The Big City

Impressive exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery of large paintings from the City of London’s collection.

The show took an interesting approach to the subject. It began with what I had assumed might be the whole show, large scale picture of events in the city from a Lord Mayor’s river procession in the 18th century to the  Queen’s Coronation lunch in the Guildhall. I came across artists I didn’t know such as Terence Cuneo and Frank O. Salisbury who were obviously highly thought of at the time but have fallen out of fashion. I loved the way Cuneo represented everyone as individuals in huge group scenes.

The next section was more unexpected and looks at how artists have chosen large formats to represent ordinary life. It was nice to see a Ken Howard of Cheapside from 1970 alongside an Oliver Bevan from 1995 off disassociated figures on a road crossing.

Next were large panoramic views of the city. I could have looked at the detail in David R Thomas’s 1965 “London from the Top of the Shell  Building” for hours. I liked its strange flat palate while showing every window in the buildings.

Finally it was a clever touch to showcase a large ceiling panels for the decoration of a room in the Guildhall by James Thornhill.

A surprisingly good show blending historic and contemporary art.

Closes 23 April 2023


 

 

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