Art Exhibitions in London: April - June 2013

This is my second monthly blog post about Art Exhibitions in London - ones on now and ones coming up.  This post broadly covers a three month period from April - June 2013.

The exhibitions highlighted are:

• major exhibitions in major art galleries and museums in LONDON. (Plus other places if I have the time).
• major art competition exhibitions - typically those which are listed in my page on Major UK Art Competitions in 2013
• major art society exhibitions 

The Guitar Player (c. 1670-1672) by Johannes Vermeer
Oil on canvas, Height: 53 cm (20.9 in). Width: 46.3 cm (18.2 in)
Collection: Kenwood House
This painting is moving to the National Gallery
for the Vermeer and music exhibition.

Major Art Galleries and Museums in the UK

Courtauld Gallery

Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN

• Until 27 May 2013 - Becoming Picasso: Paris 1901 - has received rave reviews. Watch an introduction to the exhibition of paintings by a 19 year old precocious Picasso by Curator Dr Barnaby Wright.
• 20 June – 8 September 2013 Collecting Gauguin: Samuel Courtauld in the '20s.  The Courtauld holds the UK’s most important collection of works by the Post-Impressionist master Paul Gauguin - which was assembled by pioneering collector Samuel Courtauld.

Dulwich Picture Gallery

Gallery Road, London, SE21 7AD

• Until 19 May 2013 - Murillo & Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship 
• 12 june - 22 september 2013 - A Crisis of Brilliance Nash, Nevinson, Spencer, Gertler, Carrington, Bomberg: A Crisis of Brilliance, 1908-1922.  I guess one might call this the exhibition of the book!

A major exhibition to watch out for later in the year is Whistler in London

National Gallery

Trafalgar Square London WC2N 5DN

• Until 28 April 2013 - Through American Eyes: Frederic Church and the Landscape Oil Sketch (Room 1). RECOMMENDED See Review: Frederic Church and the Landscape Oil Sketch This is your last chance to see the very splendid Frederic Church oil sketches
• Until 19 May 2013 - Barocci: Brilliance and Grace - these are the associated events.  
• Telegraph review by Richard Dorment and 
• Evening Standard review by Brian Sewell "an exhibition both thrilling and intelligent"
• 22 May – 1 September 2013 - Birth of a Collection: Masterpieces from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts Admission free.  Old Master paintings in the loan include works by Simone Martini, Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano, Frans Hals and Nicolas Poussin. From the 19th century are masterpieces by Joseph Mallord William Turner, Claude Monet and Edouard Manet.
• 26 June – 8 September 2013 - Vermeer and Music This is rather a novel exhibition. Three paintings by Vermeer involving the playing of musical instruments together with an exhibition of musical instruments and concerts three times a week. 
• 23 May – 24 November 2013 - Michael Landy: Saints Alive

National Portrait Gallery

St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE

• Until 27 May 2013 - Man Ray Portraits - RECOMMENDED - see my Review: Man Ray Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery
• Until 23 June 2013 - George Catlin - American Indian Portraits - see my review this next week. This is an amazing exhibition - quite unlike any I have ever seen before. - see my Review: George Catlin: American Indian Portraits
• 20 June to 15 September 2013 - BP Portrait Award  One of my favourite exhibitions every year - and tremendously popular with the public. It's almost always has lots of visitors
• 30 March until 1 November 2013 - Jacob Epstein: Portrait Sculptor (Room 33) Works on display include some of Epstein’s most celebrated portraits, notably his busts of Joseph Conrad, T.S Eliot, Vaughan Williams and George Bernard Shaw.

Royal Academy of Arts

Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD | 6 Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3ET

• Until 9 June 2013 - George Bellows (1882-1925): Modern American Life.  I want to see the urban landscapes but have a problem as I am not a fan of boxing.
• 25 - 28 April 2013 - The London Original Print Fair - This is the the longest-running specialist print fair in the world and it's huge. Works are for sale.
• 10 June - 18 August 2013 Summer Exhibition 2013 in the Main Galleries of Burlington House

I'm really looking forward to the Australia exhibition 21 September—8 December 2013 in the Main Galleries, Burlington House

Saatchi Gallery

Duke of York's HQ, King's Road, London SW3 4RY

• Until 28 March 2013 Breaking the Ice: Moscow Art 1960-80s
• Until 9 June 2013 Art from Russia - Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union: new art from Russia  Having read the reviews by Waldemar Januszczak and Andrew Graham Dixon it all looks a bit grim to me.  Or as AGD puts it "this is the
  bleakest of exhibitions for the bleak midwinter"

Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB

• 11 May -22 September 2013 Rory McEwen, The Colours of Reality showcases his botanical work and includes works from artists who influenced him.  This is a "must see" for the botanical artists!

