Boris Anrep’s National Gallery Mosaics
On entering the National Gallery through the main entrance, most visitors are unaware that they are walking over several works of art before reaching the main rooms of the collection. The floors of the landings and vestibules are decorated with mosaics, laid by artist Boris Anrep between 1928 and 1952.
Anrep had an irreverent approach to creating his designs; for The Awakening of the Muses and The Modern Virtues, he cast celebrities into the various roles depicted. For example, Virginia Woolf stars as Clio, muse of history, with Greta Garbo as Melpomene, muse of tragedy. An instantly recognisable Winston Churchill, standing atop the cliffs of Dover, portrays Defiance, whilst T. S. Eliot acts as Leisure, busy contemplating Einstein’s E = MC2.
The other two mosaics, The Labours of Life and The Pleasures of Life, feature ordinary people in their occupations and pursuits – such as mining, science, cricket, and conversation. The Pleasures of Life also features appearances from Christmas Pudding and Mud Pies!