The Painted Hall in Greenwich is a wonderful sight at any time but during their restoration project you can climb a huge scaffolding and see the artwork close up. There’s a massive conservation project going on before the hall reopens in full splendour next year. Continue reading
I send out a newsletter to subscribers with a preview of some of the great stuff on in London over the next 3 months but blog readers are able to enjoy it too. So here it is and I’m happy to take any questions about anything featured. Continue reading
Each year the judges sift through the thousands of entries from all round the world for the BP Portrait Award and somehow decide on the 48 that will make the show at the National Portrait Gallery. I don’t envy them this incredibly hard task but the outcome is a wonderful display and a stunning range of portraits for us to enjoy and marvel at.
The arrival of the Serpentine Pavilion each year is a sure sign that the London summer has started and yesterday I enjoyed the 2018 pavilion on a perfect June day in London. Continue reading
I’m really familiar with the National Portrait Gallery, London, or so I thought until I was invited to preview their Rebel Women Trail. Much to my shame and amusement I found a section of the gallery which had escaped me so I am very pleased to highlight it in this blog post. Continue reading
The new Royal Academy is a rather odd title since the Royal Academy is celebrating its 250th birthday! What’s new is their fabulous extension into the neighbouring Burlington House giving them a great deal more exhibition space. There is no avoiding the excitement in the place as they proudly display that something NEW is happening! Continue reading
Did you know you can visit a Roman temple right in the heard of London? First discovered in 1954 in an old bomb site, the Roman Temple of Mithras was a sensation with huge crowds coming to see it but then the site was redeveloped and the temple was dismantled, moved and seemed to be an unloved treasure. Continue reading
Tucked away in calm and leafy street in St Margarets, London is the house where one of Britain’s greatest painters lived. After a major £2.4 million restoration project you can now visit the house and gardens that Turner lived in from 1813 to 1826 and peak into this slice of his life. Continue reading
London has wonderful art in its museums and galleries but the art and sculpture in public spaces is a constant delight as we walk around. My favourite site is the 4th Plinth in Trafalgar Square which has extremely varied pieces which have changed every couple of years since 1999. After sitting empty for 150 years what is known as the Fourth Plinth began hosting some temporary commissions and this has built into a stunning series of works, often provoking debate and controversy but always bringing something new to the square.
Posters of Obama greet you as you enter this exhibition at the Design Museum, clearly giving us the ‘Hope’ of the title but ‘Nope’ is never far away. Also never far away is President Trump and it’s no spoiler to say that his portrayal is not positive! Continue reading