Ai Weiwei - Royal Academy of Arts, London

Ai Weiwei – Royal Academy of Arts – 19 September to 13 December 2015

          Ai Weiwei is one of the most significant, powerful and evocative contemporary artists today. Born in China, he is a  contentious activist and has never been shy of criticising state corruption in his art work nor the suppression of human rights perpetrated by his government’s regime. His art, appreciation of Chinese history and culture and his politics go hand in hand together and I would strongly suggest listening to an audio guide to further enrich your understanding of his work.

          Born in Beijing in 1957, Weiwei was subjected first hand to intolerance when he was sent with his family to a remote labour camp in northwest China for nearly twenty years. His ensuing sense of outrage and defiance is present in much of Weiwei’s work. The first p work you encounter is called ‘Bed’ and is a dramatic, enormous roll of wood that almost takes up the whole space of the room. In 1993 Weiwei began buying reclaimed hardwood - called tieli - from temples of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) that were being dismantled which he then uses in his work. He has always promoted traditional methods of carpentry and for ‘Bed’ he asked his workers to produce three dimensional maps of China. In effect the country looks like it has been rolled out and laid flat like a wooden mattress. Likewise in his art work, ‘Kippe’, finished in 2006, Weiwei uses the wood and parallel bars from a tractor factory to make an attractive installation that also resonates political intensity. In all his work Weiwei is striving to take useless objects and make something new out of them so there is a fusion of tradition and innovation. There is often an underlying humour in his ability to give old forms another life. One of my favourite pieces in the exhibition is called Grapes 27 and is a collection of armless chairs, playfully assembled on top of each other and molded together to create a piece of art that almost defies gravity. It is playful and at the same time elegant and yet he has simply redefined a rather boring, piece of furniture : the common chair.

          Another explicitly political piece of work is Weiwei’s ‘Straight’. Here he has used the steel bars that were used to reinforce the concrete in buildings that were destroyed by an earthquake in China, in 2008. Altogether there are 200 tonnes of twisted rebar – which took four years to straighten - as well as hundreds of names on the walls surrounding the bars which represent the people – mainly children – that were killed in the accident. We learn that the accident could have been prevented if the buildings had been properly built and so this art work becomes also a testament to life needlessly lost and the outrage and grief of the Chinese population. The scale of much of Weiwei’s art is on a huge level, for instance his famous piece, ‘Grass’ consists of 770 hexagonal blocks of hand chiselled marble which form a’ lawn’ of marble, 6 metres wide and 5 metres long. The marble has been made into a literal sea of 3tuft grass, sprouting from the ground  in a beautiful grey and whitewashed colour. We learn it was sourced from the same quarry from which the Forbidden City was constructed. It is a symbol of Weiwei’s outrage at suppression and his courage in the face of oppression. Moreover Weiwei’s indomitable spirit can always be felt as is his belief in the truth that the grass will always grow again. 

          Weiwei is perhaps best known for his six iron boxes called S.A.C.R.E.D which is a shocking detailed remake of the 81 days he stayed in a Chinese prison for alleged tax evasion in 2011. Six iron boxes that are 5 x 12 feet and nearly 2.5 tons each are placed alongside each other and a slight slit in each of them leads you to a lifelike diorama of a man inside a prison cell. It is a particularly evocative piece of work and pushes your buttons. The very scientific way in which he was treated and monitored in prison and the feeling of being trapped is intense. This was tough psychological warfare. Each aspect of his life is painstakingly detailed for example when he eats his food, goes to bed and even takes a shower. It certainly leaves you with a strong sense of outrage.

          In conclusion this exhibition is a must see. Book a ticket and experience the wonder and outrage of Weiwei’s art and vision. By Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor Visitmuseums.com

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Barbara Hepworth: Sculpture for a Modern World. Tate Britain, London

Tate Britain is showing an Exhibition on renown sculptor artist Barbara Hepworth from 24th June to 25th October, 2015.

Barbara Hepworth was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1903 and died in a fire at home in St Ives, Cornwall in 1975.  She had lived there for more than 30 years and become a leading figure in the colony of artists who lived and worked in St Ives.  Her work has become associated with the landscape and sea of Cornwall and is now held in many museums around the world. Her home and studio is now the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Scuplture Garden.  It is well worth visiting.

This exhibition explores her rise to international fame and collaboration with the painter Ben Nicholson.  They became lovers first and later married when she divorced her first husband, the sculptor John Skeaping. The exhibition includes early pieces of carving by Hepworth and other peers.  One of my favourites was two doves carved from stone.  The doves and the stone each complemented the other. You also see photos of Hepworth and Nicholson together in their home studio.  Pieces you see in the photos are on exhibit in the show. The show closes with a room set-up as the Reitveld Pavillion at the Kroller-Muller Museum in the Netherlands.

To see more permanent works on display in the UK, visit The Hepworth Wakefield, an art gallery set up in Barbara Hepworth's home town.

The Tate Britain exhibition is a real pleasure to visit and the works on display are exceptional.

Visitmuseums.com, art exhibitions contributing writer, David Onslow

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25 Facts about the Sistine Chapel

25 Facts about the Sistine Chapel

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most famous frescoes in the world and unsurprisingly it’s one of Rome’s most visited and valued historic sites. Set within the VaticanCity and Museums, the Sistine Chapel welcomes around 25,000 visitors a day who flock to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece and marvel at the feat of artistry. As cameras are banned, it’s one to make sure you don’t forget!

Here are 25 fascinating facts about the Sistine Chapel to peak your interest, test your trivia knowledge and to give you all the more reason to go and visit this stunning attraction.

