Notable paintings at the Babylon exhibit at the British Museum (closing today):
1. Daniel in the Lion's Den, by Briton Reviere (1872)
(that image doesn't do it justice - got to see it close up - e.g. lions' eyes)
2. Belshazzar's Feast, by John Martin (1821)
(again need to see this huge painting up close to really appreciate it)
3. Tower of Babel, Michael Lassel (2001)
(this oil painting could pass as a photograph!!)
4. Babel Revisited, by Julee Holcombe (2004)
(you can see more of her work on her own site)
-Krip
P.S. Also see the Times' photo gallery of this exhibition.
Sunday 15 March 2009
Monday 9 March 2009
Places to Visit in London
Here are some suggestions on what to see when in London:
1) British museum (http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/): There's quite a bit here on the Ancient Near East - of particular interest to Bible readers. There's a section with relief walls from Assyria where you can see the Assyrians depict how they treat their captives. Also the reliefs are charred indicating a fire. Also watch out for a whole section on Lachish where Hezekiah paid tribute to Sennacherib. Also, right off the Great Court (where you enter) is a long room that contains lots of ancient artifacts in glass cases (I think it's called Enlightenment).
2) Ah, number two on my list is the National Gallery (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/) - In my opinion one of the greatest art collections in the world. If you like art, don't miss it. The museum is located right at Trafalgar Square. Most of the museums are free here (just donate if you want). Other than that everything is VERY expensive, but I digress! Back to the museum. One of the my favourites is a large painting called The Ambassadors (If you want to peek then here's the link: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=ng1314). There's a lot more than meets the eye in this piece so hopefully you can catch a tour group at this painting and eavesdrop while the guide hits the highlights!
3) Science museum (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk): This is a great museum too (located in Kensington). I think it depends on weather. If it's rainy and you need "indoor" things to do, this is a good one.
4) The standard tourist spots: Walk along Regent Street and Oxford Street. Hamleys is a 5 story toy shop right on Regent street (http://www.hamleys.com/).
5) Harrods is quite a posh department store right off Oxford street (http://www.harrods.com). Pop in if you want to see how the other half shops. But beware you can get many of the same goods cheaper elsewhere. Another spot I recommend is the Food Hall at Selfridges. Selfridges is a department store - attached to it is a Food Hall that is unique.
6) Pubs: Of course the English pub! You'll find them everywhere. It's unlike anywhere else. More of a social place. Most pubs have food too and it's pretty decent! For example Fish & Chips or Chicken Tikka Masala (The national dish borrowed from the great Indians - yah!). Order everything including food at the bar, and give them you're table number. Then someone will bring it to your table. Don't forget to have a pint of Guinness!
7) English castles: These have many hundreds of years of history, and are usually decked out with ornate furnishings and art work. Some of them have tea rooms and/or restaurants attached. Windsor is a nice town so Windsor Castle is one option. There are a couple of sites that list all the castles and "houses" open for visiting, English Heritage (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/) and National Trust (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/) so check those out and see if anything's near to the routes you're traveling.
-Krip
1) British museum (http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/): There's quite a bit here on the Ancient Near East - of particular interest to Bible readers. There's a section with relief walls from Assyria where you can see the Assyrians depict how they treat their captives. Also the reliefs are charred indicating a fire. Also watch out for a whole section on Lachish where Hezekiah paid tribute to Sennacherib. Also, right off the Great Court (where you enter) is a long room that contains lots of ancient artifacts in glass cases (I think it's called Enlightenment).
2) Ah, number two on my list is the National Gallery (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/) - In my opinion one of the greatest art collections in the world. If you like art, don't miss it. The museum is located right at Trafalgar Square. Most of the museums are free here (just donate if you want). Other than that everything is VERY expensive, but I digress! Back to the museum. One of the my favourites is a large painting called The Ambassadors (If you want to peek then here's the link: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=ng1314). There's a lot more than meets the eye in this piece so hopefully you can catch a tour group at this painting and eavesdrop while the guide hits the highlights!
3) Science museum (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk): This is a great museum too (located in Kensington). I think it depends on weather. If it's rainy and you need "indoor" things to do, this is a good one.
4) The standard tourist spots: Walk along Regent Street and Oxford Street. Hamleys is a 5 story toy shop right on Regent street (http://www.hamleys.com/).
5) Harrods is quite a posh department store right off Oxford street (http://www.harrods.com). Pop in if you want to see how the other half shops. But beware you can get many of the same goods cheaper elsewhere. Another spot I recommend is the Food Hall at Selfridges. Selfridges is a department store - attached to it is a Food Hall that is unique.
6) Pubs: Of course the English pub! You'll find them everywhere. It's unlike anywhere else. More of a social place. Most pubs have food too and it's pretty decent! For example Fish & Chips or Chicken Tikka Masala (The national dish borrowed from the great Indians - yah!). Order everything including food at the bar, and give them you're table number. Then someone will bring it to your table. Don't forget to have a pint of Guinness!
7) English castles: These have many hundreds of years of history, and are usually decked out with ornate furnishings and art work. Some of them have tea rooms and/or restaurants attached. Windsor is a nice town so Windsor Castle is one option. There are a couple of sites that list all the castles and "houses" open for visiting, English Heritage (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/) and National Trust (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/) so check those out and see if anything's near to the routes you're traveling.
-Krip
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