John Ruskin

The National Portrait Gallery proved to be one of the very best galleries that we have ever visited. There were so many famous names and faces that it was like a history lesson, on steroids. It was so hard to select a main photo.

I decided to go with an Englishman John Ruskin. He was a writer and critic who became a defining voice of the 19th century. I have read several of his books and plan to read all of them.

Ruskin was a champion of contemporary art, defended the environment, fought for greater preservation of old buildings in Venice, promoted great architecture and much more. He died in 1900.

The first extra is a rather flattering oil painting of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. Painted in 1939, she had a hard time, back in the day. I always felt a degree of sadness at the way she was treated. These days royalty and divorce are nothing unusual.

Next is a view of Trafalgar Square as you approach the 2 great art galleries nearby, and finally a view of a concert rehearsal that we attended in the church St. Martin in the Fields. It was an outstanding day today.