Mark Gertler

Interesting little spotlight exhibition at Tate Britain looking at the work of Mark Gertler, centred on his most famous picture “The Merry-Go-Round” from 1917.

I went round this room the wrong way so my top tip is read the information board and then move across the entrance to your right to start with the early work! The “Merry-Go-Round” looks very striking opposite the entrance enticing you into the room.

As a Bloomsbury Group fan I know Gertler’s work quite well but there were a lot of pictures here I didn’t know and I was fascinated to see his only surviving sculpture. I liked the early work when he was encouraged at art school to paint pictures reflecting his Jewish upbringing, I wasn’t so sure about the later pictures which were a bit chocolate box and influenced by the worst aspects of Renoir. My favourite picture was a stunning drawing of his mother.

Closes on 21 October 2018

 

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