Interview: National Gallery's Director of Collections
Plus: TV highlights for museum lovers
maxwell museums magazine - 2 February 2021
Happy February and welcome to my first magazine edition of the month. This week I’m delighted to say I’ve interviewed the Director of Collections and Research at the National Gallery to get a sense on how the dreaded year of 2020 has affected one of the world’s biggest cultural institutions, and to find out more about having a hit show during the pandemic. Read on for some fascinating insights.
Like everyone else, in the absence of anything else to do, my TV consumption has rocketed in lockyD 3. What’s helped is that there’s quite a bumper crop of shows around right now that museum and art lovers should love, so I’ve picked 3 of my favourites for you below. Something for you to watch after you finish the Dig.
Happy reading.
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barometer
What’s heating up and cooling down in the world of museums this week.
going up ⬆️
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Italy began to gingerly reopen yesterday from pre-Christmas coronavirus closures including the Vatican Museums in Rome, which welcomed visitors for the first time in 88 days — its longest closure ever. A stunning shot from an almost-empty Sistine Chapel makes the front page of today’s Times.
going down ⬇️
Is there anything left to see in Washington DC’s Museum of the Bible? 5,000 objects from it’s collection were returned to the Egyptian government this week because they’d been identified as having been smuggled illegally out of the country in the past decade. This follows 11,500 artefacts sent back to Egypt and Iraq for similar reasons last year. At the same time, every single one of its 16 fragments of the famed Dead Sea Scrolls were found to be modern-day forgeries. It might be time to call it a day guys.
interview
Cast your mind back to the end of the UK’s first lockdown. It was a whole *checks notes* 6 months ago (!) and we all thought the worse was behind us. If only.
At the time, there was excitement that museums and galleries were able to reopen. London’s National Gallery were first out the blocks, with Director Gabriele Finaldi claiming there was “something symbolic in the Gallery being the first major national art museum to reopen.” On my first return visit there was novelty in being inside a building that wasn’t Tesco, and in trying to navigate the (slightly confusing) one-way system. It was amazing to be back.
Of course a lot has changed since these halcyon days, but let’s not forget that the National Gallery actually managed to have a hit show during this turbulent time. Artemisia was a blockbuster in every sense of the word, and despite the ongoing pandemic, demand was huge. So huge that they even got plenty of punters for an online visit, at £8 a pop. They won’t reveal how many punters, but I’m told it did “very well.” No doubt helped by the fact the exhibition was forced to shut twice more for lockdowns.
So how does the Gallery now see the most-turbulent of years - and what does 2021 have in store? I’ve spoken to Caroline Campbell, Director of Collections and Research to get a sense of the legacies of the highs and lows, and to find out what’s ahead.
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Your exhibition Artemisia was a hit. What has it done for her profile?
As a curator, you want to bring art and artists to wider attention. Artemisia Gentileschi was supremely talented but many people didn’t know the range and brilliance of her work before this show, curated by my gifted colleague Letizia Treves. Artemisia’s now a household name. I think her story, as well as her art, chimed with the public mood. Artemisia suffered rape, bereavement, discrimination, but she wasn’t cowed by this. She continued working and innovating all her days – a role model for us all.
Installation view of Artemisia at the National Gallery London. © The National Gallery, London
But Artemisia was affected by the rolling lockdowns, so you launched an online paid-for tour. Will there be more of this kind of content?
We really wanted to go ahead with this show. It seemed the right moment, because Artemisia’s work so talked to the situation in 2020. But we knew there was a risk the show would have to close, so we planned film content in order that people could experience the exhibition, even if they couldn’t see it in person, and so that the show would have a legacy. We’re certainly planning more activity of this kind.
How would you sum up 2020 at the National Gallery? Will it have a long lasting legacy?
At no time since WWII, has mental wellbeing been more important. Art has sustained and given meaning to many people’s lives.
