When I arived in the late afternoon, went for a walk to check out ‘the hood’ 🙂 Well, the National Portrait Gallery beckoned immediately, just to the right of the square. Saw these cheeky gals displaying a ‘maximalist aesthetic’ (a fun, highly personalized form of self-expression where layers, charms, and textures are used as wearable art) – they agreed for me to take a photo. And loved my pic so much, asked me to ‘airdrop’ it to them. Gorgeous things.

The National Portrait Gallery has daily free tours by staff who select particular portraits to present. Orla introduced us to Julia Margaret Cameron, 1815-79, a pioneer of the ‘new art’ of photography and considered one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century.

She was born in Calcutta, and after establishing herself among the Anglo-Indian upper-class, she moved to London where she made connections with the cultural elite. She then formed her own literary salon in the seaside village of Freshwater on the Isle of Wight. Cameron took up photography at the age of 48, after her daughter gave her a sliding-box camera as a present. She quickly produced a large body of portraits, and created allegorical images inspired by tableaux vivants, theatre, 15th-century Italian painters, and contemporary artists. She took around 900 photographs over a 12-year period.

Another staff guide John introduced us to the first chappy below – Samuel Richardson, 1689-1761, who published ‘Pamela’, the first best-selling romantic novel in English. It inspired Pamela-themed merchandise including fans and paintings.

The elegant and colourfully festooned chap, is George Villiers, the 1st Duke of Buckingham, 1592-1628, a leading Minister, influential courtier, Knight of the Garter and probably lover of King James 1. He was widely admired for his looks and wit but considered extravagant and corrupt, and blamed for military failures in Spain and France – murdered by a disgruntled soldier.

And the last dude, a self-portrait by Sir Anthony van Dyck, 1599-1641, the most influential painter in Britain in the 17thC, who developed the grand, shimmering style that was to dominate portraiture until the 20thC. The stunning frame is original and includes a sunflower – a symbol van Dyck used in his paintings to represent his allegiance to the king.

Time for some lunch @ the Portrait Restaurant on the 4th floor, with sweeping views over Trafalgar Square, the London Eye and Westminister Cathedral. I had a ‘main’ of delicious cod on a bed of caponata.

Very excited to see Lesley Manville on stage @ the National Theatre tonight in ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’. Set in 18thC France, its a play adapted for the stage by Christopher Hampton from Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ scandalous novel, bringing to life a world of seduction and ruthless strategic motives. She portrays the Marquise de Merteuil with an icy, razor-sharp brilliance, delivering her feminist rallying cries and manipulations with masterclass precision.

Aidan Turner, the Vicomte de Valmont does charming and boyish really well, yet he’s also deeply convincing as an insidious serial seducer/abuser. The on-stage chemistry between him and the Marquise…amazing. The Director, Marianne Elliott’s staging is tremendous – with a stage full of mirrors – this can be interpreted in many ways – holding a mirror up to society, the use of smoke and mirrors (something that literally happens in one scene) and ensuring everything on stage is always exposed. Costumes are opulent and there are exquisite choreographed dance sequences weaving in and out of the spoken scenes, creating a physical metaphor for seduction as a contact sport. A fantastic show.