In today’s world, a museum should not merely function as a repository of great works of art, but it should also serve as a center of cultural life. Yet, it must still uphold its elite standards.
The National Gallery seems to be walking that line relatively skillfully from what we can glean during Frederick Wiseman’s latest institutional documentary. He quietly observes the docent talks, art classes, and musical performances programmed in the venerable museum, as well as the sometimes-contentious staff meetings behind the scenes in “National Gallery.”
Just so there is no confusion, this is the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square in London, not the National Gallery of Art on the Washington, D.C., Mall.
As Wiseman’s period of documentation commences, the museum is in the final days of a blockbuster Leonardo da Vinci exhibit, but it must plan with some trepidation for a road race that will end right in front of the building. While the museum’s marketing head considers it a potential opportunity, NG director Nicholas Penny is highly skeptical. Throughout the film, he serves as the advocate of tradition and decorum, conservatively defined.
However, there are many more voices in “National Gallery,” due to its educational mandate. From various sources, we learn about masterworks by da Vinci, J.M.W. Turner, Vermeer, Michelangelo, Velázquez, and Titian (the subject of their next significant exhibition), and the challenges of curating at such a lofty level.
While some viewers might prefer to watch “Sister Wendy” reruns if they want an art history fix, it is certainly more approachable than listening to Idaho’s legislators debate land use in Wiseman’s “State Legislature.”
In fact, it is all quite fascinating for anyone interested in fine art, thanks to the quality of NG staff and the remarkable collection they have assembled.
