An exhibition of just two paintings and a letter, The Last Caravaggio illuminates interesting biographical and artistic details from the master of light and shade. The Last Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio died as he lived. Chaotically, brashly and a little unpleasantly. He’s the poster boy (well, among others…) for the debate over whether we […]
The National Portrait Gallery‘s exhibition juxtaposing two pioneering female photographers, Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In creates a curious tension in which the pairing both makes sense and doesn’t. Read on to discover why. Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron Francesca Woodman. Julia Margaret Cameron. Do you recognise the names? I […]
The Royal Academy’s exhibition about one of its two founding female members, Angelica Kauffman reminds us of the difficulties faced by pioneering female artists, whilst also giving a decent overview of Kauffman’s work. Angelica Kauffman Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann was born in what is now Switzerland in 1741. The only child of Austrian painter Joseph […]
An urgent, global survey of artists who experiment with feminism and resistance/protest through photography, Acts of Resistance at the South London Gallery constitutes a compelling contemporary exhibition. Acts of Resistance In search of a cultural outing one weekend recently, I decided to stay local and head to the South London Gallery. This venerable institution opened […]
Soulscapes promises “a contemporary retelling of landscape by artists from the African Diaspora.“ What precisely does that mean? Let’s find out! Soulscapes One thing I definitely appreciate about the Dulwich Picture Gallery is the variety of their exhibitions. The last time we were there it was for Rubens and Women. The time before that it […]
This much-lauded return of one of Frederic, Lord Leighton’s final RA submissions is not quite as exciting as intended. Perhaps best to see it in Puerto Rico where it’s the star of the show? Flaming June It’s not normally the Royal Academy I come to for small, free exhibitions. The National Gallery is a more […]
A series of painstakingly constructed sketches reveals much about the nature of the artist in Frank Auerbach. The Charcoal Heads at the Courtauld Gallery. Frank Auerbach. The Charcoal Heads It’s fascinating sometimes how much you can glean from a few simple works. In this case a series of charcoal sketches, completed by Frank Auerbach in […]
The Hayward Gallery’s current exhibition, When Forms Come Alive, is visually impressive. But does it do the artists and artworks a disservice by not going beneath the surface? When Forms Come Alive There is no doubting that this is an aesthetically pleasing exhibition. Instagrammable, even. From the first space you enter, where soft, organic forms […]
An exhibition centred on remarkable drawings, Holbein at the Tudor Court is marred only by having to jostle with fellow visitors to get close to the works. Holbein at the Tudor Court If you call an image to mind when you think of Hans Holbein, it’s likely a member of the Tudor court. Probably someone […]
A thought-provoking and deeply reflective exhibition, Entangled Pasts, 1768-now looks inwards and outwards to examine the Royal Academy‘s entanglements with British colonial history over the centuries. Entangled Pasts, 1768-now “What does it mean for the Royal Academy to stage an exhibition in 2024 that reflects on its role in helping to establish a canon of […]
