Luxury and Excess

Details from a visit to the National Gallery last week - was great to be back.

Top to bottom:

Detail from Equestrian portrait of Charles I, 1637-8, Anthony van Dyke

Detail from Lord Stuart and his brother, Lord Bernard Stuart, c.1638, Anthony van Dyke

Detail from Still Life with Drinking-Horn, c.1653, Willem Kalf

Detail from Still Life with Lemons in a Wicker Basket, 1643-9, Juan de Zurbarán

Chains of Protection

Couple from Salamanca, 1912

Joaquín Sorolla

An image from the brilliant Sorolla: Master of Light exhibition at the National Gallery.

The couple wear their betrothal outfits, the woman resplendent in chains and necklaces of corals, medallions and reliquaries all of which are symbols of protection.

The exhibition closes on 7th July 2019.

Sorolla

'A Rose Bush at Sorolla's House'

1918-19

 'Types from Salamanca'

1912

'Siesta'

1911

Paintings taken from 'Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light'

An uplifting and inspiring exhibition at The National Gallery at the moment - well worth a visit. I spent a very happy afternoon with the best Senorita I know thinking of many happy times spent in Spain.

Closes 7th July 2019

Alice Neel

One of the many joys of London is that having time to burn is often a blessing, as I found last week while waiting for a friend to finish work.  Nearby was the Victoria Miro Gallery and a retrospective of American painter Alice Neel's work. What a great show - full of life and vibrancy. Neel sounds like she was a pretty fab, painting and living in New York with her children and long term latino lover, her work focusing on local subjects.

Alice Childress, 1950

Girl with Pink Flower, 1940s

Anselmo, 1962

Victoria Miro

16 Wharf Road N1 7RW

On until 29th July 2017

FRANK

The Frank Auerbach exhibition at the Tate ends this weekend - I recommend getting there before it closes its doors on Sunday. It's interestingly curated and crucially not too vast, which allows for you to get to the end of the show without feeling like a lie down.

Love this painting of London in the heat

Hampstead Road, High Summer 2010

Head of William Fever, 2003

"I'm always aware that what Frank produces are Auberbachs first and last... I'm aware of being a prompt. But what transpires and is eventually, declared to be (provisionally) done is something marvellous... These paintings give such a sense of being alive that I for one am pleased that here, whew, I'm still breathing." William Fever, 2015

Soaring Flight: Peter Lanyon

Loved the small but brilliant exhibition of Peter Lanyon's paintings of the Cornish landscape, inspired by his adventures in his glider. These versions of the landscape, wild and full of movement, definitely felt  like the Cornwall I know.

 High Ground, 1956

 Silent Coast, 1956

High Wind, 1958
At the Courtauld Gallery, ending this weekend 

A great tan, flower head dress and embellished gown - details from a guided tour round Dulwich Picture Gallery from my dear friend Tom

Rembrandt: The Late Works

I've jostled for a place at a free bar and in the queue at the Zara January sale but neither rivals the fierceness of the O.A.P's at the National Gallery earlier this week, who joined me in seeing 'Rembrandt: The Late Works'

 

Self Portrait, drawing on an Etching Plate, 1658

 

The exhibition was packed with avid Rembrandt fans. I experienced a personal first at an exhibition - a gentleman tapping me on the shoulder while I was listening to the audio guide and asking me to explain the painting in front of me. He didn't hang round for long.

 

A Young Woman Sleeping, c.1654

 

The work was varied and interesting - there's obviously a lot to know about Rembrandt. Sounds like he had a pretty eventful (if not tragic) private life alongside his prolific artistic output.

 

Juno, 1662-5

 

I loved Juno's opulent get up in particular.

Rembrandt:The Late Works is on at The National Gallery until January 18th 2015.