1. The Sistine Chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned the chapel’s construction on the foundations of the original Capella Magna in 1477.
2. It was Pope Sixtus IV who invested money into building the chapel and some draw similarities between its new layout and that of the Temple of Solomon described in the Old Testament.
3. Before work started on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508, it had been decorated with a fresco of a blue night sky with golden stars, painted by the Umbrian artist Piero Matteo d’Amelia.
4. When Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he wasn’t very pleased, as his main artistic profession was to sculpt. It was with much displeasure that he undertook the role.
5. Michelangelo hated painting the ceiling so much that in 1509 he even wrote a poem lamenting to his friend Giovanni da Pistoia how he’d “grown a goiter from this torture”, due to the physical strain of the work.
6. Although many believe Michelangelo painted the ceiling lying on his back, he actually constructed his own scaffolding, so that he could paint standing up for more precision and control.
7. The whole area of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel measures about 1/6 of a football field – that’s around 12,000 square feet.
8. Don’t be fooled into thinking the only works of art on show in the Sistine Chapel are those by Michelangelo. You can also see frescoes and works by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Roselli and Sandro Botticelli.
9. It took Michelangelo four years to finish the fresco and he left God until last, wanting to have refined his technique enough to depict him perfectly.
10. The God Michelangelo painted as an older man with flowing grey hair inspired centuries of Christian paintings to come, later turning it into the archetypal representation of all Godly figures around the world.
11. The Last Judgement wasn’t actually painted in the same time as the great ceiling fresco. In fact Michelangelo returned twenty-two years later, in 1536, to begin his masterpiece on the wall above the altar.
12. It’s hard to believe that Michelangelo completed the entire ceiling without being able to review his piece as a whole, since the scaffolding remained in place right until the very end. This means that the first time Michelangelo saw his work, was the time it was unveiled!
13. Although the ceiling and frescoes are near-perfect, there is one tiny part of the sky in the panel depicting Noah’s escape which is missing, due to an explosion at a gunpowder depot in 1797 that caused the plaster to fall off.
14. There have been many analyses of The Last Judgement and the allegories and representations within the paintings. Some believe The Creation of Adam draws many parallels to the anatomy of the human brain due to the way it has been painted with the stem, frontal lobe and artery – which is reasonable given Michelangelo’s expertise in human anatomy.
15. Other interpretations include Saint Bartholomew holding the skin of a self-portrait of Michelangelo himself…
16. Among the things that couldn’t be misinterpreted were the nudes painted in the frescoes. In 1564, the Council of Trent deemed the images inappropriate and Daniele da Volterra was ordered to cover them up by painting fig leaves, clothing and other items to hide their indecency.
17. However, some of the drapes were removed to reveal the original painting during the big restoration efforts of the 1980s-1990s.
18. Another recurring motif is the acorns which populate the frescoes. This is a nod by Michelangelo to the patronage of Pope Sixtus IV, whose family name was Rovere – meaning oak, in Italian.
19. The Sistine Chapel is now a historic building of such acclaim that over five million people come to visit a year – that’s equal to the population of Norway!
20. It’s not only visitors who pay homage to the Sistine Chapel. It’s also the Pope’s private chapel, guaranteeing a few extra visits.
21. Come election time for a new Pope, the College of Cardinals meets at the Sistine Chapel – as they have done since 1492 – to submit their votes under oath.
22. The process is so intense that there’s even a room nicknamed the Room of Tears to represent the emotion the lucky chosen candidate will feel after winning the election.
23. It’s not just photos that are banned during visiting times to protect the colours from fading. During election time the College of Cardinals also has to be scanned for bugs before entering. There are 115 security checks in total!
24. If you have exposed shoulders or are wearing items of clothing that ends above the knee, you will be refused entry or asked to cover up within the Sistine Chapel. Visitors to this site should respect the code of conduct and dress appropriately.
25. The most dangerous thing about tourists visiting the Sistine Chapel is the damage not visible to the naked eye. The sweat, carbon dioxide and skin flakes of the five thousand visitors a day pose a threat to the restoration of the masterpiece. The creation of a humidity and temperature control machine is underway.

The Sistine Chapel will forever be one of Rome’s most popular places to visit thanks to the sheer scale of the masterpiece and the feat of exceptional artistry. Thanks to its location within Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel will remain protected and upheld by Papal traditions and forever considered one of the most important religious destinations in the world.

Produced by Omnia Vatican & Rome

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The Tudors – Musee du Luxembourg, Paris, 18th March – 19th July, 2015

The Tudors – Musee duLuxembourg, Paris, 18^th March – 19^th July, 2015

          If you are intending to go to Paris this is an exhibition that is well worth a visit and is also located in one of the prettiest gardens in the city, in the sixth district; next to the Senat. The exhibition looks back at the history of this very important era in English history and the legends associated with many of its rulers, be they kings or queens. The art and craftsmanship will take your breath away.

The Tudors reigned over England throughout the 16^th century and became some of the most important and famous rulers in English history. The founder of the dynasty was Henry VII and his rule put an end to thirty years of civil war. More importantly his marriage to Elizabeth of Lancaster united the two fighting houses – the Yorks and the Lancasters – establishing peace throughout the realm. At the beginning of the exhibition there is a square panel, created between 1550-1600, symbolising this union with the association of red and white roses and a well-known portrait of an aged but wise King Henry VII painted by a Welsh art guild. Of course Henry VII was also famous for being the father of one of the most flamboyant kings in English history; namely Henry VIII. The exhibition includes many striking portraits of this lion king, including an early portrait painted by the illustrious Joos Van Cleve. There is even a full armour, dating back to 1520, which he would have worn for the many tournaments he attended in the early part of his reign. Staring at it one really gets the sense of the strength and size – both physical and symbolical – of this flamboyant ruler. There is a wealth of information made available not only from paintings and art work but coins and books as well – many beautiful sixteenth century original books and manuscript are on display, in amazing condition. History comes alive as we, for example, read about a treaty made in Westminster between Henry and the French king, Francis 1^st, for the restitution of Boulogne. Details of Henry’s personal life and his many wives feature prominently – in fact one of the first paintings we see in the room was painted in 1835 and depicts one of Henry’s more unfortunate wives, Anne Boleyn, depicted in opulent misery in the Tower. Not surprisingly we learn that this painting is one of the most famous and influential paintings of its time and inspired a generation of artists. The private and public lives of the Tudors become enmeshed in history, and we see how many events in these ruler’s lives had huge effects throughout the kingdom – Henry VIII breaking away from the Catholic Church so as to marry Anne Boleyn being one of the most significant.

Splendid portraits of Edward VI and Mary 1^st are on display and of course the iconic and brilliant queen, Elizabeth 1^st is explored in great detail. A whole room is set up for this infamous daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who came to the throne in 1558 at the age of 25. During the long years of her reign the kingdom was not only restored to the church of England but it became a great maritime power and important literary centre. The paintings of this period in British history that are on view are amazing such as ‘The Armada portrait’ depicting a regal, passionate and stunning queen. One gets a real sense of history and of the glory of the Elizabethan era.

 Go and visit ‘The Tudors’ – it is a show you must not miss!

By Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor, VisitMuseums.com

Niki de Saint Phalle exhibition, Le Grand Palais, Paris

Niki de Saint Phalle exhibition, Le Grand Palais, Paris

Anyone who is a fan or admirer of this brilliant and prolific artist and sculptress, Niki de SaintPhalle- me included!- should go to this magnificent and eminent exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. The work of  Niki de Saint Phalle, 1930-2000, which is as broad as it is varied has not seen a retrospective for nearly twenty years. The show boasts at least 200 works of art gathered together, not least starting with her stunning ‘Tree of Life’ presented outside at the very entrance of the grand palais.

