The stupendous Jenny Saville retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery is a joy to view. I’ve been an admirer of her work since she first burst onto the art scene as one of the YBA’s (Young British Artists) in the 1990s with her statement huge nudes boldly painted in oils. And this exhibition shows just how her prodigious talent has evolved.
Oh, how I love Edward Burra’s work! And I’m so excited to recommend this wonderful retrospective at Tate Britain. Born in 1905 into an upper middle-class family in Rye, he was drawn to the flappers of the roaring 20’s in London, gay Paris, Harlem in New York, sailors in Toulon and Flamenco dancers in Spain. Depicting bars, gin joints, low life and high fashion. It’s all there, beautifully painted in watercolours with a strong narrative feel.
The 2025 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy opens on 17th June. I always enjoy the chance to attend the press preview and wander around the huge gallery space surveying the ‘pick and mix’ of art on show. The curators’ theme of ‘dialogue’ is apparent and illustrated by whole spaces devoted to certain topics or themes. However, I tend to prefer the walls which contain a random selection of art and see how they ‘jostle’ with each other to attract the viewer’s attention.
The fabulous new storage space for V&A East has opened in Stratford and it’s a ‘must see’ for any London visitor. Taking over the building created as a media centre during the 2012 Olympics, this space has been reimagined in the most original way as an exhibition/storage space for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s extensive collection. It’s like a giant cabinet of curiosities with so much to see.
Whilst visiting Kirby Misperton in Yorkshire I was surprised and delighted to discover a picture depicting Frederick Blomberg who is a key character in my historical novel, Prince George & Master Frederick. My book is fiction but it is based on the story of real people and the relationship between two half-brothers – Prince George, the future regent and monarch and Frederick Blomberg who, as an infant, was adopted by King George III and Queen Charlotte and brought up as a prince.
What a delight to see, close up, a remarkable survivor from the Renaissance – the two Carracci ‘cartoons’ created in the late 1590s in readiness for transfer to the ceiling of the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. You can see the joins, the cuts, the holes for the ‘pouncing’ and simply absorb the atmosphere of artists at work over four centuries ago. Stunning!
Secrets of the Thames. What a treat to visit the London Museum Docklands, to see their new exhibition which celebrates the determined curiosity of generations of mudlarkers. Swishing around the river’s foreshore at low tide is clearly an addictive activity and the results are wonderful.
Splash! A century of swimming and style. This exhibition at the Design Museum is a celebration of fashion, technology and politics of water, swimming and messing around in ponds, rivers, pools and the sea.
Paper Places 