Pirates

Wide-ranging exhibition at the National Maritime Museum looking at pirates.

The show started by looking at the myth of pirates and how they have been portrayed in books, on stage, in film and in children's toys. As someone who used to sing in amateur Gilbert and Sullivan shows it was fun to see "The Pirates of Penzance" well represented. I also loved a cabinet on Captain Pugwash.

The show then went on to look at real pirates starting with the height of the trade in the 17th and 18th centuries then moving on to piracy linked to colonialism in the 19th century. I would have liked to see more original material actually linked to pirates, there was a heavy reliance of showing generic weapons of the period.

The show ended with a small section on modern day piracy.

Closes 4 January 2025


Review

Times


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Renaissance Nude

Image
Beautiful exhibition at the Royal Academy looking at the nude in Renaissance art. The show was gently themed but mainly let the pictures speak for themselves. It began by looking at the subjects, both religious and secular, which include nude figures then examined techniques and models used in these works, finishing by looking at more personal pictures. This is a period I’ve studied a lot so there were a lot of old friends and it was quite fun predicting what might appear. There were a few surprises too such as the rather surprising drawing of the Ecstatic Christ. I liked the fact the show included lots of different art forms not just paintings including sculpture, etchings, drawings and illuminated manuscripts. There were some fascinating hangs to draw comparisons particularly two sets of pictures by Giovanni Bellini and Hand Memling from almost exactly the same date. These were shown back to back in a display cabinet down the middle of one room. My favourite work was ...
Read more

Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year Exhibition 2019

Image
Delightful exhibition at Clarendon Fine Art showing pictures from the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year TV series. I had loved the series which had set nine artists, both professional and amateur, to paint one of three celebrities. It then had a semi-final and final with them all looking at one sitter and in the final they also took on a commission. I loved the way you watched a picture build and how some were then made or spoiled by one stroke of paint.   Finding these pictures I knew so well in the flesh was therefore fascinating. None of them disappointed. My favourite artist from the final, Tom Mead, works looked just as good in real life if not better as you could see the detail. The show included his impressive self-portrait which he submitted to enter the competition, a wonderful fragmented picture of his reflection in a mirror giving a sense of movement. I loved that it included a large version of him and a miniature. His commission for the final of Jazzie B...
Read more

The Mask of Youth

Image
Stunning installation at the Queen’s House in Greenwich by Mat Collishaw in response to the Elizabeth I Armada Portrait. Following the restoration of the portrait the museum is commissioning a series of contemporary art works in response to it and this is the first. The following ones will have a lot to live up to! This is an eerily real robotic face of Elizabeth I set up on a mirror opposite the portrait. When I first encountered her she was static but then you realised her face was gently moving, turning to look at you, blinking and changing expression. The skin quality was amazing and the detail was stunning even down to the white hairs on her upper lip. The idea is that the face is the same age as in the portrait ie 55 but I have to say she was looking very good for 55! The artists, Mat Collishow, was inspired by watching the restoration of the picture when layers of varnish so this face is stripped of make-up and the trappings of monarchy. Thank you to the lov...
Read more