Comments on: Help us decide what we hang at Tate Britain!

By: Lesley Scott

Lesley Scott — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:37:16 +0000

I’m a disabled amateur painter, so can’t visit the Tate, but would love to know more about Mary Beale..Who taught her? Why did she paint on paper? Is there a book about her life and painting techniques? I’d be grateful for any other information you can offer. Thankyou!

By: nicolas

nicolas — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:02:33 +0000

i think it is cool

By: Rene Kessels

Rene Kessels — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:15:03 +0000

For me, it would be the De Chirico. The image is full of futurist, cubist forms, the parents are faceless, but the mother (not nearly as pale as the father, therefore more alive?) shows a breast (nurturing, i guess) and cradles the baby in her large hand, protecting it. The contrast between the loving, protecting, cradling gesture and the geometric shapes in the rest of the painting shows what the love between a parent and a child can mean in this modern world – what is more important than providing a safe haven for your child? And that haven is usually called a family.
Also, there is emotion, feeling, in this painting. Most of the paintings in the slideshow are just portraits that do not reflect any familial attachment.

By: Larisa Istratkina

Larisa Istratkina — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:17:59 +0000

I have already voted for * Christ in the House of his Parents * by Millais . Though there are lots of family matter works in Tate that really touch. I hasitated but finally decided that all of them reflect Private , awaking your own recollections ,bringing them to life .And it is very nice …but * Christ in the house of his Parents * gives the Global , as I think , gives the start .May be I am not right , may be it will look too strong in comparison with 3 others , sounding dissonancing ?

By: nick schad

nick schad — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:16:16 +0000

I would choose ‘The Centurion under the bed, Summerfield House, 1997″ by the wonderful Wendy McMurdo. This is a beautiful piece of work which cleverly and sympathetically documents the way we play as children