Tag Archives: London

A Cautionary Tale

Emma Hamilton: Seduction and Celebrity, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London SE 10, until 17th April 2017

'Emma as La Penserosa', 1791-92 by Sir Thomas Lawrence ® The Abercorn Heirloom Settlement Trustees; Bryan F. Rutledge B.A.

‘Emma as La Penserosa’, 1791-92 by Sir Thomas Lawrence
® The Abercorn Heirloom Settlement Trustees; Bryan F. Rutledge B.A.

This is an exhibition that has exceeded my expectations and one I had been looking forward to since I learnt of it.

It is I think very much a story of a beautiful young woman that has resonance today – a tale of humble beginnings, of becoming a “celebrity” but ending in disillusionment and obscurity.

Berlin service: Teapot depicting Emma Hamilton ® National Maritime Museum, London. From the Clive Richards Collection

Berlin service: Teapot depicting Emma Hamilton
® National Maritime Museum, London. From the Clive Richards Collection

Born in Cheshire in 1765, daughter of a struggling blacksmith Emma came to London in her thirteenth year and became part of the Covent Garden world which mixed high society with the sexual underworld. Aged sixteen she became the mistress of Sir Harry Fetherstonhaugh and as readers of my blog ‘Unravelling Uppark’ (06/06/14) will know Emma danced naked on the dining room table there to entertain his friends. However when she fell pregnant Fetherstonhaugh chucked her out and she returned to Cheshire and gave birth to a daughter.

'Emma dancing the tarantella' c.1791 by William Lock ® The Jean Kislak Collection

‘Emma dancing the tarantella’ c.1791 by William Lock
® The Jean Kislak Collection

Fortunately she had made the acquaintance of Charles Greville, a son of the Earl of Warwick, and he took her under his wing, installing her in his house just off the Edgware Road in London, an area more rural then than it is today. It was there that Greville introduced her to the painter George Romney.  She was, as the wonderful paintings shown in the exhibition amply prove, a perfect Muse for the artist.

Emma as Circe, 1782, by George Romney ® The National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

Emma as Circe, 1782, by George Romney
® The National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

She also met Greville’s uncle Sir William Hamilton and it was on to him that Greville passed Emma when he tired of her by sending her to Naples where Hamilton was British envoy. Naples was a major stopping-off place on the Grand Tour and thanks to Hamilton’s patient teaching and her own talent she created her famous “Attitudes” which brought scenes from paintings and sculpture to life. She achieved even more of a celebrity status which was crowned when Hamilton married her in 1791.

Gold and micro-mosaic necklace belonging to Emma ® National Maritime Museum, London

Gold and micro-mosaic necklace belonging to Emma
® National Maritime Museum, London

Her new position as an envoy’s wife meant that she had to play a political role too and in this Emma was fortunate that the Neapolitan King’s wife Maria Carolina, a sister of Marie Antoinette, liked her and made a confidante of her.

Horatio Nelson, 1758 -1805, Vice Admiral of the White by Johann Heinrich Schmidt ® National Maritime Museum, London

Horatio Nelson, 1758 -1805, Vice Admiral of the White by Johann Heinrich Schmidt
® National Maritime Museum, London

However in 1798 the arrival of Admiral Nelson, following his victory at the Battle of the Nile, was the beginning of what would be one of the great love affairs of history.  It was one fraught with dangers as her infidelity rocked society and it was not helped by Emma’s giving birth to Nelson’s child whom they named Horatia.

Emma, Lady Hamilton, 1761 - 1815 by Johann Heinrich Schmidt ® National Maritime Museum, London

Emma, Lady Hamilton, 1761 – 1815 by Johann Heinrich Schmidt
® National Maritime Museum, London

They acquired a house at Merton in Surrey and set up home their but because of Nelson’s naval duties he was frequently away.  His death at the Battle of Trafalgar 21st October 1805 brought it all crashing down. Life became difficult in every way and her attempts to maintain her lifestyle and position led to her being imprisoned for debt in 1813 in the King’s Bench Prison.  Thanks to funds being provided she was released but had to flee to Calais to escape her creditors and it was there in January 1815 she died after months of illness in the same poverty as she had been born.

