The Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry has recently spoken out about the need for affordable housing otherwise the capital will become a cultural desert because ‘rich people on the whole don’t create culture.’ However, according to data from Rightmove, the average price of a residential London property is now above £600,000 for the first time.
It seems that even viewing art is becoming more difficult, too. The National Gallery is allowing 180 visitors at 30-minute intervals to see the Late Rembrandt exhibition. ‘I couldn’t get near the drawings,’ Monique said, who is planning a visit to Amsterdam when the exhibition transfers to the Rijksmuseum.
The alternative is paying £45 for special Saturday and Sunday-evening visits when you can avoid the hoi polloi, enjoy a glass of plonk, live music and a talk about the Dutch master. It isn’t bad value when you consider that when the gallery held its equally popular Leonardo exhibition three years ago, tickets were being offered for a whopping £350 on eBay.
I was lucky enough to enjoy a similar experience at an evening’s press viewing of the Van Gogh museum’s new look, which focuses on the development of Van Gogh. His great great nephew, Willem van Gogh, talked about growing up in a house in the ‘60s with four masterpieces. Forget security; pillow fights took place in a bedroom below Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles (which was originally warmer and more restful in colour).
Apparently, Van Gogh was aware of the different pronunciations of his name (such as ‘Van Go’ and ‘Van Goff’) so always signed his works with ‘Vincent’ only. He was also aware that the colours in his work would change over time.
Just as the Van Gogh Museum has to make a concerted effort to preserve its works of art (special glass is used to protect them and the more delicate drawings are not on permanent display), our city’s cultural diversity also needs to be preserved. As Van Gogh once said, ‘There is no blue without yellow and without orange.’
