Woof in King's Lynn

October 1 2024

Image of Woof in King's Lynn

Picture: Lynn Museum

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Hot on the paws of the Wallace Collection's wildly successful 2023 dog exhibition is the Lynn Museum in Norfolk's new show entitled Woof: A Celebration of Dogs which opens today.

According the museum's website:

Drawing on Norfolk Museums Service's extensive collections, alongside significant loans, the exhibition includes natural history, archaeology, and art works of both local and national importance - including works by renowned artists Sir Edwin Landseer, Andy Warhol and David Hockney.

Probably the first animal to be domesticated, dogs have been our constant companions for many millennia building an extraordinary bond with humans. Discover how ancient artefacts depicted dogs or wolves from myth and legend including a Roman coin, an Egyptian cartonnage (part of the coffin for a mummy), and an Anglo-Saxon urn.

Explore how artists have celebrated dogs in their role as pets and companions or portrayed their noble and symbolic qualities - from a tender painting of a spaniel curled up in the lap of a young girl, to Andy Warhol's colourful pop-art portrait of a friend's pooch, to a Newfoundland famous for his life-saving exploits.

The show will run until 29th June 2025 - providing readers with ample opportunity to discover the surrounding areas of King's Lynn too!

Early Rediscovered Poussin coming up at Ader

October 1 2024

Image of Early Rediscovered Poussin coming up at Ader

Picture: Artnet

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Artnet have shared news of an early rediscovered Poussin which is coming up for sale at the French auction house Ader later in November. Vénus Épiée par Deux Satyres, which was researched with the assistance of Eric Turquin and featured in an exhibition last year in Lyons, will carry an estimate of 'up to €1m'.

Dorotheum Sale

October 1 2024

Image of Dorotheum Sale

Picture: Dorotheum

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Dorotheum in Vienna have recently published their upcoming Old Masters sale online. As usual, there are many interesting and fascinating lots to browse through. The sale will take place on 22nd October 2024.

Torcuato Ruiz del Peral Exhibition in Granada

October 1 2024

Image of Torcuato Ruiz del Peral Exhibition in Granada

Picture: museosdeandalucia.es

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

A new exhibition has recently opened at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada celebrating the career of the sculptor Torcuato Ruiz del Peral (1708-1773). Considered one of the last great sculptors in the grand Baroque manner, the show draws on works from private and public institutions in order to mark the 250th anniversary of his death.

The display will run until 5th January 2025.

'The Invention of British Art' (ctd.)

September 26 2024

Image of 'The Invention of British Art' (ctd.)

Picture: National Trust

Bendor again with news of another talk for my book tour. This time we're at Hardwick Hall, and - how about this! - in the amazing High Great Chamber, one of Bess of Hardwick's grandest rooms and most innovative creative achievements. I'll be speaking about the role of Tudor art in the broader history of British art. It's on Tuesday 22nd October, 16.30. Tickets are available here

New Carlo Maratta Catalogue Raisonné

September 26 2024

Image of New Carlo Maratta Catalogue Raisonné

Picture: Ugo Bozzi Editore

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Exciting news from Italy that a new catalogue raisonné dedicated to Carlo Maratta has been published this month. The two-volume edition penned by Stella Rudolph and Simonetta Prosperi Valenti Rodinò contains over 1,000 paintings and drawings, including frescos and other studies for related works of art.

As is the ancient custom, the publication of this new catalogue will earn Stella Rudolph and Simonetta Prosperi Valenti Rodinò a place in the much-coveted 'Heroes of Art History' section of this blog.

Upcoming: Drafts - From Rubens to Khnopff

September 26 2024

Image of Upcoming: Drafts - From Rubens to Khnopff

Picture: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels will be opening their latest exhibition next month. Drafts: From Rubens to Khnopff will explore the eternally interesting ways artists prepare sketches and studies for 'finished' works of art.

