The NPG is back

Finally I got the chance to visit (with enough time) the National Portrait Gallery after it’s opening. I’m not here to talk about their beautiful colour coded rooms which are gradient in palette between them (visually pleasant to be honest). Or how the display of royal portraits are mixed with others that are not royal, on a same level, without a preferable space on the wall.

In fact, I will mention how they have a room dedicated to female gender identity to a whole new level, not only with female cis-gender portraits but also including non-binary to break the traditional beliefs about gender, and the LGTBQ+ community.

Plus, in other rooms, they are giving relevance to women in power (like the Tudor Queens), and displaying female portraits not escorted by male portraits. Instead, they do totally the opposite while removing the famous male gaze. The detail: Although they appear fully dressed, women in traditional western painting don’t usually look out at the viewer, they aren’t considering the viewer, but considering how the viewer sees them. They have an inward gaze, rather than an outward gaze. But here, they turn to look out directly and confidently at the viewer, communicating with the world on their own behalf.

It was a matter of time.