The Art Part

You could look at much of the collection in the art gallery if you wished.


Somehow though it's not the same as wandering through a large elegant space.



I was going to add something about the reverent silence, but this wasn't really the case. The usual staid atmosphere was lightened by musical entertainment of some sort. It wasn't something that interested me, however, and I must admit that I prefer the restful quiet one generally finds. Entrance to the gallery was free of charge, as it is to most of the galleries around our part of England.

I asked if photographs were allowed; they said yes, of all bar the photographic work and the Aboriginal works. I snapped a pictures of this, which Bill admired.


Near by was this art deco statue, which I quite liked.


Also, this marble that I thought was beautiful.


I was very interested excited about the Village Girl by Jules Goupil, but not because of the painting, because of the sign beside it. It said that though the girl now held a book in the portrait, this was not what she had originally held. Goupil had painted over the original artifact, something that had only become apparent with time. It said that something revealed in this way was called a 'peliment' -- or something like that. My photo of the sign didn't come out well at all and I cannot find any other information about the painting or that term anywhere on the internet. I was so excited about learning a new and unique word, not to be able to retrieve it is very frustrating (but I did eventually find it again!).

I thought this art class had a very dramatic setting.


Jenni had mentioned some sort of market that was on at the the weekend and I had rather hoped we'd managed that as well. When we emerged from the art gallery, however, I was pretty much walked out.

Just across the road was a tree with a rock in it, and several men standing on boxes, shouting about different subjects, mostly political, financial or religious. I might have stood and listened to one or another, but there weren't many others around. The speakers seem to want to debate their topics with the audience, something I'd be unlikely to do at the best of times, and certainly not when I was bushed. This, I was told, was Sydney's Speakers' Corner.


I've heard of Speaker's Corner, but turns out it is in Hyde Park in London, though other countries appear to have them, too. (Interestingly, there doesn't appear to be one in the US). I gather from this man's photos, there are often more than the handful of listeners that were there that day.

We meandered through, admiring more awesome trees and buildings, and continuing home, where I was very glad to put my feet up.