According to the museum's website:

The exhibition unfolds across time, from the 15th to the 19th century, with a foray into the 20th century. Each stage holds surprises: admire a sketch on canvas by Jacques Jordaens, a model by Alexander Calder, a watercolor by Anne Bonnet, or an oil painting by Delacroix. Preparatory drawings by Rik Wouters stand alongside Fernand Khnopff's decorative projects for the Stoclet House, while the high-reliefs and statuettes by Constantin Meunier and the plein-air sketches by Gustave Courbet or Ferdinand De Braekeleer will captivate you.

Through a thematic scenography, discover rare works, sometimes never exhibited before , alongside the famous bustling sketches of Peter Paul Rubens.

This unique exhibition, built around the exceptional collections of Fine Arts of Belgium, also marks the result of a vast restoration campaign carried out over nearly two years by the Museum's teams. Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the secret world of artistic creation and rediscover masterpieces in a new light.

The show will run from 11th October 2024 until 16th February 2025.

AI to Resurrect Brian Sewell's Articles and Reviews?

September 26 2024

Video: Web of Stories

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Evening Standard became headline news yesterday for the announcement that it will be resurrecting the late and greatly-missed Brian Sewell's art reviews with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The plan, which will apparently appear in today's paper, has the backing from the late critic's estate.

To quote the article linked above:

The Standard’s interim chief executive, Paul Kanareck, said the edition would have multiple features on AI and London’s role as a hub for the technology. “The London Standard is a bold and disruptive new publication,” he said. “It includes an experimental AI review by our legendary critic Brian Sewell, and his estate are delighted.” [...]

The Standard did not confirm how it would recreate Sewell’s distinctive style – he once wrote that Banksy “should have been put down at birth” – but chatbots can be prompted to produce work in the style of different writers. When prompted by the Guardian on Wednesday, the ChatGPT chatbot produced a faux-article on Vincent van Gogh written in a rough approximation of Sewell’s style.

________________

An interesting experiment, perhaps. Although, I fear it will only shine a light on AI's inadequacies rather than its strengths. Here's a short clip of Sewell discussing his own his reputation in this sphere. I recommend watching the whole series which is on YouTube, if you ever find the time!

Upcoming Release: Turner and Constable - Art, Life, Landscape

September 26 2024

Image of Upcoming Release:  Turner and Constable - Art, Life, Landscape

Picture: Yalebooks.co.uk

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Yale University Press will be releasing Nicola Moorby's latest book entitled Turner and Constable: Art, Life, Landscape in March 2025.

According to the blurb:

Born just fourteen months apart, one in London and the other in rural Suffolk, J.M.W. Turner and John Constable went on to change the face of British art.

The two men have routinely been seen as polar opposites, not least by their peers. Differing in temperament, background, beliefs and vision, they created images as dissimilar as their personalities.

Yet in many ways they were fellow travellers. As children of the late 18 th century, both faced the same challenges and opportunities. Above all, they shared common cause as champions of a distinctively British art. Through their work, they fought for the recognition and appreciation of landscape painting – and in doing so ensured their reputations were forever intertwined and interlinked.

Nicola Moorby offers us a fresh perspective on two extraordinary artists, uncovering the layers of fiction that have embellished and disguised their greatest achievements. For Turner & Constable is not just a tale of two artists; it is also the story of the triumph of landscape painting.

Winterthur sends Graff Self-Portrait back to Poland

September 24 2024

Image of Winterthur sends Graff Self-Portrait back to Poland

Picture: swissinfo.ch

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The city of Winterthur in Switzerland have sent Anton Graff's Self-Portrait at the Age of 72 back to Poland after a provenance probe. The painting had been hanging in a museum in Wrocław in 1937 but later disappeared from a depot a few years later in 1939. Graff's picture was eventually purchased by the Swiss city from a Basel art dealer for 16,800 CHF in 1986. Click on the link to read more.

Illusion in Hamburg

September 24 2024

Image of Illusion in Hamburg

Picture: Hamburger Kunsthalle

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Hamburger Kunsthalle will be opening a fascinating sounding exhibition in December entitled Illusion: Dream, Identity, Reality.

