Even during my student days at the Academy, I was fascinated by the empty painting halls. They typically had large, but heavily dusty windows to pass the natural light through. The most important visuals, though, were the "masts" of the easels, which gave the hall the appearance of an abandoned port. Now these easels have almost disappeared from use. Almost everywhere, they have been replaced by folding tripods, usually piled in the corner. Finally, there were always old artworks, hung on the walls to dry and forgotten then and there. It's amazing how time has layered itself in the painting halls. Returning to the Academy halls after 10 years, you can easily find an oil dish you used there as a student.