The exhibition minutely traces Saint Phalle’s career and life as she faced the very real challenges and choices demanded by her chosen vocation, art. We learn that Saint Phalle started painting as a way of battling with the depression that afflicted her from a very young age. In fact when she was a teenager she was placed in a psychiatric hospital, suffering from a type of schizophrenia and it was only through painting that she could control her illness.  Hearts”, is one of the first works on display and it affirms both her commitment to art and the challenges it presented to her. For example Saint Phalle felt it necessary to leave her husband and two small children in order to devote herself entirely to art. Throughout her work we see how she is continually reconciling chaos and violence – often within herself – with playfulness and a joie de vivre. Her slightly grotesque and momentous piece called, ‘Crucifixion and L’Eto’ – a large mural sculpture of a tortured, buxom woman with no arms, showing her pubic hair by spreading her legs in pink suspenders and a minute head is formidable. We see how she plays with different textiles and objects, often covering her pieces with felt objects such as flowers, dolls and teddies and fabrics. Similarly Saint Phalle uses grimacing masks and skulls to represent life and death. The woman displayed can either be seen as a prostitute or a mother, a victim or a warrior. Saint Phalle is questioning the role of women in society and in religious history. So she is playing with the idea that women are both victims of the feminine condition as well as heroines and matriarchs of the new world. Throughout the exhibition are very interesting film clips of Saint Phalle herself as she tries to explain her views, her art and her passionate ideas on woman’s role in society. Perhaps one of the most important art works that catapulted her into the art world was her massive woman giving birth, called ‘Hon’ which she built in 1966 with the help of her lover and art companion Jean Tinguely. We learn from the film footage that inside the installation was a milk bar in the right breast, signifying a glorification of woman as mother as well as praying devourer and a call for a new world where women hold more power.

Saint Phalle’s formidable Nanas were a natural extension of her idea of a fertile goddess and mother. There is a huge collection of them in the exhibition – women often dancing and athletic, large – even giant – sometimes imposing, sometimes playful and sexy. There are never any thin Nanas.  The Nanas carried her hope for a new world where women would have their rightful place and where femininity had no restraint. Saint Phalle wanted women to be free from the stereotypes imposed by fashion and social restraints. Her Nanas became symbols for feminine standard bearers and for female civil rights. They were the warriors in the feminist battle that Saint Phalle was one of the first to lead in the world of art. The trio of black Nanas on display who are all dancing in a circle is magnificent; the colour, power and movement of the women is incredible. Moreover since they are physically moving round their bodies catch the lights and so there is a bright kaleidoscope of colour. We learn interesting facts – such as, for example, that the Nana’s heads are so small in comparison to their bodies because she is expressing the view that the scientific mind is killing society and that women can be independent from men in a new world of joy. The exhibition focuses on each aspect of Saint Phalle’s artistic career and in depth. Her  work called ‘Tea at Angelina’s’ is a powerful study on the theme of devouring and predatory mothers and the dark side of motherhood. Here the Nanas are grotesque, unsightly and large and not presented as joyous in any way.  Saint Phalle herself had a difficult relationship with her mother who often criticised her work, ideas and art. These ideas are also expressed in ‘La Toilette’, created in 1977, where Saint Phalle is expressing her need to rely on herself alone and not on other people’s opinions.

There is an enormous section of the room devoted to Saint Phalle’s ‘shooting’ phase or her ‘Tir’ development. Here we see her filming herself and other artists shooting at objects and pockets of colour incorporated into plaster fixed on a board shooting target range. The sense that she is physically and literally channeling her rage and emotion onto an art form that explodes in front of us is exciting. Her work, ‘King Kong’ is on display – her most accomplished shooting painting as it is 6 metres long and follows the footsteps of Picasso’s Guernica. For me the highlight of the show is the film footage of the Tarot Garden which Saint Phalle created in 1978 – her stunning garden of habitable sculptures inspired by the Tarot and created by her talent, forceful imagination and hard work. There is a whole room replicating each of the works of art that Saint Phalle produced in life size in the garden and you can delight in each and every one of them up close – for example The High Priest and The Sun.

I strongly recommend any art lover to go and revel in this magnificent show! 

Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor, Visitmuseums.com

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Paul Durand-Ruel: The Impressionist gamble, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Musee du Luxembourg, Paris

Paul Durand-Ruel : The Impressionist gamble, Manet, Monet, Renoir.., Musee du Luxembourg, Paris, until 8th February 2015

The Musee du Luxembourg is hosting one of the most impressive collections of Impressionist works of art to date by the innovative art dealer Paul Durand Ruel, (1831-1922). Outside of his work as a flamboyant gallery owner Durant-Ruel assembled a personal collection of remarkable and outstanding paintings which he exhibited in his apartment at 35 Rue de Rome in Paris.

            The show opens with a colourful and masterful painting of one of Durant-Ruel’s sons by Renoir. Durant-Ruel had five children and was a devoted father and husband and he commissioned paintings of himself and all of his five children. On the death of his father in 1865 he took over the gallery and moved it to 16 rue Laffitte. The first painters he met were Pissarro and Monet and he bought many of their works. One such painting is Monet’s picture of the Thames at the bottom of Westminster, which portrays a river scene with a grey, murky river and yellow tint to the sky. Durant - Ruel took a huge gamble in 1864 and he bought 23 of Monet’s paintings despite the public ridiculing him; it turned out to be very profitable for him. One of these is a stunning painting called ‘The Reader’ which Monet painted in 1876 and which portrays his wife, Camille, seated on the grass underneath the lilac tree in the garden of their house in Argenteuil.  It is a simplistic, natural scene; we see that she is sheltering from the sun in a stunning white and pink dress. The portrait is a mixture of rounded flesh but there is also a doll like quality to her. The real subject of the painting however is light as we see Monet’s exquisite rendering of the sun and shade in this bucolic setting. Throughout the show are marvellous Monet landscapes; we see his famous ‘Effect of the wind’ which was a series of 23 stunning paintings of poplar trees where he is experimenting with changes of times, geometry and season.

            Paul Durant-Ruel also collected much of the French artist Berthe Morisot, a female artist who was also a prominent member of the Impressionist circle. One of the most beautiful paintings in the show in my opinion is Morisot’s, ‘Femme a sa toilette’ which she finished in 1879. It is a simple yet intimate portrait of the back of a lady’s head reflected by a mirror in her bathroom and which reflects her fine necklace and beautiful dress - it is as if we are voyeuristically entering into her private place. Moving onto Renoir and we see three of his most famous portraits; the dancers. These large colourful oil paintings featuring three couples dancing celebrate female beauty and feminine sensuality whilst also retaining a sense of grandeur and style. Renowned for his vibrant use of light and colour and for his portraits of people in intimate and candid settings Renoir was one of the most eminent members of the Impressionists and one of Ruel’s favourite artists.

