PRIVATE VIEWING       National Museum of Art         14 March 2013

A Fine Palette with a Hint of Curry

An eclectic mix of committed Times and Sunday Times readers gathered in the Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre of the National Museum of Wales at the start of a private viewing of the National Museum of Art. Art is all about taste and this was clearly in evidence as the host for the evening was at pains to stress that the exhibits she had chosen to illustrate her introductory talk were those that she particularly liked although some were clearly needed to tell the story however brief of how the National Art collection had been built up.

The art collection now comprises over forty thousand paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, pieces of decorative art and new media works. Amongst these works of art is the internationally renowned collection of impressionist and post-impressionist assembled mostly between 1908 and 1923 by the sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies. Works on view include Millet’s The Gust of Wind (1871-1873); van Gogh’s Rain – Auvers (c1890); Cezanne’s The Francois Zola Dam (1877-78) and Renoir’s La Parisienne (1874). They bequeathed their collection of paintings and sculptures, which Margaret had expanded after Gwen's death, to the National Museum of Wales.

Their collection which totalled 260 works of paintings and sculptures comprised the nucleus of its art collection, particularly for international art. Among these were seven oil paintings that had been bought as Turners. Three of these were subsequently judged to be fakes and withdrawn from display. These works were re-examined by the BBC TV programme, Fake or Fortune where they were reinstated as genuine Turners and all seven paintings are now on show.

Our host showed no signs of pretentious interpretation preferring to communicate some of the paintings nuances. Buildings in Naples (1782) by Thomas Jones, she informed was painted from the roof terrace of the artist’s lodgings opposite the imposing Dogana del Sale but the painting is dominated by the humble Neapolitan house opposite. The Welsh Landscape with two women knitting (1860) by William Dyce she explained was a painting of contrived contrasts and not an actual portrayal of a scene the artist had experienced.

 The introduction to the Museum was concluded by reference to what the future holds and how modern works of art were being incorporated. It was then time to move on to the drinks reception.

This consisted of food stations and it was like a bizarre game of musical chairs searching for a spare seat. Those that failed, and there were several, were left to hover and swoop like vultures to pick up any scraps they could with curried nuts being the most popular snack. There was also wine aplenty which either improved one’s appreciation of the art on show or dulled the senses so that almost anything would be found appealing?

With so many exhibits in the Museum it was going to be impossible to view much of them in the time available. It was inevitable however that each of the rooms and galleries would be visited by several. It was in one of these rooms that a peculiar sense of being was experienced. There were no more than half a dozen gathered in this room and a strong smell of curry was evident. It would appear that all had enjoyed the curried nuts and were carrying their smell on their hands and by accident the group had created a living odour art installation. Sissel Tolaas, the Scandinavian smell expert may have been keen to add this to her scratch and sniff menu. Can this be part of her vision of a smelly future?

Whatever the future holds for odour art the future of the National Museum of Art looks rosy.