Spring is a natural time of hope and renewal, and this year we still have the long Easter Bank Holiday weekend to look forward to, as well two further Bank Holidays in May. This makes it an ideal time to get out and about and replenish your cultural batteries.
Fortunately, there’s never been a better time to do this if you are in London, as the art scene is especially vibrant and busy at the moment. From masterpieces in world-class institutions to hidden gems in small independent galleries, there is so much exciting work to see. Here’s a guide to some of the best shows to catch in the capital right now.
Edvard Munch Portraits, The National Gallery, to June 15
The Norwegian painter Munch is undoubtedly most famous as the creator of The Scream, that universal symbol of despair that adorns the walls of thousands of student bedrooms. However, he was also a highly skilled portrait painter, and created many expressive and intimate portraits of family, friends, and acquaintances.
The National Gallery exhibition is the first UK show to focus exclusively on Munch’s portraiture. It’s a thought-provoking new perspective on one of the world’s best known artists.
Drawings of Victor Hugo, Royal Academy, to June 29
Victor Hugo (1802–1885) is famous for his 19th century novels such as Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, but not many people realise that he also had a gift for drawing. This exhibition includes around 70 of his drawings, which have a strange and otherworldly atmosphere. Van Gogh described them as ‘astonishing things.’
Many of the drawings display the artist’s storytelling skills, and some of them are comments on the issues of the day, such as Hugo’s opposition to slavery and the death penalty. He uses a variety of techniques, such as textiles soaked in ink, splashes of ink, washes, collages and stencils to create beautiful, haunting, and fantastical images.
The drawings have rarely been displayed in public before, and capture the inner workings of one of the finest Romantic imaginations. Some of his later more experimental works went on to inspire the artists of the Surrealist movement, while his dreamlike castles were a huge influence on a generation of Romantic and Symbolist poets.
Noah Davis, Barbican, until May 11
This is a retrospective of the work of the late Noah Davis, who died of cancer tragically young at just 32 years of age in 2015. He moved to Los Angeles in around 2000 to focus on capturing images of the daily lives of black people. His strength lies in figurative painting, and his images are thought-provoking, hinting at an unknowable background narrative.
The exhibition contains over 50 works that range from sculpture and painting, to his involvement in community building. His work is well informed by art history and historical events that have shaped the lives of black Americans, but is also contemporary and slightly offbeat in its outlook.
Goya to Impressionism, Courtauld Gallery, to May 26
The Courtauld Gallery describes this exhibition as “an exceptional selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the first ever exhibition of the Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ to be staged outside of Winterthur, Switzerland.”
“This exhibition is a unique opportunity to see some of its masterpieces – including works by Goya, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso,and Cezanne among others.”
The vast majority of these paintings have never been exhibited in the UK before, and it’s an unmissable opportunity to see some of the world’s most admired artworks in one place.
If you feel inspired to display some new artwork for your home or office, please visit our framing shop in north London and we’ll be happy to help you.