It is such a simple idea but it’s such a good one. The National Portrait Gallery dates back to 1856 when the plan for a collection of portraits was approved by Queen Victoria.
Seriously, if you are a tourist in London-forget about Madame Tussaud, this is the cool place to be. Just think that the person who has painted or sculpted one of those portraits has been in the presence of the person in question. All though I am all for praising the painter, this museum really got me focused on the motif rather than the artist. And boy, did I get starstruck by all of these famous people in British history – Queen Elizabeth I (looking very pasty if I may say so), Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill and William Shakespeare – the list is long! I was actually a bit tired of seeing faces when I left the building, it really didn’t help that Trafalgar Square with a billion people is just outside.
Another thing about this museum is that, like most London museums, it is just so ridiculously beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. Just one more thought, how could it ever be normal to pose with a human skull? It’s just so weird. ”I would like to have my portrait painted, let me just fetch the skull and we can begin”.