Gold 'fede' or betrothal ring, one of a pair exchanged by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson and Emma ® National Maritime Museum, London

Gold ‘fede’ or betrothal ring, one of a pair exchanged by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson and Emma
® National Maritime Museum, London

This somewhat salutary tale is beautifully told through pictures, objects, jewellery, furniture, prints, costumes and personal letters.  It really does give a wonderful insight into her life and times and explains why she remains so beguiling a figure. She is one of those people from history you would really want to meet!

'View of Merton House showing Lady Hamilton and Horatia in the grounds' ® National Maritime Museum, London

‘View of Merton House showing Lady Hamilton and Horatia in the grounds’
® National Maritime Museum, London

 

http://www.rmg.co.uk/emmahamilton

BOOK REVIEW: London Uncovered

London Uncovered: Sixty Unusual Places to Explore

Mark Daly (Author), Peter Dazeley (Photographer)
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
£30.00
ISBN9780711238091

 london-uncovered_cover

 This is a book for anyone who loves London as it takes us into sixty buildings and places which we may recognise but are probably ones that we may not have visited so far. Dazeley’s photography reveals the interiors of these intriguing spaces while Daley’s text gives the history and feel of the place.  A great combination and thanks to this book I now have many places to visit in the coming months and years which I feel sure I will want to return to.

 

The book’s sections are Historical Homes, Food and Drink, Palaces of Entertainment, Places of Worship, Remarkable Shops, Science and Education, Inns of Court and Unusual Museums.  What more could you ask for?

 

www.franceslincoln.com

Girls and their Pearls!

Maisie Broadhead – Pearls, Sarah Myerscough Gallery at Gallery S O. 92 Brick Lane, London E1, 10th-30th June 2016

Ball and Chain, 2016. Ed.6 Digital c-type and pearls, 108.5 x 83.5 cm

Ball and Chain, 2016.
Ed.6 Digital c-type and pearls,
108.5 x 83.5 cm

17th century female portraiture is the inspiration for this exhibition of new photographic and sculptural works and a video piece. In the 1600s wealthy families often had formal portraits of their young daughters painted to capture their beauty but also their wealth, expressed through the fabric of their clothes and through their jewels.

Hung, 2016. Ed.6 Digital c-type and pearls, 61 x 47 cm

Hung, 2016.
Ed.6 Digital c-type and pearls,
61 x 47 cm

Pearls were the most highly prized of that era and were also regarded as a symbol of purity and chastity. Their humorous use in these works, reflect the artist’s interest in the social history aspects of jewellery and give them a 21st century context.

Shackled, 2016. Ed.6 Digital c-type and pearls, 108.5 x 83.5 cm

Shackled, 2016.
Ed.6 Digital c-type and pearls,
108.5 x 83.5 cm

 

http://www.sarahmyerscough.com

 

Three London Galleries

Blair Thurman – Mature Blonde, Almine Rech Gallery, 1st Floor, 11 Savile Row, London W1, until 14th May 2016

Blair THURMAN Dynamic Friend (Night Owl), 2016 Acrylic and canvas on wood 243,84 x 114,3 x 16,51 cm 96 x 45 x 6 1/2 inches Photo: Melissa Castro Duarte Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech Gallery

Blair THURMAN
Dynamic Friend (Night Owl), 2016
Acrylic and canvas on wood
243,84 x 114,3 x 16,51 cm
96 x 45 x 6 1/2 inches
Photo: Melissa Castro Duarte
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech Gallery

These exciting works made of canvas on wood are by the American artist Blair Thurman.  His work reflects his interest in cars and racing games and also has a nod to minimalist and pop art.

