Leonardo da Vinci, Painter at the Court of Milan, National Gallery London

 

It is dark, it is cold, Trafalgar Square is deserted, no sign of the cheerful business of the daytime. Only commuters, the cleaning persons, the breakfast serving hotel staff waiting for their morning bus I see on my walk to the National Gallery in London, anticipating to visit the exhibition Leonardo da Vinci, painter at the court of Milan. Arrive at 5 o’clock at the National Gallery. The square is empty, it is dark. The tube is not running yet, de gates are closed. Some newspapers stands are open. The biggest concern amongst the early waiters at the Gallery is were to find a place selling coffee. The promised coffee stand provided by the Gallery is not there...

At six, staff from the National Gallery arrive, they start organising the queueing, hang up plastic bags to collect garbage and hand out leaflets of the exhibition. At seven the number of people waiting in line is already very impressive. At eight o'clock people get send away. They won't be able to get a ticket anymore. At ten the Gallery opens. Some latecomers inform how they can get it. You have to stand in line, the warden says, but queueing starts very early. At five, I say...

Rosebud is the online research diary of Anna No Picture: master Arts and Sciences, Artistic Research 2012

anna