Tomorrow sees the opening of Van Gogh to Kandinsky – a wonderfully curated collection of symbolist landscapes.
Full of Scandinavian and Northern European light the landscapes range from isolated lakes and mountains to “silent cities”.
One of the highlights for me was The Abyss by Joaquin Mir, whose work I first saw in Barcelona and Montserrat (where I purchased a print, a tiny detail of the brush strokes can be seen below).
Detail from Montserrat print.
Another nice touch is audio headphone station in each room with music selected to match the paintings.
The only negative I could see was the labeling – the best way to view these paintings is from a short distance away, but the label can only be read from a few centimeters which means there will be a constant block of bodies in front of the paintings during busy periods. Borrow one of the large print booklets where available, stand in the middle of the room and enjoy the complete view when it is quiet.