Even though we were there all day, I only made it through about half the British galleries.  But the reorganization does make it more clear that the museum was important as a teaching site, and that craftsman and artisans, working people, were supposed to come and study the items for their work, which was different to the intention of other museums at the time. 

Dinner at Carluccio's in the Brompton Road.  Carluccio's is taking over the world.  I think when I first started coming to London, there were maybe two branches, and now there are 45 in the UK.  But, the food is delicious.  (CR:  Tomato bruschetta and pasta all luganica, followed by chocolate bread and butter pudding for me, pasta giardiniera and chocolate gelato for JY.)