Saturday 13/08/2011
Wednesday was not productive. I went looking for Admiralty House, but did not find it despite the Google Map directions. The entrance is hidden and/or the photos do not represent the same building (or I was simply lost). More research before I come back. In the afternoon I went shopping for some basics.
Photo. Nelsons Column Trafalgar Square, shot while looking for Admiralty House.
Thursday was my appointment with Sarah Thomas at the British Library. The Library is close to Kings Cross St Pancras International train Station so I took the opportunity to work out the EuroStar Terminal prior to travel to Paris on the 17th. I got to the First Floor of the Library, outside the Rare books section, about 15 min early and Sarah showed up right on time. I was lucky to start my "face searching" just as she looked my way and we made contact.
We had a lunch in the Library cafeteria and discussed my project, mainly some questions I had re the Westall works and the Lesueur works in France. Sarah is four weeks from submitting her PhD so was a little preoccupied (and I promised to only send detailed questions after the thesis was "in")! As for the Westall paintings held in London, Sarah recommended contacting James Taylor, an ex-NMM employee and current PhD student, researching William Westall. Sarah followed up by sending me his email address.
Getting to Greenwich yesterday (Friday) involved "a leisurely Ferry ride" that turned into a fire/police emergency at the Greenwich pier, which meant Thames Clippers threw us off at Canary Wharf. I get lost going to the toilet so it was about 30min later that I found the Docklands Light Rail station to continue the journey. I was a full hour late by the time I reached the NMM "store".
Thankfully Sarah Kmosera, manager of the art storage, waited for me and I got to at least see some the Westall drawing and watercolours.
Only one small painting from the Australian voyage was there; the Port Lincoln study. It was good to get a feel for his technique, which like Bauer involved meticulous attention to fine detail. This is the "scientific illustration" discipline as a major element to their "artworks". They were the equivalent of the "photographers" for the voyage. Interesting that it took so long to get their work published. Different age; i.e., the age of the written-word and printing-press, before the rise of the photographic "image" and computer technology?
I have seen the photographs of the Bowen Harbour painting but, given it is not at Admiralty House, I will not be able to see it this time around. Sarah Kmosena from the NMM Store located the MOD art curator's email address for me and I have emailed requesting for a quick look at what artwork is available.
James Taylor (aka William Westall scholar), informs me that:
"There are ten William Westall Australian oil paintings that belong to the Ministry of Defence Art Collection (MoD). Five are hanging in Admiralty House, one is in the MoD London store, two are in Chiefs of Services Residences, one is in a military base in Germany and the one you want to see (view of Bowen Harbour, Queensland) is in the Defence Academy at Shrivenham in Wiltshire."
Hopefully I will be able to view the five paintings in Admiralty House early next week prior to leaving for France. I will be travelling back through London in late October so there is the opportunity to get down to Wiltshire then. I will have to see what is possible following the email response from the MOD.
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