If you stop by any chance at National Portrait Gallery you don't want to miss Wallis. [[ The first time I went to National Portrait Gallery I saw only a random crowd of faces. Tousands of pairs of eyes looking straight at me. Some of them, I must admit, made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. Their eyes without hidden words, having absolutely nothing to tell me but how much do I interrupt their private post scriptum, when they cannot defendbut only agree in silence with an unknown mind's judgement. I used to have mixed feeling about such an exposure of their private lives to public, lives which used to be neither more nor less true than ours. Now I think otherwise. I actually found a magic about it. In this grand and majestic tabernacle of stories captured in a wink, this imaginarium of muted footsteps. The library of forgotten stories.
I have my personal favourites I like to visit there. Sir Beckford caught on a canvas to work forever on his unfortunate gothic novel not read anymore even by English literature students. Princess Charlotte Mecklenbourg, her gentle smile and wide open eyes, hungry for a conversation after years spent in linguistic isolation. Everytime I see her I promise that I will learn her language and then come on my day off so we can talk for hours. The women of other times, young female artists from good families daring to art or brave women leaving their mad husbands despite the curse of scandal. Nell Gwyn, a compelling story of a woman saving herself from poverty by becoming a lover of potential protectors to finally make her own history as a last word of the king. And then, there is Wallis. It's signifcant that her portrait is slightly hidden from the main view, so you would rather notice it while leaving than coming into the room. To make sure you spot her, you need to slowly turn to the right hand side while moving towards the exit and take three steps away from the main track. Wallis doesn't insist on anybody's company.
Once you see her you cannot remain indifferent. There is something which makes her memorable amongst all of the portraits around. She's authentic.
I have my personal favourites I like to visit there. Sir Beckford caught on a canvas to work forever on his unfortunate gothic novel not read anymore even by English literature students. Princess Charlotte Mecklenbourg, her gentle smile and wide open eyes, hungry for a conversation after years spent in linguistic isolation. Everytime I see her I promise that I will learn her language and then come on my day off so we can talk for hours. The women of other times, young female artists from good families daring to art or brave women leaving their mad husbands despite the curse of scandal. Nell Gwyn, a compelling story of a woman saving herself from poverty by becoming a lover of potential protectors to finally make her own history as a last word of the king. And then, there is Wallis. It's signifcant that her portrait is slightly hidden from the main view, so you would rather notice it while leaving than coming into the room. To make sure you spot her, you need to slowly turn to the right hand side while moving towards the exit and take three steps away from the main track. Wallis doesn't insist on anybody's company.
Once you see her you cannot remain indifferent. There is something which makes her memorable amongst all of the portraits around. She's authentic.