According to the museum's website:

With a comprehensive exhibition spanning several epochs, the Hamburger Kunsthalle will shed light on the diverse facets of the theme of illusion in art, from the Old Masters to today. Ever since antiquity, artists everywhere have been making use of the “trompe-l’oeil” technique, and it was particularly popular in the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The desire for illusionistic renderings then waned during the Romantic period, but this type of art never completely disappeared from the repertoire and it continues to fascinate artists to this day. The exhibition will show how illusion means far more than merely deceiving the eye. It is manifested in the (illusionistic) self-love of Narcissus as well as in spatial illusions in architecture, in the play of concealing and revealing via the pictorial motifs of the curtain and the mask, in the meaning of the open or closed window to the world, and in depictions of visions and dreams. Based on some 150 paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, installations and video works, the show traces the many different forms taken by hyperrealism, reality, fiction, dream, transformation and deception. Among the exhibits are major works from the Hamburger Kunsthalle as well as loans from national and international collections.

The show will run from 6th April 2024 until 6th April 2025.

We were here - at the Venice Biennale

September 24 2024

Image of We were here - at the Venice Biennale

Picture: wewereherethefilm.com

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

For those readers who might be going to be the Venice Biennale, before it closes later in November, then here's a new film which might be of interest. WE WERE HERE: The untold story of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe is the new production by the film maker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu and appears to spotlight a great deal of historic works of art.

According to the Biennale's website:

Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is an Italian Afro- descendant filmmaker and activist currently living in New York. His early training was in the field of political science. We Were Here (2024), the film made by Kuwornu for the exhibition, is part of the journey that began with Inside Buffalo (2010) and continued with 18 Ius Soli (2012) and BlaxploItalian (2016). At the heart of these films is the intention to give visibility to the vicissitudes of Afro-descendants in Western societies: from historical events – such as the contribution of the 92nd Buffalo Soldiers regiment, which fought in Italy in World War II – to the micro-stories of second-generation immigrants engaged in the recognition of Italian citizenship, to the claim of Black identity in the world of creative industries and the arts. If BlaxploItalian investigates the processes of Blackness in the portrayal of the Black community in the media, We Were Here focuses on the history of art and the representation of Black Africans in European visual culture since the Renaissance. The journey is accompanied by the voice of the author, whose presence aims to create an empathic connection with the viewer.

JMW Turner and changing visions of landscape in Norwich

September 24 2024

Image of JMW Turner and changing visions of landscape in Norwich

Picture: Norwich Castle Museum

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Norwich Castle Museum will be opening their latest exhibition next month. JMW Turner and changing visions of landscape has been organised in-part to celebrate their fairly recent acquisition of Turner's Walton Bridges which was acquired from Sotheby's for £3.5m back in 2019.

According to the museum's website:

JMW Turner and changing visions of landscape is a major new exhibition exploring artists' approaches to landscape from the 17th century to the present day. It commences the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the birth of JMW Turner, one of the most influential artists in the history of western art.

The exhibition explores the evolution of landscape art, centring on Turner's influence, whose landscapes conveyed a full range of artistic, historical and emotional meanings. Featuring seven oil paintings and nine works on paper by Turner, it compares his visionary approach with those who influenced him, like Claude Lorrain, Ruisdael and Canaletto, and those he inspired, from John Sell Cotman to Govinda Sah. Renowned twentieth-century artists like Paul Nash and contemporary figures such as Ibrahim Mahama, Emma Stibbon, and Henna Nadeem demonstrate the ongoing relevance of landscape in art.

Upcoming Release: Women Artists & Designers of the National Trust

September 24 2024

Image of Upcoming Release: Women Artists & Designers of the National Trust

Picture: amazon.co.uk

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The National Trust will be releasing a new book on Women Artists & Designers in February 2025.

