Leonardo Da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan, National Gallery

Tickets are being resold for £400 (face value £16) and apparently it is the show of a lifetime... the hype is certainly overwhelming when visiting the Leonardo Da Vinci at the National Gallery. I felt worried about being mugged, not because of my purse or phone, but in case, God forbid, someone stole my Leonardo ticket - by far the most valuable item in my handbag. Indeed visiting each of the European cities that hold his work in galleries could quite possibly cost less than £400 - is it really worth it?

On entering I felt a sense of relief... at least now I can say I've seen it, and can be included in the privileged elite of Leonardo viewers, and when people discuss the show in years to come I can say, oh yes I was there, wasn't it incredible? And it is incredible, the work of this great master is stunning and the rare chance to view this collection should not be underestimated. His innovative output has inspired generations of artists, scientists, inventors and the chance to see it in the flesh is magnificent.

Like many of the big art shows in London, lighting is low and space is limited... you have to be dedicated to survive the struggle of the unforgiving crowds. Fighting through, I felt hungry to get my dose of Leonardo. Many of the intended works were not completed and the exhibition is small and dense, a glorious selection of paintings and drawings, sketches and studies from his time in Milan. Among the complementary works are pictures by Leonardo’s most promising students like Giovaqnni Antonio Boltraffio and Francesco Napoletano.

The drawings are delicate and divine, often on very tiny pieces of paper (supposedly originally from Leonardo’s pocket notebook) where the artist scribbled away furiously when something or someone aroused his curiousity. I loved the studies in red chalk, this medium was ideal for Leonardo to capture the light on soft skin, the drawings are sensual and naturalistic, the red also gives a luxurious feel.

Seeing the famous paintings was a highlight for me, images I have only ever seen in glossy books. A large central room holds the two versions of ‘Virgin of the Rocks’. It is phenomenal that these paintings were made so many hundreds of years ago and yet are in such vibrant, wonderful condition, they glow impressively in the room. The first picture was a commission for Leonardo, with particularly beautiful chiaroscuro, the light falls romantically on the flesh and the figures appear quite sculptural. They are epic oil paintings that I could stand and stare at for hours.

Don’t forget to go up to the Sunley Room for the final part of the exhibition, arguably the most magical room of the show. Here the work investigates character and emotion and the viewer is introduced to the Last Supper in a magnificent full-scale copy by Giovanni Petro Rizzoli, called Giampietrino (painted in about 1520), a copy that has proved invaluable during the twenty year restoration (1978-98) of the masterpiece. It is thought that Giampietrino was an assistant resident with Leonardo during his time in Milan. In this room there is also an adorable tiny little book that displays Leonardo’s miraculous and characteristic mirror writing, inscribed from right to left. Leonardo often used words alongside his sketches to elaborate ideas. This book is gorgeous and shows the essence of Leonardo’s inquisitive character and deep and powerful intellect.

Leonardo Da Vinci continues until 5 February 2012, visit the website here for more information. For tickets queue up early in the morning and cross your fingers that you'll be one of the first 400 there to snag the daily released tickets.

‘Forests, Rocks, Torrents: Norwegian and Swiss Landscapes from the Lunde Collection’, National Gallery

I only had a very quick whizz around the ‘Forests, Rocks, Torrents’ exhibition at the National Gallery, an intimate show of Norwegian and Swiss Landscapes from the Lunde Collection. It is a serene room of misty and evocative paintings, exploring the vital role that landscape painting played in European culture 150 years ago.

Swiss and Norwegian artists are completely unknown to me, I couldn’t name one... apart from Klee... isn’t he Swiss? Turns out they are rather talented, well at least the few showcased in this exhibition are. In particular I discovered and liked the work of Alexandre Calame (1810-64) known as the father of the Swiss tradition and Thomas Fearnley (1802-42) student of Christian Dahl, the apparent ‘inventor’ of Norwegian landscape. Both produced wonderfully naturalistic and atmospheric paintings, many of which are on display here.

Though the paintings are beautiful and in pristine condition, it was a shame to see many framed in such clumsy heavy and often unattractive frames, quite a distraction from the quality of work. The works shown are exemplars of the Romantic, I couldn’t help imagining the characters of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights amongst the wild forests and gushing rivers. I often find I am dissatisfied viewing just landscapes but this show was unique and exciting.

I must take this opportunity to apologise to the poor man I asked to direct me – I was wrongly told (via text) to go to the Sublet room, and when the usher looked confused I scolded him for not knowing his place of work properly, turns out I was needing the Sunley room, which despite my rudeness he directed me to kindly after discovering the phone error, sorry.

Visit National Gallery website here.

Bridget Riley at The National Gallery

Bridget Riley is widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest painters, making her name in the Op Art movement. She has always had strong ties with the National Gallery, and elements of her output relate to works here by Raphael, Mantegna and Seurat. Currently Riley has being given reign over the Sunley Room at the gallery, where a mini exhibition features some of her more recent paintings as well as two drawings made directly onto the walls done specially for the occasion. These murals will be painted over when the event ends in May this year.

I have always been intrigued by Bridget Riley’s seductive use of colour and shapes. Her work is very consistent with strong graphic qualities and themes of pattern, repetition and sequence. The Sunley Room is light and airy and very pleasant to just sit and relax in. I enjoyed contemplating the works, and as I went during the day on a weekday the space was almost empty. Riley will be eighty this year, and nowadays does little of the painting herself, with a team of assistants she is able to delegate, direct and design.

The more illusionistic of her works tend to make me feel a little dizzy though I am nonetheless impressed by her accurate and otherworldly use of perspective. There is only one picture on display that appears to be of this kind, 'Arrest 3' (1965) a sultry painting depicting mesmerising waves in tones of blue. I particularly liked ‘Saraband’ (1985) an oil loaned from a private collection. The picture is just stripes of different colours, but there is something about the chosen hues that makes the canvas come to life. I remember thinking it would make brilliant wrapping paper!

This exhibition is free and is a lovely example of Riley’s oeuvre though I was disappointed to see such a small display at the National Gallery, with only about fifteen works on show I left yearning for more.

Close Examination at The National Gallery

‘Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries’ explores and displays revelations about some of the Old Master paintings in The National Gallery. A topic I find particularly interesting as my mother is a restorer of paintings similar to those on display.

It is a large exhibition with completely free entry. As you wander round you inevitably learn a bit of art history too... the interactive nature of the show meant I began to feel slightly like a detective, desperately trying to work out the anomaly in a particular painting and the reason why it had made it into this exhibition. An interesting final room features works by, and not by, the Renaissance master, Botticelli – it is surprisingly difficult to spot the differences! The pretty pictures sit alongside case studies explaining the background and discoveries in a clear and informed way.

I cannot say much here without giving away secrets, but if you happen to be near Trafalgar Square go in and see this show, I found it accessible and intriguing. Considering that fakes and forgeries are commonplace in the art world, an exhibition of this type is long overdue.

Exhibition continues only until 12 September, 2010.