A first-time visit to Kenwood House turns into an unexpectedly rich day out, combining historic architecture, a world-class art collection, and Hampstead’s landscape history A Day Out at Kenwood House A recent bank holiday brought the perfect excuse for a day out, and Kenwood House did not disappoint. In fact, it turned into such a […]
A visit to Sandycombe Lodge, the only surviving house Turner lived in, is a story of how sometimes it only takes one or two passionate individuals to preserve important bits of history. Turner in Twickenham A sunny day last summer felt like the perfect time for a trip out to West London to discover a […]
Two free displays at the Courtauld introduce different facets of art history, from techniques in reproduction through the lens of Gothic ivory to works on blue paper over the centuries. Collection Displays at the Courtauld While I was at the Courtauld recently being wowed by their exhibition Monet and London: Views of the Thames, I […]
An exquisite exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery, Monet and London: Views of the Thames captures a bygone London through the eyes of the Impressionist master. Another Once-in-a-Lifetime Exhibition Now this is more like it. I wrote recently about the National Gallery’s blockbuster Van Gogh exhibition, and how disappointed I had been by the visitor experience […]
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 […]
The Tate co-organised exhibition Radical Landscapes moves to the William Morris Gallery, bringing with it new connections and meaning. Radical Landscapes Landscapes are not neutral. This is the central thesis of Radical Landscapes. Instead, the exhibition suggests, landscapes are a contested space in life as in art. Radical Landscapes is all about how we view, […]
Join me on a second arboreal walk through London, taking inspiration from Paul Wood’s 2020 book. This time we explore some of my old haunts, from Wapping to Canary Wharf via Limehouse. A Second Tree Walk Through London The thing about London is that you get busy. There is a lot to do! Theatre, museums […]
A description of a walking tour around Battersea, following a 1970s guidebook. An autumnal stroll reveals that there is much more to Battersea than parks and power stations. Discovering Battersea It has been a while since I have published any walks from the assorted 1970s books of John Wittich, but autumn is quite a nice […]
A review of Paradise and Rockets and Blue Lights, both currently on at the National Theatre. Adapted by Kae Tempest and featuring Lesley Sharp, Paradise is a mostly successful modern version of a work by Sophocles. While Rockets and Blue Lights is a layered story exploring the historic trauma of enslavement and its legacy in […]
