Cathy's Art Diary

Disappointing installation at the Imperial War Museum by Ai Weiwei. I’d looked forward to seeing this installation as I like Ai Weiwei’s work and finding out what new things he has to say. The work consisted of a print across the whole of the ground floor of real historic and contemporary bomb at life size with details of their dimensions and power. I liked the way it extended up the staircase opposite the entrance. However I am afraid it lost it’s power with the confusion of the exhibits hanging above it and it was all too easy to walk across it without looking down and taking in the awesome information it was trying to impart. The write up says that it is “Exploring international migration, conflict as a root cause of human flow, and the relationship between the individual, society and the state” but I’m afraid that was lost in me. It might work better in a different space but I’m afraid here it looked a bit decorative rather than powerful. I guess though that there is somethi...

Fun exhibition in the windows of empty shop windows in Covent Garden of accessories and props from the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House. There was a window of point shoes where each was designed to represent different departments within the opera house and a fun installation of tutus slotted one inside another. Around the corner I found a window of set designs, props and costumes for the ballet The Tsarina’s Slippers. What a great use of these empty spaces to promote their neighbour and to keep this area looking vibrant and fun in difficult times. Officially closed on 10 August 2021 but I viewed it on 16th.

Enlightening exhibition at the National Gallery for this year’s Take one Picture initiative which invites schools to react to a picture in the collection. This year’s picture was “The Battle of San Romano” by Paolo Uccello of which I am very fond. The show always makes you   see something new in the picture through the children’s eyes and for me this year it was the fruit, particularly oranges and pomegranates in the foliage to the right and on Niccolò da Tolentino’s hat. Hyde Park Junior School reacted to this by making prints of fruit. Other highlight’s this year included Eton End School Berkshire who did abstract paintings based on the shapes the lances and horses made, St Benedicts Junior School London who made a striking horse’s head finish inspired by the armour and King Edward’s Junior School Bath, shown here called “Battle in Black and White” an installation of sculptures arranged like a chess board worthy of a contemporary art gallery. Closes 12 September 2021 ...

Delightful exhibition at the National Gallery reuniting Bellotto’s five views of the Königstein fortress just outside Dresden. Painted by Bernardo Bellotto, nephew of Canaletto, for August III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, in 1756-8 as part of a larger series of 30 views of Dresden and its surroundings. There are three external views of the fortress and two of the interior. They are beautifully displayed at eye level so you can view them easily and take in all the details. The external views are large and sublime but still include lots of details of the people supporting the fortress and surrounding countryside and the internal scenes are full of people and action from women hanging up washing, through soldiers to a beautiful walled garden. I could have looked at these pictures for hours and still found more in them. Closes 31 October 2021 R eviews Guardian Telegraph

Free outdoor exhibition in Trafalgar Square of reproductions of the pictures which were most viewed online from the National Gallery’s collections in lockdown. The pictures are shown as life sized replicas with good notes about them however sadly people seemed to be using the installation as extra seating rather than looking at the pictures. It’s a shame as it’s a good way of trying to entice people into the gallery however I fear the need to book might put off anyone who spontaneously decided to try. Alongside the exhibition the gallery was running art sessions nearby with a crowd of easels set up and all occupied by people   working on a variety of pictures. Some drew the view across the square but others worked from their imaginations and I spotted a skull. It was nice to see children and adults working together. Sketch on the Square ended 31 August 2021 Paintings display ends 2 September 2021

Fun exhibition at St Martin in the Fields of drawings and limited edition prints by Adam Dent. As I enjoy wandering around London I loved this show. Many of the works were maps saluting London’s theatres, lost rivers and squares   and included a new commemorative map to mark the 300th anniversary of the first foundation stone being laid at the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. I think my favourites were the one shown here called “Viral London” ie plague sites, how very timely, and “The Gilded Desert” which was an artistic map of Chelsea. I also like one of children’s games in Duke of York’s Square which was a modern on the Bruegel of children’s games. Closes 12 September

Interesting online lecture from the National Gallery on Polish painting in the 19th century and how it was used to create an idea of Polishness when the country no longer existed. Lydia Bauman, an educator from the gallery, led us through the history of the land mass of Poland from the start of its partition in 1733 through the 19th century and discussed how artists reacted to this. She outlined how King Stanislaw II Augustus brought in an Italian artist to start an art school and commissioned pictures of the city from Bellotto. However this art school did not survive partition and Polish artists had to go to Munich, Vienna or St Petersburg to study where they learnt Western art techniques and genres. She then talked about how they used these styles to create a Polish culture and to promote Polish history and events. I was introduced to lots of artists I had not come across before and particularly liked the work of Aleksander Gierymski including his picture “The Sandblasters” fr...