            Paul Durant Ruel became a trend setter and the man who fed the appetites of vast private and public collections in Europe and the United States at the turn of the 20^th century. His great eye and penchant for risk taking made him a huge player in the artistic world during the early Nineteenth century and he became a champion of Impressionistic art. It is a great exhibition and very much worth seeing. 

By Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor, Visitmuseums.com

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Virginia Woolf; Art, Life and Vision, National Portrait Gallery

VirginiaWoolf; Art, Life and Vision, National Portrait Gallery, London until 26 October 2014

Virginia Woolf is undeniably one of the most accomplished and significant writers of this century whose influence can still be felt in contemporary writing today. This exhibition offers a detailed journey through all facets of Woolf’s private and public life, her work, relationships and vision. No stone is left unturned in an exhibition that includes some of Woolf’s first edition novels, diaries, letters and journals as well as paintings of the time, numerous photos, and unique objects such as her walking cane and her passport photo. It details The Hogarth Press which was a joint printing venture started by Virginia and Leonard Woolf which published not just her work but the work of great literary giants.

At the outset we are introduced to the effect of World War II on Woolf’s life as we see photos of her house, Tavistock Square – where she wrote some of her best works – in ruins. Photos of her old living room show decorative panels that were designed by her sister Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. There is an intimate black and white photo of Virginia and her husband, Leonard and their black spaniel; taken in 1939 by Gisele Freund – a German photographer who came to London on James Joyce’s suggestion. Woolf was fascinated by her childhood and this become a strong literary undercurrent in many of her novels. We learn that both her parents – Leslie and Julia Stephen - were already widows before they married and the merge of the two families gave Virginia two half brothers and two half sisters. Leslie Stephen, Woolf’s father, had been an eminent man of letters and she and her siblings grew up in a very literate, articulate world in which there was contact with leading figures of the day such as Charles Darwin. Woolf spent her childhood with her family and servants in Hyde Park Gate, London but her father also leased out a house in Cornwall for twelve years, called Talland House, in which they would all spend three to four months a year. It had a profound influence on Woolf’s writing and was the subject of one of her most famous novels, called ‘To the Lighthouse’, written in 1927.

The exhibition is dotted with interesting photos such as a stunning photo of Woolf’s mother, Julia Stephen and Adrian, her last child, taken by G.C, Beresford.  Another photographer of the era was Woolf’s aunt, Julia Cameron, whom she was very proud of and who took many photos of her. There is a photo album of Monk’s House on display and an excerpt from the Hyde Park Gate News, number 8, volume 5 which was the literary combined effort of Woolf and her siblings when they were children. One of my favourite photos is a black and white one of Virginia, and her sister Vanessa, playing cricket together in St Ives in 1894 wearing full length dresses. You can see their innocent comraderie and closeness. Letters between Leonard and Virginia are particularly sweet and we learn how deeply Leonard responded to Virginia’s beauty. In fact Leonard gave up a significant career as colonial administrator to be with Virginia. Likewise we are given an insight into Woolf’s domestic life as we see a photo of Sophie Farrell – one of Virginia’s cooks - who spent all her life with the Stephens or Duckworths and who had a lifelong fondness for Virginia. There are some stunning paintings of Virginia and her contemporaries such as Duncan’s Grant’s painting of her and of her brother, Adrian. Interestingly we learn that Adrian, although not particularly close to his eldest sister, was to become one of the first psychoanalyst in Great Britain. Similarly there are some beautiful and colourful paintings that Vanessa Bell finished of her sister, one in 1912 and one in which she figures called ‘The Conversation’ and of contemporary artists of the time.

There are intimate insights into Woolf’s private life like the letter where Leonard describes to Violet Dickinson Virginia’s breakdown in 1915, “Things are very bad. She hasn’t had a night’s sleep in the last 60 hours..” Likewise there is an amusing letter from Lytton Strachey to his brother James detailing his proposal of marriage to Virginia which he withdrew the following day! In 1924 the Woolfs moved back to Tavistock Square with the Hogarth Press and it was here that Virginia produced work that was to define her as one of the foremost modernist writers of the twentieth century. She loved London with all its intellectual stimulation and multi sensory nature and finished some of her most renowned works here. Woolf wrote ‘Mrs Dalloway’, ‘To the Lighthouse’, ‘Orlando’, ‘A room of One’s Own’, ‘Waves’, and ‘Flush’ all between 1925 to 1933 which all figure in the exhibition. These books were not only literary gems but cut across class, education and nationality. You can even see a copy of Hitler’s Black Book which detailed a list of people who were to be taken in ‘protective custody’ following the invasion of Britain and in which both Virginia and Leonard Woolf were listed.

This exhibition is not only for Woolf lovers but anyone who is interested in this period of British history and is certainly not to be missed.
By Larissa Woolf, Editor Visitmuseums.com

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Ming: Fifty Years that Changed China, 1400 – 1450: The British Museum, London

Ming: Fifty Years that Changed China, 1400 – 1450:  The British Museum, London

            This exhibition provides a comprehensive picture of China as it was in the fifteenth century when it was a global superpower ruled by one family - the Ming family – during the years 1400 to 1450. It was a dynasty that ruled through a vast network of courts; the most famous being the Forbidden City in Beijing; and that was to transform the country. The exhibition is a multimedia guided tour and features priceless and opulent works of art, decorative art and literature never before seen outside of China.

As you begin there is an interesting four minute film explaining the background and subject of the exhibition. We learn that China was the largest state in the world and boasted a population of 85 million with a sophisticated civil bureaucracy. The Ming dynasty comprised of five rulers who spanned three centuries and the founder selected the word ‘Ming’, meaning brightness, to represent his era. The emperors commissioned amazing crafts, art, decorative arts and literature. They had several wives and thus many offspring who they sent across the regional courts throughout China to help rule and represent the country. One of the first achievements of the Ming dynasty was that the first emperor, Xuande, moved the new capital from Nanjing to Beijing. The palace was completed in 1445 and acted as the centre of government as well as being the residence of the imperial family. We are introduced early on to the huge and beautiful hanging scrolls, the first being a picture of the Forbidden City and comprising 720 thousand square metres.