Here's the blurb (according to Amazon):

From the magnificent gardens created by Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst to a striking self-portrait by Angelica Kauffman; from elegant, mass-produced ceramics by Susie Cooper, to a model of a Palmyran temple by lady’s maid Betty Ratcliffe – this beautifully illustrated book takes a closer look at the women whose creativity has shaped the National Trust’s collections and, often, the experience of visitors to its places.

Spanning six centuries, the book explores the lives and work of women artists and designers across a range of disciplines, including garden and interior design, photography, illustration, industrial design, fine art, studio pottery and textiles. The selection features both talented amateur artists and professionals who have shaped the art-historical canon (such as Eileen Agar, Élisabeth Vigée le Brun, Rosalba Carriera and Barbara Hepworth), focussing on their unique contributions and achievements.

Leonard A. Lauder Research Center Publication Grants

September 23 2024

Image of  Leonard A. Lauder Research Center Publication Grants

Picture: MET

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Leonard A. Lauder Research Center, based at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, are providing grants for publications in the sphere of modern and visual culture.

According to their website:

The Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art invites applications for grants supporting publications in the field of modern art and theory, and modern visual culture.

We use the term ‘modern art’ inclusively to refer to architecture, drawing, design (including exhibition, graphic, interior and stage design), film, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and textiles in the period from the last third of the nineteenth century through to the 1960s, from any country region or culture.

On how much money might be available:

Up to six grants per year typically between $4,000 and $7,000, with no single grant more than $12,000 to be awarded.

Applications must be in by 30th September 2024.

Good luck if you're applying!

Bonhams Autumn Sale

September 23 2024

Image of Bonhams Autumn Sale

Picture: Bonhams

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Bonhams London's autumn Old Master Paintings sale has been published online with bidding for lots closing on 2nd October 2024.

As usual, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out what may or may not be interesting.

Girolamo Genga Altarpiece Conserved

September 23 2024

Image of Girolamo Genga Altarpiece Conserved

Picture: ansa.it

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

More news from Italy that Girolamo Genga's The Cesena Altarpiece has been restored after a three-year conservation project. Painted between 1513 and 1518, the project was undertaken onsite at the Church of Sant'Agostino and consisted of various scientific scans alongside the work undertaken on the painting itself.

Guercino - a new look - in Cento

September 23 2024

Image of Guercino - a new look - in Cento

Picture: patrimonioculturale.regione.emilia-romagna.it

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

A new exhibition opened at the weekend dedicated to works by Guercino and his school. The show has been made possible by the closure of several churches due to various restoration projects. 20 paintings, mostly large altarpieces, have been gathered together in the Church of San Lorenzo in Cento and many of them have not been made visible to the public before.

The display will run until 31st December 2024.

A few weeks left of Barocci in Urbino

September 23 2024

Video: Tele 2000

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

One exhibition that seems to have received a lot of positive reviews on social media and elsewhere is the aforementioned Barocci exhibition at the Palazzo ducale in Urbino. The show runs until 6th October 2024, so only a few more weeks to catch it if you can!

'The Invention of British Art' (ctd.)

September 22 2024

Image of 'The Invention of British Art' (ctd.)

Picture: Elliott & Thompson

Hi everyone, Bendor here with a few more events on my forthcoming book tour: 

The first event is the Cheltenham Literature Festival, 7th October. Tickets available here

On Saturday 19th October I'll be at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, booking available here.

On Friday 1st November I'll be at Moyses Hall in Bury St Edmunds, tickets here

On Thursday 14th November, St Andrews, tickets here.

On Friday 15th November, Edinburgh, tickets here.

The ticket links are not available yet, but other venues (which I'll post more details of) include, Hatchards bookshop, Piccadilly (23rd October), Hardwick Hall (22nd October), Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich (30th October), National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin (5th November).

Each talk will be different, and focus on the venue I'm speaking at, or its collections.

The events at Derby Museum and Athelstan Museum are sold out. Many thanks to everyone who has booked a ticket so far!

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