Empty Spaces in Need of Art: National Gallery, pt. III

These empty galleries at the National seem beautiful in their austerity, but I also find them disturbing.

The lights focused on the blank spots where the canvasses used to hang are kind of creepy. What exactly are we supposed to be looking at?

There's probably a good reason they're empty: a touring exhibit or a restorative stay in the basement for cleaning, but still, an empty gallery has an eerie quality to it.