An important hanging scroll was the ‘Portrait of Daoyan’ which is in ink and colours on silk. It is the only surviving portrait of a Buddhist monk who became Emperor Yongle’s chief advisor on civil and military matters and who was his lifelong mentor. The emperors invested their princes with ornate silk robes, jewels and belts and jewellery for their wives. The Prince Zhuang jade belt that is on display is magnificent, comprising of 18 intricate and delicate individual plaques which would have been sewn onto the leather belt.  This was a symbol of prestige and power and was excavated from the Prince’s tomb, who was the 9^th son of emperor Yongle. Likewise the beautiful gold hair pins in the shape of a phoenix are astonishing and are one of the highlights of the show. The hair pins are made up of filigree fine metal threads all beautifully woven to look like a phoenix; the symbol of the empress. These were found together with gold arm bangles and bracelets of exquisite craftmanship. Throughout the show is an array of different objects such as lacquer boxes, Syrian glass flasks, gold basins, cloisonné jars and covers and blue and white porcelain vases. The deep red lacquer table desk with drawers is stunning and is the largest surviving piece of lacquer furniture from the Forbidden City. Lacquer was unique to China and made from the sap of trees on which were carved intricate and complex decorations. This table had designs portraying both the dragon and the phoenix, symbolising the emperor and the empress together in symbolic grandeur.

One interesting item is the early Ming sword and scabbard which is in ornate, intricate Tibetan style and which was commissioned by emperor Yongle who was a fantastic military leader. During the Ming dynasty China developed the largest armies in the world. There is a hauntingly beautiful hanging scroll called, “2 steeds under the shade of a willow tree” which depicts two white horses against a grey, brown background of foliage and trees. Horses were essential in warfare in Northern China and so equestrian art was very popular. The courts were also centres for culture, music, publishing and art and commissioned painters to create art work on silk and paper and murals for temples and palaces.

            One of the aspects of Ming art that had an important significance for Europe was its distinctive blue and white porcelain. Such porcelain was always blowy and windswept so as to portray carefreeness and the relaxed fun of the outdoors. The enormous wine jar on display has scenes of figures engaged in cultured pastimes. In the painting at the end of the show, ‘The Adoration of the Magi’, by the Italian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna, we see how important porcelain was as it is one of the gifts given to the Christ baby by one of the Magi. It spurred many European workshops to try and make their own porcelain. We learn that there were many varying belief systems in China, including Buddhism, Daoism, Judaism and the Muslim faith as well as other individual cults. The emperors and princes published religious texts and lavishly illustrated books. You can see a magnificent painting called ‘Painting for the water and land ritual’, dated 1459, which is one of a set of 139 paintings that survived. It details the Buddhist ritual of bringing comfort to the souls of the deceased and shows a whole panorama of the universe including actors, entertainers, scribes and ordinary people. Towards the end of the show is a hanging scroll entitled ‘Tribute of giraffe with attendant’ which was given to the emperor by the Sultan of Bengal and signified heaven’s blessing on the dynasty. There was an elaborate tribute trade between the varying embassies of the world and gifts were accepted and given. This scroll marks the 600^th anniversary of its presentation!

The British Museum has put together a clever and detailed exhibition on a small period of Chinese history in all its glory and it is definitely worth a visit.

Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor, Visitmuseums.com
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The First Georgians - Art &Monarchy, 1714-1760, The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace; 11April - 12 October 2014

The First Georgians - Art &Monarchy, 1714-1760, The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace; 11 April - 12 October 2014

The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace has put together a wealth of information in the shape of letters, paintings, maps and works of art to portray the world of Georgian England. In 1714 Georg Ludwig, Elector of Hanover in Germany became King George I, the country’s first constitutional monarch and this exhibition marks the 300th anniversary of his succession.

The exhibition opens with a stunning oil painting of George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland, whose claim to the throne was legitimate but he was only 50th in line and was chosen for his religion. He is presented as a Roman soldier, in full armour, a symbol of peace and prosperity. The many letters and maps that are displayed include Johannes Kip’s “View and Perspective of London, Westminster and St James Park. It paints a splendid panaroma of London in 1715 and shows the royal residences of St James Palace and George I with his children in carriages. Medals commemorating the Battle of Culloden and designed by Richard Yeo are on display as is a portrait of the Duke of Cumberland; an important and seasoned soldier in the city’s history who was admired for his courage. 

 A section of the exhibition is devoted to William Hogarth, a brilliant satirist and the man instrumental in starting printmaking in Eighteeth century England. He set up an independent copper plate engraving company, undertaking small commissions such as shop cards or book illustrations. Much of his work was based on modern moral subjects and he had a fascination with life in the city. He eventually had 240 subscribers and became immensely popular. We see also the beautiful furniture that was being made such as a pair of magnificent James Moore Pier stands and a table with the cipher GR meaning Georgious Rex in prominent display. 

Some stunning paintings are on display including Trophine Bigot’s “Christ in the Carpenter’s shop” which was in the style of Caravaggio and which restates the biblical story in a modern scene. The oil lamp in the painting suggests the light of the world and the luminous, beautiful quality of the carpenter’s face and his wife’s is radiant against the black of the chosen background. A room full of beautiful miniatures can be seen, most of which are in perfect condition as is a room of decorative plates..  The William Kent frame surrounding the painting by Rubens of “The Holy family with St Francis” is unbelievably intricate; details of acorns running down the each side of the painting. It is a world of ornate but discreet splendour with other decorative objects to be seen such as rifles, snuff boxes, gold boxes and so on. The rapid growth of the luxury industry in the Georgian period can be felt. In Philip Mercier’s painting of “A music party” we see Frederick, prince of Wales playing music with his sisters. Here a down to earth new version of the royal family is depicted: a boy with his family engaged in the arts. It shows a Georgian royal family that has managed to integrate itself into British society.  The enormous painting entitled “St James’ Park and the Mall”, portrays a country setting where princes walk in public parks rubbing shoulders with other people of many race, rank and sex. It is of immense interest and opens insight into the world of Georgian London. The new bourgeois society shows husband and wife to be equal seen also in the lively, cheerful Hogarth painting of Garrick and his wife, Eva Maria Veigel. We see Mrs Veigel tiptoeing behind her husband with the hope of snatcing away his pen. There are two astounding Canaletto’s in the exhibition which for me formed the highlight of the show. Both are of scenes of London and the Thames; both are stunning and accurate portrayals of the city as seen by the artist. The immediacy of his work is attesting.

 All shapes and forms of life in the setting of Georgian England and London are conveyed in this eclectic and thought provoking exhibition. It is well worth a visit. 

Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor, Visitmuseums.com

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Henri Matisse - The cut outs - Tate Modern

Henri Matisse - The cut outs - Tate Modern, London until 7th September 2014

This is a once in a life time exhibition of one of the world’s greatest artists of all time as he discovered a new artistic genre; Henri Matisse. Matisse invented a ground breaking new method of art in the brilliant final chapter of his life - that of cutting shapes and assembling them to form new paintings of swirling, brilliant colours; namely the cut outs.  The Tate Modern has assembled some 120 of his works and take us on a detailed journey of his inner thinking and creations.  Many of these works are too fragile to travel or be exhibited again so this may be the last time you will be able to admire them.

