National Gallery visit (again) and free help guy

On Friday as I was in town I decided to pay a quick visit to the National Gallery, outside the gallery in Trafalgar square there are now a number of street performers including this guy who appears to be suspended in space.- I guess there's a construction around the walking stick that supports him but it's a rather good illusion and I'm sure it impresses a lot of children (of all ages).

The National Gallery is amazing and can provide a decent cup of coffee too, I was a little impressed to see how many paintings the Gallery has by Courbet but also disappointed that only one (a still life with apples and a pomegranate  from 1871 that he did this while he was imprisoned) was on show.
Having said that going to look at it I was quite pleased to see 'The Winnower' by
Millet  was on show in the same room 41, this is a painting by an artist much admired by Courbet and one of a series that shows agricultural life in France, I fear rap fans will though be puzzled by Millet's 'Man with a  hoe'

A touch of the American Gothic methinks

I was also quite thrilled by the works of Degas that I saw particularly  Combing the hair and Miss La la at the cirque Fernado which is quite a brilliant representation of a circus high-wire act

Casting an eye around for my next visit I was drawn to a Gainsborough - Mr and Mrs Andrews , some
interesting things about this are the way that he's put the couple to one side - some say so he can paint more of  the countryside (which he likes) as opposed to landed gentry (which he was said to have disliked)
Nice explanation of the painting here
I wonder if the painting is anything of  inspiration of American Gothic as it reminded me of this.

Interesting link on this weeks newsletter from the  always engaging PoW by Jules Evans about the Free help Guy - perhaps a lesson here.

Handsome is as handsome does