Blair Thurman View of the exhibition Mature Blonde Almine Rech Gallery, London 31.03 - 14.05.16 Photo: Melissa Castro Duarte Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech Gallery

Blair Thurman
View of the exhibition Mature Blonde
Almine Rech Gallery, London
31.03 – 14.05.16
Photo: Melissa Castro Duarte
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech Gallery

http://www.alminerech.com

 

Mouna Karray – Nobody will talk about us, Tyburn Gallery, 26 Barrett Street, London W1, until 21st May 2016

Mouna Karray, 33°28'34.8"N 9°20’54.3"E, Inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper, 2012-2015, Copyright the artist, Courtesy Tyburn Gallery

Mouna Karray,
33°28’34.8″N 9°20’54.3″E,
Inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper, 2012-2015,
Copyright the artist, Courtesy Tyburn Gallery

These are powerful images of the neglected south-western area of the photographer’s native Tunisia since a body in a white sack is deposited in various locations and symbolises through the body’s struggling against the fabric a hope to change and fight the oppression that the people of this area endure.

Mouna Karray, Installation View Copyright the artist, Courtesy Tyburn Gallery

Mouna Karray,
Installation View
Copyright the artist, Courtesy Tyburn Gallery

tyburngallery.com

 

John Kørner: Apple Bombs, Victoria Miro Gallery, 14 George Street, London W1, until 14th May 2016

John Kørner Running against apples, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 150 x 120 cm, 59 1/8 x 47 1/4 in Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London© John Kørner

John Kørner
Running against apples, 2016
Acrylic on canvas 150 x 120 cm, 59 1/8 x 47 1/4 in
Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London© John Kørner

The new paintings by the Danish artist John Kørner certainly engage our thought processes as the mix of pictorial elements on the canvases presents us with images we have to discern and interpret in a mental rather than physical workout.

John Kørner Architecture lines, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 150 x 120 cm, 59 1/8 x 47 1/4 in Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London© John Kørner

John Kørner
Architecture lines, 2015
Acrylic on canvas 150 x 120 cm, 59 1/8 x 47 1/4 in
Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London© John Kørner

http://www.victoria-miro.com

 

 

Bronte with a twist

Charlotte Bronte at the Soane, Sir John Soaneʼs Museum, 13 Lincolnʼs Inn Fields, London WC2, until 7th May 2016

Charlotte Brontë at the Soane, courtesy of Sir John Soane's Museum. Photo: Gareth Gardner

Charlotte Brontë at the Soane,
courtesy of Sir John Soane’s Museum.
Photo: Gareth Gardner

I shall let the exhibition’s creator the artist and writer Charlotte Cory sum it up in her own words: “I am thrilled to be curating Charlotte Brontë at the Soane on the anniversary of her birth. There is no evidence that Charlotte Brontë visited the Soane – but she should have done! She did most of the other things in her guide book and she would have loved the place. I canʼt think of a better 200th birthday present than to bring her here. The exhibition is fun but informative, touching and thought-provoking, and what is wonderful is that the Museum is exactly the same today as when she could have visited it. When you walk through the Soaneʼs front door you might as well be Charlotte Brontë back in 1850.”

Charlotte Brontë at the Soane, courtesy of Sir John Soane's Museum. Photo: Gareth Gardner

Charlotte Brontë at the Soane,
courtesy of Sir John Soane’s Museum.
Photo: Gareth Gardner

 

http://www.soane.org/bronte

Photography: Martin Parr, Paul Strand et al

Unseen City, Guildhall Art Gallery, London EC2, until 31st July 2016

TheDrapers' Livery 650thAnniversary, TheQueen visiting the Drapers' Livery Hall 2014. © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

TheDrapers’ Livery 650thAnniversary, TheQueen visiting the Drapers’ Livery Hall 2014.
© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

The noted Magnum photographer Martin Parr has been the photographer-in-residence for the City of London since 2013 and this engaging exhibition reveals both front of house and behind the scenes glimpses into City occasions and events.