Born in 1869 Matisse’ preferred artistic genre up until the 1940’s was oil but health problems limited his mobility and he soon was forced to develop a new art form leading him to the cut outs. This involved using repainted sheets of colour which were to become his ‘palette’ from which he would cut out numerous shapes using gigantic scissors which he would then assemble into paintings using his assistants to help him.  One of his most beautiful creations on display is his huge book called Jazz. “Two Dancers” is part of Jazz whereby we see two bounding black figures who are barely contained by the frame surrounding them and the juxtaposition of black, blue and red. Matisse had a passion for colour, portrayed in all of his work, especially “The Horse, The Rider and the Clown” where he places the sharp purple of the horse against a bright blue background. In ‘The Cowboy’ Matisse adventurously mixes greens, yellows and blues as the background to his two black subject forms. The colour effect is brilliant and uplifting and as you weave through the show it is hard not to feel a sense of delight and positive energy and you can see why Matisse was called the greatest colourist of the twentieth century.

Somehow Matisse was able to find a way to access a whole realm of stored images in his mind and he worked at a prolific pace. He said himself: ‘With my eyes wide open I absorbed everything as a sponge absorbs liquid. It is only now that these wonders have returned to me, with tenderness and clarity” We see how his studio in Vence became the foundation for his cut outs which he composed directly on the wall and many shapes emerged: coral, algae, birds, fish, plant and seaweed shapes and these were assembled all together to create a myriad of shapes and colours on the walls of his studio.The video footages of Matisse and his assistant at work together in his studio are particularly interesting. Much of Matisse’ work culminated in his famous designs for the Domenican Chapel of the Rosary in Vence whereby he took on the whole decorative scheme of the Vence chapel from the stain glass windows to the chasuble robes worn by the priests. He turned his entire studio and bedroom into a replica chapel so he was immersed at all times in it. We see how the pale blue window is composed of panels of different colours with green taking up half and blue the other. The chapel is quintessentially mediterranean. 

One of the highlights of the show, certainly for me, is Matisse’ Blue Nudes, assembled as they are all together in one room. They are a pure delight and the most striking example of what Matisse called himself “cutting directly into colour” as if they are sculptures. Blue Nude IV was the first of the series which show faint lines of charcoal drawings and layered separate small pieces of blue paper as Matisse struggled with the shape. The other Blue Nudes were cut in one single movement  and you see how each shape combines to make a whole.Their grace and beauty are timeless. Similarly his ‘Snail’ is likewise astounding; as Matisse drew from nature to create a work of art where he distills the movement of the snail into a cartwheel of colours. 

It is a veritable treasure of images, compositions and colour revealing Matisse to be not only a talented artist but a pioneer of a new art form. The extraordinary energy and sense of joy that emanates from his works is incredible. It is an exhibition that is a must for your diary.!

Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor Visitmuseums.com

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Hockney - Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, UK

Hockney - Dulwich Picture Gallery

The Dulwich Picture Gallery is holding the first show dedicated solely to Hockney’s prints and it  covers his life time’s work of sixty years. Ranging from his early works and self portraits to his later gay love scenes and some of his famous ‘Swimming pool” pieces the show aptly demonstrates how versatile, playful and enormously talented Hockney is.

The beginning of the show concentrates on his black and white prints of “A Rake’s Progress” - some thirty different pieces that fizz with energy and humour. Hockney’s habit of using actual words in his prints to highlight an idea or thought can be seen. There is also the compete set of his series of erotic images of gay love, illustrating Cavafy’s poems. Cavafy, we learn, is an Egyptian poet who was born and raised in Alexandria and who wrote about the city’s homosexual subculture in the 1910’s and 1920’s - a movement that Hockney himself was a firm advocate of. As you move through the rooms it is as if colour is gradually added and we can admire some of Hockney’s colour prints and still lifes. Hockney very much admired Van Gogh and this influenced him in his drawing of the “Van Gogh Chair” with its vibrant orange colour in the foreground. It is as if the chair is posing for a portrait in the middle of the picture and Hockney is playfully drawing it for us.

One of the recurring  images that Hockney likes to draw is his by now famous two sausage dogs! His 1995 print, entitled “Horizontal Dog” is a delightful and true to life drawing of his two favourite pets. Hockney himself said, “These two dear little creatures are intelligent, loving, comical and often bored. They watch me work. I notice the warm shapes they make together, their sadness, their delights. And being Hollywood dogs they somehow seem to know that a picture is being made” It is delightful how he always draws them together, inseparable and it opens up an insight into Hockney’s life and day to day existence. The red and blue of the print combine together to create a lively, intimate and warm picture. His self portrait, finished in 1954 is based on the antipathy of oil and water and is modelled on the artist Stanley Spence. It is a little formal, perhaps less relaxed; his arms folded and a little edgy.  Hockney’s love of Los Angeles and the charmed, outdoors, carefree life one can have out there is well known. His “Swimming Pool” series capture the light, warmth and freedom of California that he is trying to convey.  His three series set called “Afternoon Swimming”, created in 1980, aptly depict the shape, movement and colour of the swimming pool water as someone dives in. Hockney is constantly challenging himself to depict and graphically describe water in its continuously moving form. I would gladly take one of these prints home with me!

In the last wing of the exhibition is his “Moving focus” series which comprise of twenty nine interiors, portraits, landscapes and still lives of the views of Hotel Acatlan in Mexico. In these vibrant, colourful and playful prints we see Hockney collaborating with the artist Ken Tyler and his experimenting with Cubism and different shifting perspectives. There are depictions of the hotel’s red central, circular courtyard, basking in the brilliant sun, and how this changes with each different view point. In his print of two chairs he uses graphic language to place them in their surrounding. His use of flexiglass blurs the distinction between the image and the viewer. The chairs seem so life like to me that I can almost imagine them getting up and walking out of the frame. Cubism for Hockney was one of the most profound discoveries of the art world.

This collection of prints is brilliant and not to be missed. Hockney is truly one of the most prolific and talented artists in the art world today.

Larissa Woolf, VisitMuseums.com Arts Editor

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The Renaissance and Dreams, Musee du Luxembourg, Paris

The Renaissance and Dreams, Musee du Luxembourg, Paris

The Musee du Luxembourg, located in the charming Jardins de Luxembourg in the sixth district of Paris, has amassed eighty works of art ranging from Durer to Caravaggio in this fantastic exhibition on dreams during the Renaissance. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries philosophers, poets,artists and theologians attached a lot of importance to dreams and the relationship between sleep, dreams and the dreamer. Many believed that dreams were prophetic and a mirror to the soul and described contact with the next world. 

