National Gallery & Portrait Gallery

I forgot to include these birds I saw in St. James Park across from the Churchill Museum in that post.

From across the street I thought those were pink swans but no, pelicans, in London in winter.  Go figure.

I took a number of photos in Trafalgar Square that you can see in the 2015 trip so I skipped Nelson’s column and the Landseer lions.  Speaking of Edwin Landseer, he is one of my favorite British painters but I searched all over and found none of his works this time.  Each museum told me they had some in their collection but not currently on display.

Anyway, I entered the Square via the Admiralty Arch.

I don’t recall “Thumbs up”last time.

But I remembered these two filling the reflecting pool.

And there are always mimes outside the Galleries.

The second guy is sitting so it’s not as hard as the first one.  And this is the top of the building across from the Portrait Gallery entrance.

Due to issues downloading photos from one of my cameras until I could get a flash drive, they are out of order in my library but the following are from one of the two galleries I’m just not positive which ones are which except for non-portraits. Kings, queens, lords and princesses, mothers and wives.

Anne Bolyen & Cardinal Wolsey

Thomas Cranmer & Mary, Queen of Scots

This one of Edward VI is interesting.  The first is straight on and the second is from a sideview peephole.

Even without regalia, these two are princesses.

And what is a gallery without Monet?

Clock Tower renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 is often simply called Big Ben but that is actually the name of the largest bell, The Great Bell in the tower. Benjamin Hall whose name is inscribed on the bell oversaw the installation but it might also refer to Ben Caunt the English heavyweight boxing champ of the time.  This view is from the National Gallery.