Henry Scott Tuke

Charming exhibition at Watts Gallery on the life and work of the Edwardian artist Henry Scott Tuke.

Tuke is best known for his wonderful pictures of youths by the sea in Cornwall which helped to revive the male nude in British art. We now see these as homoerotic images but there reception at the time was more nuanced also reflecting ideas of health, fitness and masculinity and the show discussed all aspects of the work. I liked the description that they “offered a pictorial space into which the possibility of male same sex desire might be explored”.

I loved the detail that is known about the sitters both from Tuke’s own diaries and their own oral history collected by Brian Price. The images are made more poignant as they show the First World War generation before they were altered by that experience.

It was fascinating to see some of Tuke’s early work including a striking triple portrait of three women singing “The Misses Santley” and a small bronze by him “The Watcher”.

It was a nice touch to have had an artist in residence, Nneka Uzoigwe, to respond to the work although sadly I was too late to see her studio. I was struck by the one work which was still on show of a naked man and woman by the sea.

Closed 12 September 2021

 

 

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