Tags
art., Canada., Christina Pflug, Clyfford Still, Max Klinger, MBAC, NGC, Ottawa, painting
The National Gallery of Canada created in 1880 by the Governor General of Canada, H.E. the Marquis of Lorne. It is our Canadian National Museum of Art which holds several exhibitions of works every year by international artists and also features new works presented at the Biennale. We also have our permanent collection, only a fraction of it is shown at any given time. The new National Gallery building opened in May 1988 on Sussex Drive, previously the museum was located on Elgin Street in the now demolished Lorne building. It had been located in various government buildings in Ottawa in the years prior, usually one of two rooms were set aside for collections to be shown to the public. The NGC is among the top 10 Art museums of the world, it has the largest Canadian and Inuit Art Collection in the World. It also boast European, Contemporary and Modern collections of every period covering 1000 years of art history.
The new building is a design of Canadian Architect Moshe Safdi, it is meant to be a spectacular national museum with striking architecture with surrounding sculpture garden on Nepean Point high above the Ottawa River. It was opened in 1988 by the Governor General of Canada, H.E. Madame Jeanne Sauvé. In the last year the galleries have been re-painted with bold colours, gone is the off white which was prominent everywhere and tended to give a washed out effect to any work of art being shown. The latest gallery to be repainted is the Renaissance Gallery on the second floor, the teal colour of the walls makes the painting jump from the wall and each one attracts the eye of the viewer. The NGC has 35,000 works of Art and 1,200 are on display at any given time.
Here are some photos of the NGC.
Second floor European Art, 1900 period
Garden Courtyard, the flowers are changed four times a year to reflect the Seasons.
Friedrich Nietzsche by Max Klinger
From the second floor above the Great Hall looking down the passage towards the administration area and the galleries on the North side.
Christina Pflug, Kitchen door with Esther (1965), I presented this painting today to the public. It has many dark psychological meaning to it and most people do not like to look at it.
Clyfford Still, 1949G
The Renaissance Galleries are re-opening on Saturday, I love the new wall colour, it makes the art stand out. There in the background is the Venus by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
Waiting to be re-hanged today.
Passageway from the Entrance flooded with Southern light.
I love the National Gallery. It is so spectacularly beautiful. And I’m a fan of Christina Pflug’s art too. I’d love to hear your thoughts on that particular painting!
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P.S. Where is the gorgeous garden in your header photo?
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The garden in the first courtyard within the building, West side, the other is the suspended pool courtyard in the East wing. I also checked about the sculptors around the pool. The majority of their bronze sculptures are in the Canadian War Museum and are on display in the great hall of the CWM. Around the pool at the NGC there are only 4 sculptures around the pool mixed in with other artists. As for Pflug her art is very troubled and full of her own depression and anxieties. The move to Canada for her was very difficult and her relationship to her husband, she had talent he had control, was not good as we found out after her suicide in 1972 through her friends testimony and her daughters. When I look at this painting and the other one we have next to it Cottingham School with yellow flag, I feel like I see a painter who is stifled by an unhealthy neurotic relationship and is expressing herself, a red flag of what she is thinking about to escape and the eye is drawn towards that open cupboard door and the little bottle of pills. Suicide? Most people do not linger to long on this painting once they realize what they are looking at. In my experience at the museum, visitors like nice paintings difficult ones no so much.
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Hey Laurent, I don’t know if you heard it this morning, but there was a great documentary about Christiane Pflug on CBC One’s Sunday Edition with Michael Enright. Here’s the link to the story and podcast:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/men-will-be-boys-the-refugee-problem-christiana-pflug-ve-day-1.3055705/life-still-the-unbuttoning-of-christiane-pflug-1.3055731
Apparently the AGO is planning a major retrospective of her work in the upcoming months.
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This looks like a spectacular museum. Thanks for sharing the photos. I love the Clifford Still piece. The Clifford Still Museum is in Denver.
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Yes I added the Still painting for you.
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ty 🙂
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such beauty..thanks for sharing with us
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I’m speechless!
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Great! You gave it all away! I guess I don’t have to go now……
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Au Contraire mon frère, you are booked for a 4 hour all inclusive and comprehensive guide tour with refreshments, (one coffee) at the NGC.
Bring sensible walking shoes. We will try to keep your visit of Ottawa this summer down to 3 museums a day, plus a couple of other sights. Lunch stops optional depending on time. Not to worry you WILL ENJOY yourself!
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Make it a nice cup of tea and it’s a deal.
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We offer a choice of loose leaf tea. This is a first class joint, ya know wha I mean.
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oh! I can’t wait to travel to a ‘civilized country’ where I can get a decent cup of tea.
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Kitchen door with Esther is beautiful, I love looking at it. Clyfford Still is one of my favorites, his museum in Denver is amazing.
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Debra thank you for sending this to me, very interesting.
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