I love the work of Kenneth Rowntree. After I had been to this show, IÂ counted how many works I own by him and it is 5 quite large oils. So it is a great treat to see a reasonable selection of his work on display, especially as I missed him at the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden. I [Read More…]
Results for search of category: 20th century British art
John Armstrong at Piano Nobile
I went to the opening of this fascinating show last night. Although inevitably a small selection is all that can be squeezed in to a private gallery, the quality of what was on offer was high. One detected the guiding hand of Jonathan Gibbs, who is such an Armstrong expert. There is a nice hardback catalogue, with text by Julia [Read More…]
Neo-Romantics in Herefordshire
My attention has been drawn to a lovely -looking show in distant Herefordshire. The Monnow Valley Arts Centre has a show of the collection of Nicolas and Frances McDowall. It consists of lots of super works by a range of good artists. The collectors clearly have a good eye. Some of the examples have been excellently chosen (for example the [Read More…]
Kenneth Rowntree. A Centenary Exhibition
I have a plan to get to distant Chichester to wonderful Pallant House right at the end of the current Rowntree exhibition. There are some rare Chekhov plays showing at the Festival Theatre and my wife and I are going to combine the two cultural experiences. In the meantime, I have read and perused the catalogue and what a joy [Read More…]
William Gear
This is the centenary of Gear’s birth and there are some activities which reflect that. The great Redfern Gallery in Cork Street has a splendid show, which I have just visited. Then there is going to be a show at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, which I am going to in August, and a new book by Andrew Lambirth. I find Gear’s [Read More…]
John Craxton in Dorset
A new show has opened at the Museum in Dorchester of Craxton’s pictures of Dorset. I have lent a picture of the ruined Knowlton Church, inscribed by the artist to the opthalmic surgeon, Pat Trevor-Roper, brother of the academic Hugh. These early, pre-Greece pictures by the young artist are very much influenced by John Piper.
Lucian Freud and John Craxton’s drawings of Peter Watson at Christie’s
On 25th June,2014, Christie’s is holding an evening sale of Modern British and Irish Art at King Street. I have contributed a total of approximately 1,000 words to two catalogue entries, on the subject of Peter Watson. Lot 2 is a portrait drawing of Watson by Freud and lot 6 is a drawing of Watson by Craxton. The works are [Read More…]
Oliver Messel
At the Opera House last night to see Sleeping Beauty, I noticed a lovely pastel and chalk drawing of the legendary Russian ballet dancer, Galina Ulanova, by Oliver Messel. It is hanging, presumably temporarily, in the passage from the main entrance towards the cloakroom area. Messel’s designs for Sleeping Beauty date from 1946 and are still to some extent being [Read More…]
John Craxton
There is a new exhibition opened at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge of Craxton’s work. I am not sure what has particularly led to the show being put on there, although it may have something to do with the enthusiastic new young Director, Tim Knox. In any event, it is a welcome airing for Craxton’s work, which has not been [Read More…]
Michael O’Connell
In the Nave of Little Hadham Church in Hertfordshire hangs a textile showing a stylised representation of part of the rather scattered village. It is by Michael O’Connell (1898-1976), who was a textile artist living nearby at Perry Green, where Henry Moore lived. He is described as a “pioneer in the production of textiles using dye resist techniques”. There is a website set up [Read More…]