Tate Britain

Millbank, London SW1P 4RG

• Until 12 May 2013 - Schwitters in Britain - I'm umming and erring on this one between thinking I ought to go and see it and not finding it very appealing based on what I've seen to date. 
• Until 2 June 2013 Looking at the View - a thematic display which looks at continuities in the way artists have framed our vision of the landscape over the last 300 years
• Until August 2013 Basic Design This display explores the role that Basic Design – a new and radical approach to training in art schools – played in revolutionising art.
• 5 June – 1 September 2013 Gary Hume Part of the internationally celebrated group of ‘Young British Artists’ that studied at London’s Goldsmiths College in the late 1980s.
• 5 June – 1 September 2013 Patrick Caulfield Tate Britain presents a survey exhibition of the celebrated British painter, Patrick Caulfield (1936–2005).
• 26 June – 20 October 2013 Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life  This is going to be a blockbuster exhibition.

Tate Modern

Bankside, London SE1 9TG

• Until 27 May 2013 Lichtenstein: A Retrospective The first full-scale retrospective of the artist in over twenty years
• 17 April – 20 October 2013 Saloua Raouda Choucair The Lebanese pioneer of abstract art

Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN Open daily from 10am - 5pm

• Until 12 May 2013 Murillo at the Wallace Collection: Painting of the Spanish Golden Age
• 20 June - 15 September 2013 The Discovery of Paris: Watercolours by Early Nineteenth-Century British Artists Focusing on the period c. 1802-40 and featuring sixty watercolours including outstanding works by Turner, Girtin and Bonington, and other artists who are now less familiar, such as Thomas Shotter Boys and William Callow.

Art Society Exhibitions

I've also included exhibitions of note by member artists on related subjects and major art competitions at these galleries.

Also included are the events and workshops associated with the Art Society Exhibitions where these are posted on websites

Bankside Gallery 

48 Hopton Street, London, SE1 9JH Open daily 11am - 6pm during exhibitions

• 10 May - 8 June 2013 - Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers - Annual Exhibition 2013 This includes work by most of the members
• 11 - 30 June 2013 An Engraver's Progress: Simon Brett, Fifty Years of Wood Engraving The exhibition will be seen later in modified form at Art Jericho, Oxford, and the Holburne Museum, Bath (Simon Brett's website: http://www.simonbrett-woodengraver.co.uk)

Mall Galleries 

The Mall, London SW1Y 5BD All exhibitions are 10:00am to 17:00pm daily unless otherwise stated

• 9 - 24 May 2013 Royal Society of Portrait Painters - Annual Open Exhibition.  The show will also feature shortlisted works from SELF, the major new art competition which pushes the boundaries of self-portraiture.
• 9 May - President’s Tour 9th May 2.30pm
• 13 May - Three Laws of Portraiture, lecture Monday 13th May 6.30pm
• 21 May (2pm) - Portrait Demonstration: Simon Davis will be working on a portrait in the gallery using his multiple photograph technique.
• 3- 8 Jane2013 The 6th Annual David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition - see 
• the Teaser Catalogue on Issuu
• Wildlife Artist of the Year 2013 - Call for Entries #1: David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation for details of what it is about.  
• 10 - 22 June 2013 Pastel Society - Annual Exhibition. (closes 2pm on final day).  The exhibition holds workshops in the gallery during the course of the exhibition. The run from 10.30am – 4.30pm and are listed below.
• 11 June - Movement and Colour Workshop - Eiko Yashimoto
• 12 June - Secrets of the Dust (Exploring the remarkable medium of pastel) - Tom Walker
• 13 June - Portrait Workshop - Caroline Bays
• 14 June - Caran d'Ache Workshop: From Sketchbook to Finished Work (with outside sketching weather permitting) - Jenny Halstead
• 15 June - Life Drawing for all abilities - Sue Relph 
• 16 June - Exploring Colour and Composition with Pastels - Felicity House
• 18 June - Cityscapes and Pastels - John Tookey 
• 19 June - Still Life with Flowers - Ann Wilkinson
• 20th June The Art Event 6pm to 8pm
• 27 June - 6 July 2013 Society of Women Artists - Annual Exhibition

Notes for Visitors to Art Exhibitions

See my websites about museums and art galleries in London

• Top 10 Art Galleries and Museums in the World in terms of the number of visitors
• The Top Ten Museums in London

Also see:

• Making A Mark - Top 30 Art Galleries and Museums in the World in 2012 (2 April 2013)
• Making A Mark - The Best Cities for Top Art Galleries and Museums (2012)
• Making A Mark - Art Exhibitions in London: March - May 2013 24 Mar 2013
• Making A Mark - 
  London Art Exhibitions - Autumn/Winter 2012 28 Nov 2012

Notes for Artists

ARTISTS & ART BLOGGERS 

(Solo or Group Exhibitions)

• Art bloggers should write to me with details and images as per How to highlight your exhibition - for artist bloggers ONLY
• Exhibitions notified to me by art galleries will only be included if I rate the work of the artist!

ART EXHIBITIONS - COMPETITIONS AND ART SOCIETIES

• major art competition exhibitions - the ones I cover are typically those which are listed in my page on Major UK Art Competitions in 2013
• major art society exhibitions Typically these are national level art societies rather than local ones.  For the UK, these include Major UK Art Society Exhibitions in 2013