The first painting we encounter in the exhibition was commissioned by Michele de Ridolfo del Ghirlando and is attributed to Michelangelo. The painting belongs to a four part series of allegories, painted between 1526 - 1531, about the times of day and this one is entitled ‘Night’. It is an evocative, allegorical painting and alludes to the beauty and duration of sleep with as its central figure a beautiful and rounded figure of a sleeping woman . Interestingly Night was always personified as a sleeping woman in the Renaissance, often surrounded by strange and unreal creatures. Sleep had ambiguous interpretations as both soothing and as a time of terror or trouble. One of the most stunning works in the exhibition is Correggio’s painting entitled, “Venus and love sleeping discovered by a Satyr’. It is a large painting in a landscape of muted trees where the figures take central stage; a voluptuous Venus and her son are sleeping touching fingers, denoting the close bond between them, and his head is resting in the crook of her arm. There is an allusion not just to physical love and motherhood but also the role of spiritual love, found in the literature written at the time, one example being Bocaccio’s Decameron where man’s spiritual elevation is inspired by physical beauty. Often painting during the sixteenth century had a mythological or Christian frame of reference. It is interesting to learn that it is the first time this painting of Correggio’s has been shown in France.

During the 15th and 16th centuries there were many different interpretations of the world of dreams, the ghosts that peopled it and the barrier between real and dream worlds. We see in el Greco’s colourful masterpiece “The dream of Philippe II” how there is a link between heaven and earth. Philippe II was the son of Charles V and was a great partisan of the greater Reformation. He symbolises here the close relationship between temporal power and spiritual conquest. In Ludovico Cardi’s painting “Le Songe de Jacob’ we see a personification of the dreams of angels as they ascend and descend the ladder between Heaven and Earth. This picture was inspired by the Book of Genesis and Jacob’s dream personifies the gateway between heaven and earth and also his earthly descendants. In complete contrast to these rather dreamy works we are then confronted with the chaotic and apocalyptic vision of the Netherlandish painter, Hieronymous Bosch. His grotesque depictions of mutilated people and distorted images provokes soul searching questions such as where are we? and who is the devil? Bosch used his colourful, fantastical and violent imagery to illustrate the moral and religious narratives that were troubling him. His monsters are chimeras, appearing to people who are asleep and the elongated and spectral figures are quite awe inspiring. 

One of the highlights of the show is Michelangelo’s drawing ‘The Dream or Allegory of Human Life’, lent from the Courtauld Institute in London. Inspired by the poet Giovan Francesco Pico della Mirandola’s whose poem invited Man to refuse carnal pleasure and sleep for the purity of Heaven where an eternal and joyful state of wakefulness awaited him. It is one of the most famous drawings of the Renaissance. It was the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de Medici who was its subject. Here we see the idea of dream being an element of freedom and of travel through time to other celestial and existential adventures. 

Go to this great and oddly experimental exhibition and allow yourselves enough time to really appreciate and study the work on display. Then afterwards you can delight in a lovely walk amongst the sculptures and beautifully landscaped gardens of the Luxembourg park.

By Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor, Visitmuseums.com

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Feelings by Larissa Lockwood, Poems echoed by Drawings of Tremois

First Steps of the young Poet, Larissa Lockwood. These poems are illustrated by Tremois.  Limited Edition.<p> 

Feelings by Larissa Lockwood

Larissa Lockwood's book, Feelings, is a collection of beautiful, intense and intimate poems. Larissa has been writing poetry since her teens and she shares with us her everyday experiences and memories; feelings of joy and sadness, serenity and fear; anxiety and humour. Her poems describe and explore issues such as lovers, depression, teenage love, motherhood and loss.<p> 

She captures images and thoughts with her words and illuminates issues we can all relate to. We accompany her on her journey from teenager to womanhood and motherhood as she recollects the instances and emotions that have marked and shaped her life. Her poems are illustrated by the well renowned artist, Tremois, whose drawings echo many of Larissa's feelings. It is an illuminating and beautiful book of poems and drawings.


Please buy your limited edition copy here on Amazon

Daumier (1808 – 1897): visions of Paris, Sackler Wing of Galleries, Burlington House, Royal Academy, 26th October to 26th January 2014

           The Royal Academy has amassed some 130 works of art by the legendary French artist and chronicler, Honore Daumier, who lived during a turbulent and pivotal time in French Nineteenth century history. He is an artist who had the capacity to respond to the events of his time with humour, empathy and satire and is explored in great detail in this exhibition – the first for over fifty years – focusing on his paintings, drawings, watercolours and sculptures.<p>

            Daumier was a meticulous artist who made drawings of his subject matter and then returned to his studio to draw from a combination of memory and from his notes. He did not employ models. One of his predominant interests was the life of the ordinary man and the role of the artist in society in portraying him as he tried to escape poverty, war and disease. He worked for two main French newspapers, La Caricature and La Charivari in which his satirical drawings of men, often political men, were showcased. On display are his real to life clay heads of different personages; one of them being Jacques Lefevre a pompous politician. You can see the pomposity in his haughty expression and the delicate way Daumier has copied his face. Daumier’s incredible talent, draughtsmanship and focus on detail is reflected in these small sculptures.  He was a prolific artist - he drew in total 4000 lithographs and 1000 designs for wood engravings which were published in both newspapers and from which he received his main income. Throughout the exhibition are information panels explaining different techniques, historical facts and reflections on society as it was then, such as the explanation of lithography, which are extremely interesting.<p>

Ecce homo, 1849, Daumier

 ‘Ecce homo’ which Daumier painted in 1849 is his largest painting and takes as its theme Christian art. We see the ambiguity of mood and meaning as Daumier portrays a mass of crowds as they view Christ.  The inherent danger and volatility of crowd mentality and ignorance is suggested. Christ can be seen as a figure who challenges the prevailing order of society. Daumier’s style is loose and free with less of a focus on detail and the crowds of people are painted mainly in profile. A hint of melancholy can be found in much of his work, for example, in his small painting called ‘The Watering Place’. This is a bleak portrayal of a man on a white horse with the suggestion of the city behind. His two mirror image paintings of a ‘Man on a Rope’ portray a working man suspended on a building. One can see the muscular form of the man with his use of browns, yellows and whites to portray the artist’s respect and concern for the ordinary worker. Similarly in ‘The Launderess’ we see a simple painting of a woman and child as they climb the steps from the Seine with their washing. Suffused in blues and greys the simplicity of the scene is amazing and we have a modern, evocative portrayal of poor people as they go about their daily life.<p>

