A Walk to the AGO Turner Exhibition

Recently after a breakfast at the Mars Diner on College Street, John and I ducked down Lippincott Street on our way to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

 We love the little workmen's homes on Lippincott

 although we were surprised to find new structures there

 and on Oxford Street as we headed east.

 As we came to Augusta Avenue on our way through Kensington Market we turned right at the Big Fat Burrito restaurant.

 Crossing Spadina Avenue we walked along Cecil Street with the Ukranian Church in the distance.

 A last jaunt down Beverley Street to the AGO brought us past the grand old yellow brick buildings above Dundas St West.

 We'd come to see the exhibition of work by J.M.W. Turner, Painting Set Free. We were particularly floored by his gorgeous watercolours. This is Ehrenbreitstein, 1841.

 Funeral at Lausanne, graphite and watercolour, 1841.

The Blue Rigi: Sample Study, around 1841-1842.

 Goldau, with the Lake Zuh in  the distance: Sample Study, graphite and watercolour, 1842

Turner's in that abstract vein are well represented.  Peace - Burial at Sea.

 Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth making Signals in Shallow Water, and going by the Lead. The Author was in this Storm on the Night the Ariel left Harwich, exhibited in 1842.

 The mix of abstract visions and hazy apparitions is quite overwhelming. Whalers (Boiling Blubber) Entangled in Flaw Ice, Endeavouring to Extricate themselves exhibited in 1846, oil on canvas.

 Rough Sea with Wreckage

 Ancient Rome: Agrippina Landing with the ashes of Germanicus (detail). c.1839. oil on canvas.

 Let's end our visit with two wonderful watercolours. Rain Clouds, around 1845, watercolour on paper. (above)

 and the gorgeous  Bedroom in the Palazzo Giustinian (the Hotel Europa, Venice), around 1840. watercolour on paper. This is a perfect selection of Turner's late paintings. The watercolours would have made a fab show on their own. The vast collection of Turners at the Tate London can be overkill, this whets the appetite perfectly.

 Back on the street, John and I headed down Sullivan to admire artist, Charlie Pachter's home. I think the mix of old architecture with this modern look works very well. 

 Maybe that's what's inspired some other new building. This one at the corner of Sullivan and Huron.

 i liked this view of OCAD down an alley between Sullivan and Grange.

 The east corner of Grange and Huron. I have lots of memories from the late 60s, early 70s here.

A quick hop west across Spadina Avenue and we were headed down to Queen Street West and our regular route home.