Lord Mayor’s Show, Guildhall, City of London, 2014. © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

Lord Mayor’s Show, Guildhall, City of London, 2014.
© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

 

cityoflondon.gov.uk/martinparr

www.martinparr.com

 

 Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers, Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2, until 19th June 2016

Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers Curated by Martin Parr Installation View Barbican Art Gallery, London © Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers
Curated by Martin Parr
Installation View
Barbican Art Gallery, London
© Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

Curated by Martin Parr, this exhibition features the work of some twenty-three international photographers dating from the 1930s onwards and provides fascinating glimpses into British life, be they social, cultural or political.  While some of the images were perhaps familiar to me the show is still worth seeing because it shows how much this country and life in it has changed over the decades and will be a revelation to generations younger than mine.

Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers Curated by Martin Parr Installation View Barbican Art Gallery, London © Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers
Curated by Martin Parr
Installation View
Barbican Art Gallery, London
© Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

The photographers featured are: Tina Barney (USA), Gian Butturini (Italy), Henri Cartier-Bresson (France), Bruce Davidson (USA), Raymond Depardon (France), Rineke Dijkstra (The Netherlands), Jim Dow (USA), Hans Eijkelboom (The Netherlands), Robert Frank (Switzerland),Bruce Gilden (USA), Frank Habicht (Germany), Candida Höfer (Germany), Evelyn Hofer (Germany), Axel Hütte(Germany), Sergio Larrain (Chile), Shinro Ohtake (Japan),Akihiko Okamura (Japan), Cas Oorthuys (The Netherlands), Gilles Peress (France), Paul Strand (USA),Edith Tudor-Hart (Austria), Hans van der Meer (The Netherlands) and Garry Winogrand (USA).

 

www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery

 

Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 20th Century, V&A Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 until 3rd July 2016

 

Installation view of Paul Strand at the V&A, 19 March - 3 July 2016 (c) Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Installation view of Paul Strand at the V&A, 19 March – 3 July 2016
(c) Victoria and Albert Museum, London

This rather special exhibition traces the life of this highly talented American photographer through photographic prints, films, notebooks, sketches and even his cameras.  Although primarily thought of as an American photographer this exhibition in the words of its curator Martin Barnes “challenges the popular perception of Strand as primarily a photographer of American places and people of the early 20th century” as he was in fact an international photographer as can be seen through images taken in Italy, France Romania and South Uist.

Installation view of Paul Strand at the V&A, 19 March - 3 July 2016 (c) Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Installation view of Paul Strand at the V&A, 19 March – 3 July 2016
(c) Victoria and Albert Museum, London

vam.ac.uk

London: Ancient and Modern

Hugh Beattie – London: Ancient & Modern, Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, 1 Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London SW1, until 5th December 2015

 

Hugh Beattie, Hasilwood House v Cheese Grater (courtesy of the artist)

Hugh Beattie,
Hasilwood House v Cheese Grater
(courtesy of the artist)

This exhibition provides, through some thirty works, rather different views of buildings ancient and modern.  Beattie, by contrasting old and new, challenges why so many new buildings have been constructed since the Millennium and what is going to be done to preserve the historic ones that are part of London’s history and the story of the people who work or live there.

Hugh Beattie, St Paul's v One New Change (courtesy of the artist)

Hugh Beattie,
St Paul’s v One New Change
(courtesy of the artist)

 

Twitter: @jhlbeattie, @lagalleria, #AncientModern

A Private Paradise

Lionel Bulmer & Margaret Green – a private paradise, Messum’s Fine Art, 28 Cork Street, London W1, until 24th December 2015

Lionel Bulmer (1919-1992) NEAC, Night Windows, 1957, Oil on Board, H 92 x W 122 cm

Lionel Bulmer (1919-1992) NEAC,
Night Windows, 1957,
Oil on Board, H 92 x W 122 cm

This is a rather special exhibition that reveals both the artistic and private world of these two artists who met at the Royal College of Art after the war and became inseparable, so much so their friends referred to them as Margaretandlionel.