            Daumier refused throughout his life to pursue more lucrative genres, for example portraiture or book illustration. Moreover much of his work anticipates other famous artists who took his work as a source of inspiration. For example his painting ‘The Muse of the Brasserie’ where the crowd is reflected in the mirror behind a central figure is a precursor to Manet’s famous painting,’ The bar of the Folies Bergeres’ which uses the same subject matter. The isolation of the individual in the city was a favourite theme of Daumier’s and in this he shared his interest with the photographer, Charles Negres’s who recorded people in photographs. One of Daumier’s most famous watercolours and the highlight of the show for me is the painting, ‘The 3^rd Class Railway Carriage.’ Here we see ordinary people in a crowded railway carriage, painted in warm hues of reds, browns and oranges. The central figure is an old lady hemmed in by a sleeping child and a nursing mother with the top hats and backs of men flanking her in the back. Her troubled face is lined with worry, and old age. It is as if you can feel the hardship of her life and the troubles she resolutely faces. The painting depicts all ages of man as old and young are portrayed together. Daumier fortunately was very popular with collectors which helped ease his life, particularly when he was faced with difficulty, for example when he was dismissed from Le Chaviravi. Degas owned 750 of his prints, 5 drawings and 1 painting and Van Gogh too talked about Daumier ceaselessly in his letters. Daumier’s later lithographs, located in the last room of the exhibition, depicted the political instability in Europe as the 3^rd Republic was shaped into being in France. All the conflicts of the twentieth century are anticipated as is the struggle of power within a world  where the increasing need for arms became a major reality.<p>

            If you want to learn much about France in the nineteenth century whilst also admiring a fine artist you should not miss this show. In Daumier is both past and present - much of his work is reflected in the art of contemporary artists such as Peter Doig, Paula Rego and Gerald Scarfe. He was a fine master of his art.<p>

By Larissa Woolf, arts editor, visitmuseums.com<p>

Hotels in London for your visit

Georges Braque, Grand Palais, Paris

Georges Braque, Grand  Palais, Paris, to January 6^th 2014<p>

            TheGrand Palais has organised a comprehensive and monumental exhibition of the work of the quintessential French painter, Georges Braque. This extraordinarily prolific twentieth century painter and artist is minutely revealed and explained. A huge range of important works of art have been borrowed from both private and public collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and the Pompidou. Braque – a painter whose style has been described  as ‘material’, textural’,’ emotional’ and ‘architectural’ was hailed by Cezanne as the “world’s greatest living painter”.<p>

            Braque was trained initially to be a house painter and decorator like his father but he then went on to study at the Academie des Beaux Arts in 1905. Starting as a Fauvist artist the exhibition begins with the beautiful and evocative “Port in L’Estaque” series with their bright points of colour and loose forms. These timeless landscapes are evocative and intimate and capture intense emotional responses.  The skies are full of vivid, rowdy blues, greens, yellows and pinks.  Braque was inspired by the works of Andre Derain and Matisse as well as from Primitives such as Van Gogh and Boudin.  He didn’t like Romanticism and his determined brush strokes and flamboyant colours set up Fauvism as the next artistic vocabulary of the time. He made several versions of the same scenes, for example there are thirty pictures of his South of France  paintings where he is conveying more than just impressions but also solid structures.<p>

            The show unravels how Braque’s styles evolved slowly and explains how he began to gravitate from Fauvism to Cubism from 1908 to 1913. In 1907 his friend, the poet Apollinaire, introduced him to Picasso which was to be one of the most important relationships of his artistic career. Braque described his friendship with Picasso as being “roped together like mountaineers” as they created together a new school of art and thought. They were both residents of Montmartre in Paris and saw each other intensely every night for a long period of time.  Picasso was interested in tribal masks, works from Cezanne and Iberian sculptures and these influences are reflected in their art.  We see Braque’s famous and large painting, titled, “Big Nude” which he painted in 1908. This large painting of a distorted lady with empty, mosque like eyes, and geometric shapes is at once beautiful and disturbing. It marks the beginning of Braque’s and Picasso’s move into Cubism and the complex patterns of faceted forms and monochromatic colour that was to develop.<p>

 It was the art critic Louis Vauxcelleds who invented the term Cubism or “bizarre cubes” in 1908 when he was describing one of Braque’s paintings and the name stuck. Braque was championed by his friend the German-Jewish art dealer, Daniel Henry Kahnweiler, and in 1908 there was the first Braques show in Paris. In “The Instruments of music” we see how Braque shatters traditional perspective into multiple visions of an object or the world.  Slowly his art became more and more Cubist, seen in his painting “House and tree” where the houses are reduced to geometric forms. In “The Castle at Roche Guyon” he renders the forms into even smaller facets with no horizon line so that all that is left is a cluster of walls and dislocated roofs where one can only recognise the landscape by its colour. Braque’s art was seen as revolutionary, daring and shocked many. He himself said ” I have made a great discovery. I no longer believe in anything. Objects don’t exist for me except in so far as a rapport exists between them or between them and myself.When one reaches this harmony one reaches a sort of intellectual non-existence. Life then becomes a perpetual revelation. This is true poetry. And indeed Braque new movement and its shattering of perspective and light eventually freed the Ecole de Paris to lead innovation in painting for the next half a century. The Cubist Movement spread quickly through Europe and Paris and in turn influenced other movements such as Fauvism and German Expressionism.<p>

            Braque’s move into papiers colle art shows him yet again playing with traditional viewpoints and perspectives as well as materials. His painting titled “Fruitbowl and Glass” is made up of strips of faux bois wallpaper that simulated wood grain and combined with paint to suggest a fruit bowl and glass on a table. His still lives were all about the relationship between objects and the space between them as he overlaps forms and uses supple arabesque and curvilinear shapes as can be see in his paintings “The Frying pan” which he painted in the 1940’s and “The Billiard Table”. We see his mastery of not just painting but also etching, lithography, aqua tint and woodcut. The advent of the Second World War stimulated the creation of more serious works reflecting the austerity of the war; such as his massive Theogomie de Hesiode series. The beautiful and captivating blues and swirls of Braque’s birds as you near the end of the exhibition are amazing. He painted these in the late 1940’s and we can see how they attest to his ability to capture the movement and lightness of birds. Two of the paintings in his ‘Birds” series adorn the ceiling in the Henry II room at the Louvre in Paris. The Grand Palais shows us a complete picture of Braque with photographic footage, films, letters interspersed with his fabulous works of art so that we also get a social, cultural and political idea of the times in which he lived.<p>

Braque was a giant of modern art as this exhibition proves; in fact he was the first living artist to have his works exhibited in the Louvre in 1961. The exhibition is big and to enjoy it at its fullest I would recommend you set aside at least one and a half to two hours to see it properly.<p>

Braque, by Larissa Woolf, Arts Editor, Visitmuseums.com<p>

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