As a guide, I know that it’s important to let people stroll, enjoy the artwork and have a connection with it. My job is not to interrupt that flow, but to be present when a deepening is needed.
The National Gallery is the UK’s most famous museum of European art, its 2,3000 paintings span over 700 years of art history. Walking through the galleries is a must for anyone who wish to see some very famous works done in the Italian and Northern Renaissance, the Baroque and by the Impressionist masters. It’s a feast for the eyes, and, sometimes, it can also feel very overwhelming.
Many of these paintings would end up as images that simply pass you by. Among the giant canvases that steal all the attention it is easy to miss the hidden gems, the little stories that help explain so much of what is happening.
I would like to take guests not on a pre-set guided tour, but an easy stroll through the galleries. We will cover all the rooms, and suggest looking at a few in each room if a painting or an artist needs elaboration. By the end of the two hour tour one should have experienced a condensed chat about the history of art from the 1200s to the 1900s, the personal stories of the many artists, the tale behind their works and what they could mean, and the many strange stories of what has happened to some of the paintings. Most of all, my hope is for guests to have fun.
Of course, we cover the favorites, from Leonardo to Van Gogh, we shall leave no great master undisturbed. I also have my favorites (if you’d like to hear about them) and there are works that are so obscure but so rich in anecdotes, but it’s the ones that you like that I’m curious of, come along and point at them and let’s see what they’re all about.
The tour generally runs for 2 hours. The cost is £100 for up to 2 people, and £20 for any extra person.
Contact me to book a tour at: ziliodan@gmail.com
Dan Z Tour Guide 