Although our doors were closed for 111 days during the first lockdown, people all over the world enjoyed the Gallery’s pictures and content 24/7. We launched new digital content streams – curated reflections on themes including Kindness and Remembrance, mindful meditations on individual paintings, practical art classes – and moved our whole Learning programme online. The Gallery is proud to have been the first national museum to reopen in July, and to have organised two particularly memorable exhibitions, Titian and Artemisia.
Museums and galleries are in a precarious financial position due to the pandemic. How is this affecting the National Gallery and will there be job losses or axed projects?
Like other cultural venues, we’ve lost money as a result of the pandemic. Our own ability to generate income has been impacted, and we’ll continue to be affected by the long-term effects of coronavirus for some time. We’re reviewing our financial models to ensure that we have a stable future. For now, we’re focusing on critical activities to protect the building, the collection, and our programme. To do this, we need to keep working with audiences locally, and digitally, and to develop our role in bringing people together, providing inspiration and solace.
The National Gallery hasn’t furloughed any staff or made anyone redundant during the lockdown periods, and there are no current plans to do either.
What will 2021 be like at the National Gallery?
2021 will be a year of resilience, of hope and excitement, and of planning for the future. The National Gallery wants to play an important part in the UK’s national recovery. We’re working on great displays and exhibitions, introducing audiences to new art and artists, and reinterpreting familiar friends. We’re thinking a lot about what a National Gallery means today, as the Gallery prepares to enter its third century (The Gallery was founded in 1824).
Tell us about your upcoming blockbuster: Dürer's Journeys: Travels of a Renaissance Artist.
Albrecht Dürer was dazzlingly inventive and audaciously gifted – his mastery of printmaking meant his ideas spread everywhere in Europe, in his day and beyond. His creativity was shaped by his love of ideas, exchange, and travel. At a moment when our horizons are very limited, I’m looking forward to escaping into Dürer’s geographical and mental journeys in this show. Dürer is the greatest of German artists, and we still don’t see enough German art in this country. As a massive Germanophile I hope this show opens more minds to an unforgettable figure. (Editors note: the exhibition has now been postponed indefinitely until lockdown restrictions lift)
What will be your focus be in the year ahead - and what are your personal hopes?
I’ll be thinking and doing more about what a National Gallery means in the 2020s – how can we use our collection and expertise to make more positive difference for more people?
I grew up in Belfast during the Troubles. It wasn’t an easy time, and art and culture gave me resilience and hope. I started working in museums because they can tangibly benefit people’s lives and mental health, especially in hard times. Our work is more important than ever - now’s the moment to act, not talk.
© National Gallery, London
what’s on
With museums and galleries across the UK and much of Europe still shut, here’s some current TV highlights for fans of art, architecture and museums.
Grayson's Art Club: Get Creating, on All 4 - As Grayson and Philippa Perry prepare to throw open the studio doors again, they look back on an extraordinary year. Catch up on the first episode of this new series of the lockdown hit.
The Architecture the Railways Built, on Yesterday and UKTV Play - Museum lovers get their history and heritage fix wherever they find it, and there is plenty to discover along the the railway networks of Britain and beyond. A real gem. Next episode tonight 8pm
Secrets of the Museum, on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer - This unique 2020 series venturing behind the scenes at the V&A is being repeated on the BBC, which means you can catch up on BBC iPlayer.
and finally
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday he is "optimistic" people will be able to have summer holidays this year. I mean, he also said the pandemic would all be over in 12 weeks back in March, so I wouldn’t bet your house on it. BUT, we could use it as an excuse to very casually turn one eye towards some aspirational summer trips, just in case. Why not begin with this Euronews round up of some of Europe’s less well-known museums, from Zagreb’s Museum of Broken Relationships, to Paris’ Louis Vuitton Foundation. We can but dream.
Love museums?Then you’ll love my newsletter. I send a round up of museum news every Friday, and every two weeks a jam-packed edition of original features including interviews. Subscribe to get the next edition.