The Bottom Line
Pros
- Informative and accessible guide to the National Gallery in London, plus a notebook.
- Explains art -isms and symbolism, fundamental painting techniques and pigments used.
- Ideal beginner's guide if you feel you should visit the gallery, but never have.
- Would make a nice present for a friend you wish knew more about art.
Cons
- You may not need another Moleskine notebook, but can you resist a bright red one?
Description
- Special edition Moleskine two-set, of a notebook and gallery guide.
- 48 page, softcover guide to the gallery, with 20 color illustrations.
- 192-page ruled notebook, like a standard Moleskine but with a red cover branded "The National Gallery".
Guide Review - The Little Red Book of National Gallery, London Moleskine
Entering a world-renowned art gallery for the first time can be intimidating. Will people realize you don't know much about what you're looking at? Where do you start? How do you find paintings you might like? How do you go from being first-time visitor to a becoming familiar with the collection and getting the most from it? Yes, you can buy a gallery guide, but they're often equally intimidating, too long, or little more than illustrated floorplans. This is where I think The Little Red Book of the National Gallery, London fills a gap.
It's an informative, friendly guide to the gallery, both the building itself and what's in it. It's written in an easily digestible style that will be accessible if you don't know anything about art but, if you do, also has lesser known bits of information that you'll find intriguing. For instance, have you ever looked up at busts in the dome in the Barry Room and do you recognize the artists looking down at you? Do you know the difference between label attributes such as "after" and "imitator of"? And how to pronounce "Breughel" correctly?
The guidebook will get you started on the differences between different art -isms; what symbols, gods, and saints to look out for in paintings; the origins of the pigments used in different colors; what attributes on labels mean (is it by a famous painter, a student, or someone copying him?), and will get you looking at some of the sculpture on and in the building.
If you're able to visit the gallery regularly, I'd use the red Moleskine notebook exclusively for notetaking from such visits, building it up into a personal guide and journal.
