From the ancient messages in translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs to a major focus on Cezanne as “the painter’s painter,” London offers a welcome cornucopia of exhibitions this coming winter. At the National Gallery, the all-encompassing waves of the American 19c master Winslow Homer – whether of coastal Maine or Cullercoats near Tynemouth – contrast with the luminous harbours of Turner, and vie with the undulations of flesh – ripe with colour – of Lucian Freud. All three exhibitions though varied in form and content deserve serious consideration and study.
In this current exhibition we see less familiar sides of Winslow Homer (whose work is anyway rarely seen on these shores), particularly his profound responses to the horrors of the American Civil War, as well as his magnificent and often overwhelming seas, their heroes and heroines, victims and survivors. The Lucian Freud exhibition offers an entire lifetime of his artwork from the strikingly linear, almost primitivist and often startlingly fresh early work through to the late titanic flesh-paintings and self-portraits inviting comparison with Titian and Rembrandt. A small but exquisite exhibition of two magnificent paintings by Turner, on special loan from the extraordinary Frick Collection in New York, focus our attention on the ramifications of his extraordinary “tour” paintings with their familiar landmarks dramatically dissolved into reflections on water. On these working journeys, often undertaken in the acute discomfort of poorly-sprung coaches on rough, storm-tossed roads, he managed to create most of his oeuvre of at least 30,000 works on paper, of which 2000 were finished watercolours to stand alongside 500 oil paintings. These journey pictures take us way beyond a theme of picturesque tourism into whole worlds of meditation on history and geography, as well as the art and science of weather in its effects on light and atmosphere. We use these two magnificent paintings as springboards for exploring the depth and breadth of Turner’s resolute and inventive mind as he painted and sketched under the most dire conditions.
The V&A permits us to value Beatrix Potter even more at this particular moment as she inspires us to go beyond our fond childhood memories of Peter Rabbit. We see her uncanny understanding of animals in the minute details she observed and so realistically captured. The exhibition provides an opportunity for us to explore anew and in detail, not only their jaunty realism, but their context in the gorgeous landscape of her home at Sawrey in the Lake District, As children, we may have been too taken up with the wonder and awe of the subjects of her originality to notice the remarkable and beautiful accuracy of her depictions of plants as well as animals. What added pleasure her art and fine perceptions afford us, now more than ever!
Tate Modern is to be congratulated on bringing to our capital the finest group of Cézannes we are ever likely to see from collections all over the world, a rare thing in these days of restrictions on and costs of travel for art objects. These are paintings which hold your attention so forcefully it is difficult to tear yourself away from them. We find ourselves puzzling through how Cezanne, understandably seen as ‘the painter’s painter’ and regarded by Matisse as ‘the father of us all’, creates such exquisite balances of colour and forms, such variations in colour and rotundity of fruits, such drama in the positioning and folds of a simple tablecloth, such understanding of the pulsing changes and rhythms of trees and grass. His work never ceases to inspire and teach generation after generation of artists and viewers alike.
The Royal Academy, finally, begins to redress the gender imbalance and lack of transparency in modern art history by placing the spotlight on those women painters with whom we at Inscape are already more than aware: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin. The RA’s historic and current stature in the art world underscores this exhibition as a pivotal turn in redressing past discrimination against women in the fine arts. These painters were the avant-garde, powerful artistic pioneers in their own right; and their role in the development of modern art may very well have been crucial, not secondary, in the annals of art.
We address the British Museum’s winter blockbuster on Egyptian Hieroglyphs as an intriguing form of abstract visual communication. We set hieroglyphs in the context of other early writing systems as well as looking at the long and intricate history of their decipherment from the critical revelations provided by the Rosetta Stone in the 18c through to our current ability to fluently read these beautiful pictographs from the walls of Egyptian tombs. From Sumerian cuneiform to Ogham script, we discuss the inventiveness and beauty-in-conciseness of such ancient alternative ways of recording and communicating mundane as well as sacred news from the grave.
The British Library exhibition on Alexander the Great illustrates the vast array of myths surrounding, even obscuring, the legacy and accomplishments of Alexander the Great (356–323 B.C.). Some of the myths he manufactured himself (he thought he was descended from the gods and as such could repel the waves), some by later picture makers, showing that he battled winged foxes, descended to the underworld, invented the first diving bell, and went into battle in a flying chariot. The reality is as interesting, even astonishing, and forms the basis of our exploration in this study. Alexander was a cultured man, a pupil of Aristotle, familiar with mathematics, philosophy, art, theatre and literature. Yet rather than languish in conversation or contemplation, he led 50,000 men for ten years, many twice his age, on an expedition on foot and elephant of more than 11,000 miles. At the conclusion of this unimaginable journey he was King of the Greeks, Pharaoh of Egypt, ruler of Persia! His empire stretched from Greece to Northwest India. Founding more than 20 cities that bear his name, he precipitated immense social and political change throughout the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. It is small wonder that myth outstrips the mundane in his case!
Booking Information:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This online course via Zoom will be presented by Nicholas Friend Co-Director and Co-Founder of Inscape. It begins on Tuesday 29 November 2022 at 5 pm, repeating on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5 pm. It ends on Thursday 26 January 2023.
You may choose to attend all Tuesdays, all Wednesdays or all Thursdays, or any mixture of these, subject to availability. You may also choose to attend individual sessions. If you would like to attend but cannot manage a particular date, then be assured we will be sending recordings of sessions to all participants. Each session meets from 20 minutes before the advertised time of the lecture, and each lecture lasts roughly one hour, with around 15 minutes discussion.
Cost: £360 members or £440 non-members for the course of 8 sessions or £45 members or £55 non-members per individual session. All sessions are limited to 21 participants to permit discussion.
Due to the coronavirus cheques are not a viable option at this time. Instead, please make your payment to Friend&Friend Ltd by bank transfer to our account with Metrobank, bank sort code 23-05-80, account number 13291721 or via PayPal to nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk, or credit/debit card by phone to Henrietta on 07940 719397. She is available Tuesdays 10-12 and 2-5 pm or Thursdays 10-12 and 2-5 pm. Do get in touch if you would like extra support learning how to use Zoom.
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