Show me the way to a Murillo

Picture: Meadows Museum

The Guardian's pun, but I smiled.  I'm really looking forward to the Murillo exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, opening tomorrow.  The Guardian has an intriguing article about a discovery by the curator, Xavier Bray.  The Guardian piece whetted my appetite, but didn't provide much detail -I hope there's more in the catalogue.  I'm disappointed that Dulwich partly paid for the journalist to travel to Seville.  That kind of marketing spend is unnecessary and cannot avoid undermining the independence of the favoured journalists who benefit from these junkets.  I'll never donate to Dulwich again.  It also seems wrong that they've lent a painting from their public collection to Lord Faringdon in return for a loan to the exhibition. 

Incidentally I did find the way to Amarillo, where there is a great steak restaurant.  On the same trip I saw the Murillos at the wonderful Meadows Museum, including Saint Justa (above) and Saint Rufina.  The Meadows is a university museum that specialises in Spanish art, and has a really strong collection in a perfect setting.  The building reminds me a lot of the Barber Institute in Birmingham, except that it has a central gallery showing gothic paintings where the Barber has a concert hall.  They were closing early for a student reception, but I got talking to the curator who was there for the reception and he invited me to stay on, which I really appreciated.