Prince George & Master Frederick is my debut novel. It’s a work of historical fiction but is based on the true story of Frederick Blomberg, the little orphan boy who was adopted by King George III and Queen Charlotte in 1765 and brought up like a prince within the royal household. Was he really the King’s secret son?
The V&A has just launched a fabulour exhbition celebrating the ‘Golden Age’ of the Mughal court 1560-1660. What a rich and creative time that was, embracing art forms which celebrated a huge and cultural geographic area covering a vast swathe of central Asia. A vast array of objects on show, from woven and printed fabrics, drawings and paintings on paper, books, weapons, clothing and vessels.
The World of Tim Burton – what a treat. This new show at the Design Museum takes us into the creative mind of a truly original artist, designer and film-maker. Who knew that a boy who loved monsters would grow up to terrify generations of children and adults with his astonishing work.
What an enchanting show! It’s a joy to visit the National Gallery and ‘Discover Constable and the Hay Wain’. This picture has graced millions of biscuit tins and chocolate boxes but there’s so much more to the image. Fascinating to see the painting in the context of a contemporary painter of the 1820s channelling the aesthetic of traditional landscape painting and establishing a British school of landscape. Fabulous
Francis Bacon: Human Presence. A very impressive new show at the National Portrait Gallery brings together over 50 of his paintings and includes fascinating photographs of him at work in his studio and fragments of the images and source material which inspired him. It is a visceral experience. Bacon aimed to captures the essence of his subject, not bothering with a direct likeness, but depicting what he feels about them.
Turner Prize 2024 on show at Tate Britain. I enjoyed the press preview today. Three female one male artist represent the contemporary work being judged for this price. Very contrasting work from Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delane Le Bas. Always interesting to see what’s happening.
Michael Craig-Martin at the Royal Academy. There’s an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ feel to this exhibition where everyday objects, graphically outlined and painted with eye-popping colours are celebrated on canvas, as wall-sculpture, digital art and drawings. Astounding.
Van Gogh Poets & Lovers. This is the first time the National Gallery has staged a substantial exhibition of Vincent’s art and wow, it is quite the blockbuster show. We see spectacular work created during his time in Arles in the south of France (1888-1890) battling poor mental health, working with fellow artists and depicting the people, places and landscapes that surrounded him.
Paper Places 