Cathy's Art Diary

Behind-the-scenes of the Conservation Department at the Courtauld Institute led by Graeme Barraclough, Head of The Courtauld Gallery Conservation. Organised by the Friends this was a fascinating tour to hear about the work of the teaching department and of the gallery itself. Everyone was very friendly and generous with their time. It was very interesting to see picture close up in the process of conservation. In particular they were working on a Cupid and Psyche by Joshua Reynolds which is currently a rather dull yellowed mush but should be transformed by being cleaned. It was followed by drinks in the square at Somerset House on a lovely warm evening.

Small exhibition at Charleston Farmhouse of drawings by Peter de Francia on the subject of art. Influenced by Goya and Beckmann these pictures take satirical view of the art world. Although generally I found them a bit detached I liked the picture of two buyers at an art auction cradling the items they have bought.

Lecture at the National Gallery by Xavier Bray, Assistant Curator of 17th- and 18th-century Paintings at the National Gallery, on the painting of “St Francis in Meditation” by Zurbaran. This picture is currently featured in the exhibition by the artist in residence, Alison Watts, as it inspired her to paint her large scale pictures of drapery. The lecture looked at the iconography of the picture and at who it might have been painted for. It was nice to look in detail at one particular picture and all aspects of it.