Margaret Green (1925-2003) NEAC, Walberswick Ferry, circa 1965, Oil on Board, H 39 x W 49 cm

Margaret Green (1925-2003) NEAC,
Walberswick Ferry, circa 1965,
Oil on Board, H 39 x W 49 cm

It would have been wrong not to include a work depicting Warbleswick as together with neighbouring Southwold it was a place they loved for several decades and I, for one, totally agree with them in that.

 

http://www.messums.com

ASIAN ART IN LONDON 2015

Asian Art in London, 5th – 14th November 2015

A pair of imperial, yellow silk monumental hangings, decorated with phoenix as symbols of the empress. The hangings, each composed of eight panels, form a mirror-image pair and are woven with nine phoenix in gold thread amongst five coloured clouds and above rocks and waves. Chinese, Qianlong period, 1736-1795 Height: 3.45 m (11 ft. 4 inches) Width of each hanging: 5.68 m (18 ft. 8 inches) Provenance: Private European family since c. 1912 Jacqueline Simcox Ltd www.jacquelinesimcox.com

A pair of imperial, yellow silk monumental hangings, decorated with phoenix as symbols of the empress. The hangings, each composed of eight panels, form a mirror-image pair and are woven with nine phoenix in gold thread amongst five coloured clouds and above rocks and waves.
Chinese, Qianlong period, 1736-1795
Height: 3.45 m (11 ft. 4 inches)
Width of each hanging: 5.68 m (18 ft. 8 inches)
Provenance:
Private European family since c. 1912
Jacqueline Simcox Ltd
http://www.jacquelinesimcox.com

This really is a special time in London for it sees sixty international dealers, major auction houses and museums and most importantly collectors from around the world come together for a celebration of Asian Art in all its varieties.

The companion piece Jacqueline Simcox Ltd www.jacquelinesimcox.com

The companion piece
Jacqueline Simcox Ltd
http://www.jacquelinesimcox.com

There are selling exhibitions, lectures and auctions across London and I include some of them here for your interest.

Jiang Shan Chun | China’s History Teller Peace Series - Portrait of Two Families II oil on canvas 207 x 135 cm Original Photograph (right) Albemarle Gallery www.albemarlegallery.com

Jiang Shan Chun | China’s History Teller
Peace Series – Portrait of Two Families II oil on canvas 207 x 135 cm
Original Photograph (right)
Albemarle Gallery
http://www.albemarlegallery.com

 

Tureen, Cover and Stand Qianlong period circa 1740 Scandinavian Market Length of Stand: 17 inches; 43cm Height of Tureen & Cover: 15 inches 38cm Cohen & Cohen www.cohenandcohen.co.uk

Tureen, Cover and Stand
Qianlong period circa 1740
Scandinavian Market
Length of Stand: 17 inches; 43cm
Height of Tureen & Cover: 15 inches 38cm
Cohen & Cohen
http://www.cohenandcohen.co.uk

 

Sotheby's Classical Chinese Furniture from a European Private Collection London | 11 Nov 2015 LOT 12 A HUANGHUALI SQUARE GAMES TABLE, QIZHUO QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY ESTIMATE 30,000-50,000 GBP www.sothebys.com

Sotheby’s
Classical Chinese Furniture from a European Private Collection
London | 11 Nov 2015
LOT 12
A HUANGHUALI SQUARE GAMES TABLE, QIZHUO
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
ESTIMATE 30,000-50,000 GBP
http://www.sothebys.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pair ofwhite jade cups with their original stands in the form of lotus petals, dating from the 18th Century Marchant www.marchantiques.com

A pair of white jade cups with their original stands in the form of lotus petals, dating from the 18th Century
Marchant
http://www.marchantiques.com

 

FALCON GEM-SET PENDANT India (Deccan), 17th century Height: 7.8 cm. Width: 5.9 cm. Depth: 2.2 cm Simon Ray, Indian and Islamic Works of Art www.simonray.com

