The Wandering Scot
An occasional travel journal
I had several short stopovers in London during 2023-2026 travel.
London, November 2023
After a European trip, I spend a few bonus days in London.
|
| Houses of Parliament
|
|
| Rennovated Big Ben
|
|
| Houses of Parliament
|
|
| View from Hungerford Bridge
|
|
| Downing Street
|
|
| Trafalgar Square
|
|
| Trafalgar Square: Some of Neptune's Subjects
|
|
National Gallery: Goya's Wellington
(Or, perhaps, Goya's Wellington as a Mortal)
|
|
| Goya: Don Andres del Peral
|
British Museum, November 2023
|
| The British Museum
|
|
| A scrum around the Rosetta Stone
|
|
| The Egyptian Room is very popular!
|
|
| The Rosetta Stone. At a quieter moment.
|
|
| House Frontal Pole, ~850, British Columbia
|
|
| Parthenon Marble
|
|
| Parthenon Marble
|
British Museum, November 2023: Six Lamassu
|
Lamassu Pair #1. Bull & Lion. Nimrud, ~860 BC
Their brothers are in the Metropolitan Museum
|
|
| Lamassu #1L. Winged Lion
|
|
| Lamassu #1R. Winged Lion
|
|
| Lamassu Pair #2. Winged Lions. Nimrud, ~860 BC
|
|
| Lamassu #2L. Winged Lion
|
|
| Lamassu #2R. Winged Lion
|
|
| Lamassu Pair #3. Winged bulls. Khorsabad, ~705 BC
|
|
| Lamassu #3L. Winged Bull
|
|
| Lamassu #3R. Winged Bull
|
|
Assyrian Colossal Guardian Lion
Frrom Temple of Ishtar, Goddess of War, ~860 BC
|
British Museum, November 2023: Halicarnassus
The best surviving pieces from the Mausoleum of Maussollos, one of the Seven Wonders.
|
Colossal Horse Head, ~350 BC
With original bronze bridle
|
|
| Maussollos himself (perhaps) ~350 BC
|
|
| Military Frieze
|
|
| Military Frieze
|
London December 2024
A quick bonus stopover in London on the way home from Cologne.
|
| Thames and the Shard, in early evening
|
|
| Falcon, Trafalgar Square
|
|
| Trafalgar Square: 1930s Merman
|
|
| Trafalgar Square: 1930s Merman
|
Roman Londinium, December 2024
|
Foundations of Roman Amphitheatre
Basement of GuidHall Art Museum
|
|
| Foundations of Roman Amphitheatre
|
|
Fragment of Roman Wall (Stone square at bottom)
Noble Street Garden
|
|
"Roman Fort Ruins"
Noble St (North End)
|
|
"Roman Fort Gate"
Wallside
|
|
Medieval Tower (rebuilt on Roman wall)
St Giles Cripplegate Tower
|
|
Old Walls: Medieval at top, Roman at base
St Alphage Gardens
|
National Gallery, December 2024
|
| Goya. Wellington (~1812)
|
|
| Stubbs. Whistlejacket (~1762)
|
|
| Turner. The Fighting Temeraire (1839)
|
|
| Constable. The Hay Wain (1821)
|
|
Full-scale study for "The Hay Wain" (1821)
Used to balance color, light and shade
|
|
| Bellini. Doge Leonardo Loredan (~1502)
|
|
| Catena. Doge Andrea Gritti (~1530)
|
|
| Rembrandt. Self Portrait at 63 (1669)
|
|
| Rembrandt. Selt Portrait at 34 (1640)
|
|
| Van Eyck. The Anolfini Portrait (1434)
|
|
| Da Vinci. The Virgin of the Rocks (~1500)
|
|
Botticelli. Venus and Mars (~1485)
With mischievous satyrs
|
British Museum, December 2024
|
| British Museum
|
|
| An Easter Island head
|
|
| Tang Tomb Guardians (~728)
|
|
| Lewis Chessmen. 1150-1200
|
|
| Lewis Chessmen. 1150-1200
|
British Museum, December 2024: Assyrian Section
|
| Colossal Guardian Lion. Assyrian ~870 BC
|
|
The Balwat Gates: (Replica) ~830 BC
The Original Bronze Bands are in display cases.
|
|
| Assyrian Batterng Ram in action
|
|
| A morbid display of heads, hands, etc.
|
|
| Another Battering Ram
|
|
| Swimming Troops
|
|
| Charioteers & Prisoners
|
|
| Wall Panel. Ashurnarsipal II, ~870 BC
|
|
| Assyrian Wall Panel
|
|
| Guardian Lions..
|
|
H.M. Ashurbanipal bravely slays a wounded lion
Note the writing stylus tucked in His Majesty's belt
|
|
| Ashurbanipal pursues Lions
|
|
| A captive Lion is released for the Hunt
|
British Museum, December 2024: Roman Britain
|
Hadrian. ~122 AD
Found in Thames, at London Bridge, 1834.
|
|
Roman Mosaic. 3rd c AD
London, Bank of England.
|
|
| Roman Chistian Mosaic, 4th c, Dorset.
|
|
Bachus on a Tiger. 1st-2nd c AD
Discovered in Leadenhall St, London, 1803.
|
|
| Caltrop. Romano-British
|
London July 2025
A brief add-on to my Burundi++ tour.
British Museum, July 2025
|
Japanese Carp Banner for Boy's Day
A carp that leaps the highest waterfall
becomes a dragon...
|
|
King Ashurbanipal hunting
(I bought a resin copy of this scene.)
|
|
| Ramses II
|
National Portrait Gallery, July 2025
|
| Mary, Queen of Scots (p. 1578)
|
|
| Queen Elizabeth I (p. ~1575)
|
|
Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex
17th copy of ~1532 Holbein original
|
|
Sir Thomas More
17th c copy of 1527 Holbein
|
|
| King Richard III (p. ~1540)
|
|
King Richard III
Late 16thc, based on ~1510 portrait
|
|
| William Cecil (p. ~1570)
|
|
| Queen Elizabeth I (p. ~1592)
|
|
| Sir Walter Ralegh (p. 1585)
|
|
| King Hentry VIII (p. ~1520)
|
|
| King James VI & I (p 1621)
|
|
| Wellington (p. 1829, unfinished)
|
|
| Benjamin Franklin (p. 1785)
|
|
| Sir Isaac Newton (p. 1702)
|
|
| Churchill (p. 1916)
|
|
| Churchill (p. 1916) detail
|
|
Charles Darwin
1883, based on 1881 portrait
|
|
Sir Tim Berners-Lee
Painted bronze, 2015
|
London April 2026
A quickie stopover in London on the way back from SW Africa, with a visit to the Mithraeum.
|
| London Mithraeum
|
|
| London Mithraeum
|
London August 2026
A short stopover on the way back from West Africa
|
| Demon Barber of Fleet Street
|
|
| Kazakhstan House
|
|
An Assistant Judge of Hell
BM. Ming Dynasty ~1600
|
British Museum, August 2026: Benin Bronzes
|
| Head of a king. 14th-15th c
|
|
| Brass figure, 16th c
|
|
| Brass masquerade head. 18th c
|
|
| Palace facade plaques, 16th c
|
|
| Head of a Queen Mother. 16th c
|
British Musuem, August 2026: Assyria
|
| Practical advice to a student!
|
|
| Ashurbanipal slays a Lion
|
|
| Animation, illuminating Lion Hunt
|
|
| Animation, illuminating Lion Hunt
|
|
| A wounded lion vomits
|
