Pre-Raphaelite Qualities was a small exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle -upon-Tyne, offered a rare treat to see some seldom seen paintings from the Laing collection and elsewhere. The exhibition closed on September 2nd 2018.
Laus Veneris by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and Daniel Maclises King Alfred in a Danish encampment will be familiar to anyone who has viewed the permanent collection in the past. They were still worth viewing in a different context, away from the busier 18th & 19th century galleries and surrounded by their Pre-Raphaelite brothers.
A treat for me was Arthur Hughes (1832-1915) — Mrs Leathart and Her Three Children,1863-1865 which I had never viewed before, a perfect example of the high Pre-Raphaelite style. Beside it was Johnny Armstrong by H H Emmerson, an enormous oil on canvas and a masterclass in the painting of light and shadow.
On a different scale, Through Sea and Air by Charles Napier Hemy was an absolute delight, and a nice foil to the other paintings. Napier Hemy was a master of the seascape, and this particular painting doesn’t disappoint.
In all, an interesting exhibition made all the better for being squirrelled away in a quiet corner so I could enjoy it in peace and quiet.
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