Van Gogh Exhibition - National Gallery

I second that.

There's about 60 paintings, and a lot of helpful information tracking Van Gogh's movements (in and out of institutions), where paintings were done, so you really get a sense of the man and his movements and his preoccupations.

I found it very moving. So many stunning works are there, including "Starry Night," a self-portrait, his Bedroom, and there is "The Lullaby," which Van Gogh had imagined as a triptych that could calm the minds of sailors, with the central painting of a mother flanked by Sunflower paintings on either side, and hey presto, the Exhibition has flanked the portrait of a mother with two Sunflower paintings, just as Van Gogh had envisioned 135 years earlier!

I noticed in one portrait a copy of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," which made me smile as I had just seen the Old Vic play.

Anyhow, it's a really stunning, really moving exhibition.

And I think the last month of tickets may only be on sale to members at the moment, or, if they have gone on sale to the public, that must have happened very recently, after I last looked.

Well worth it.

PS: there's also a Monet exhibition of about 20 of his London paintings at the Courtauld Gallery, most of them painted from a window of the Savoy Hotel lol. This exhibition, while fascinating, is not as moving as the Van Gogh exhibition, as it's basically just three views done again and again and again with different levels and textures of smog. I did love the flickering dots on Waterloo Bridge representing horse-drawn double-decker buses lol.

PS: the Monet exhibition at the Courtauld which Steve mentions is sold out. Glad I'd booked but not seeing it until January.

I am seeing the Monet exhibition next Saturday evening (only date and time available) then got a ticket to see Six which starts at 8pm.

As Showgirls says there are no postcards for paintings on loan to this exhibition. However Van Gogh’s Sunflowers from the permanent collection is the most popular painting in the collection as it sells the most postcards and the wooden floor wears the most around that painting than any other.

I didn’t want to say what paintings have come in on loan but the cats is out of the bag now, with some great loans, to see 2 Van Gogh’s Sunflowers together is awesome. Van Gogh painted seven in total and one of those was lost in WWII. Great to see Starry Night, The Yellow House in Arles, The bedroom and of course La Berceuse (The Lullaby.)

It is a great exhibition.

Really enjoyed the Monet exhibition. Go early and you can look round the floor where the exhibition is, as there are lots of other great paintings there! Then go in for rough allotted time slot. Plus I went to the shop first too as I do love the shop there. Came away with a scientific pencil type thing, quite nice and heavy, hexagonal, that acts as small ruler (inches and cams), and a spirit level….husband will love it as he spends a lot of time fretting as to whether things are level (we all need a hobby!) 

There is an admission charge into the Courtauld Gallery anyway so buying an exhibition ticket gives you great value and best of both worlds.

Van Gogh done many self portraits, as he was very obnoxious, overbearing and vapid and therefore found it hard for people to pose for him, I think there is only one self portrait in this country and that is the one with the bandaged ear, it is Van Gogh’s most famous self portrait as it the one after where he cut his ear off, after he was ditched by Gauguin and his dream of a artist community in Arles (studio of the south) had completely failed and evaporated, unfortunately this painting isn’t in the exhibition - there you go that is the most jingoistic I ever get.

I totally recomend the Bacon exhibition

This was a wonderful exhibition although quite hot and overcrowded… I even stored my coat in cloakroom too (no regrets there) I’ve been to Rijksmuseum not Van Gogh in Amsterdam ^

I felt that my experience was marred by that too. I much preferred the monet exhibition and the bacon exhibition. I was very impressed by the monet exhibition which I found to be very complete.