Van Gogh at the National Gallery sets Attendance Records

My impressions of the packed crowds I saw at the "Van Gogh-Up Close" exhibition this summer at the National Gallery in Ottawa have been proven correct (for what's it worth).

It felt like attendance was a least double from the previous summer show on Carravaggio and the Globe and Mail confirmed it today.

The National Gallery reported on Tuesday that the critically acclaimed exhibition drew in a record number of visitors--the most visitors since 1997 when an exhibition of Renoir portraits was shown.

Van Gogh drew in a total attendance of just over 230,000 compared to last year's numbers of 109,000 for "Carravaggio and His Followers". That explains why I had to walk through the show a few times to get a peek of some of the paintings.

I am expecting more line ups and crowds at Christian Marclay's "The Clock" which also just closed at the National Gallery and will be showing at Toronto's Power Plant beginning later this month. Can't wait to see it again. The line ups are totally worth the wait....

You can read the full article in the Globe & Mail at "National Gallery's Van Gogh Exhibition Was Its Best Attended Single Show since 1997".