FALCON GEM-SET PENDANT
India (Deccan), 17th century
Height: 7.8 cm. Width: 5.9 cm. Depth: 2.2 cm
Simon Ray, Indian and Islamic Works of Art
http://www.simonray.com

 

Liu Jianhua Trace 2 Copyright Liu Jianhua Courtesy Pace London. www.pacegallery.com

Liu Jianhua
Trace 2
Copyright Liu Jianhua Courtesy Pace London.
http://www.pacegallery.com

 

Ma Desheng Untitled 1986 Ink on Chinese paper 69 x 92 cm (17 x 36 ¼ in) Image courtesy the artist and Rossi & Rossi Rossi & Rossi www.rossirossi.com

Ma Desheng
Untitled
1986
Ink on Chinese paper
69 x 92 cm (17 x 36 ¼ in)
Image courtesy the artist and Rossi & Rossi
Rossi & Rossi
http://www.rossirossi.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreweatts Chinese Ceramics and Asian Works of Art Sale, Monday 16th November 2015 A fine Chinese soapstone group from Qing Dynasty presumably depicting a scene from the Han dynasty. Estimated at £10,000-15,000

Dreweatts
Chinese Ceramics and Asian Works of Art Sale, Monday 16th November 2015
A fine Chinese soapstone group from Qing Dynasty presumably depicting a scene from the Han dynasty. Estimated at £10,000-15,000

 

A Selection of Pieces From The Nicolas Thompson Collection For Sale Online. R & G McPHERSON ANTIQUES www.orientalceramics.com

A Selection of Pieces From The Nicolas Thompson Collection For Sale Online.
R & G McPHERSON ANTIQUES
http://www.orientalceramics.com

 

ORPIMENT 雄黄 by ANDO Saeko (b.1968) Coloured lacquers, seashell, egg-shell and metal inlays on a wooden panel 45 x 90 cm Sealed Simon Pilling www.simonpilling.co.uk

ORPIMENT 雄黄
by ANDO Saeko (b.1968)
Coloured lacquers, seashell, egg-shell and metal inlays on a wooden panel
45 x 90 cm
Sealed
Simon Pilling
http://www.simonpilling.co.uk

 

25 Blythe Road: LIVE SALE: Arthur Millner - ISLAMIC, INDIAN, HIMALAYAN and SOUTH-EAST ASIAN ART ,11th November 2015 Lot 320 - A MANUSCRIPT BOX (SADAIK) Burma (Myanmar), early 20th century 25 x 61 x 22.5cm Estimate: £200-£300 www.25blytheroad.com

25 Blythe Road:
LIVE SALE: Arthur Millner – ISLAMIC, INDIAN, HIMALAYAN and SOUTH-EAST ASIAN ART ,11th November 2015
Lot 320 – A MANUSCRIPT BOX (SADAIK)
Burma (Myanmar), early 20th century
25 x 61 x 22.5cm
Estimate: £200-£300
http://www.25blytheroad.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Falling Blossoms 2015. Oil on Panel. 75 x 40 cm (29.5 x 16 in) Shine Artists www.shineartists.com

Falling Blossoms
2015. Oil on Panel. 75 x 40 cm (29.5 x 16 in)
Shine Artists
http://www.shineartists.com

 

 

http://www.asianartinlondon.com

Contemporary Mexican Sculpture in London

A New Sculpture in London’s Trafalgar Square, until December 2015

2O2A0379

Visitors to Trafalgar Square will no doubt have noticed the new sculpture on King Charles Island (near the top of Whitehall).  Entitled You it is the work of the Mexican sculptor José Rivelino and weighs 25 tons and is 14.5 meters in length. The two pointing fingers represent human equality and when one passes between them it represents the idea of inclusivity.

This is the first of a series of Mexican contemporary sculptures to be revealed in the capital over September and is part of the Dual Year of UK and Mexico 2015.

 

 

mexicouk2015.mx