Review: Royal Society of Miniature Artists, Sculptors and Gravers Annual Exhibition 2025

This week I'm visiting the Royal Society of Miniature Artists, Sculptors and Gravers (RMS) Annual Exhibition 2025 at the Bankside Gallery three times. 

• Monday night: to judge the Gold Memorial Bowl (the top award) with London art critic Tabish Khan 
• Tuesday afternoon: to attend the PV and Awards Ceremony - and meet up with artists and friends
• Sunday afternoon: to collect the artwork I bought on Monday night!

It's always a pleasure to visit this exhibition as this is an art society with some very enthusiastic members who absolutely love meeting people who like miniature art.

View of the entrance to the RMS Annual Exhibition at the Bankside Gallery

The exhibition is:

• AT: The Bankside Gallery Thames Riverside, 48 Hopton Street, London SE1 9JH
• UNTIL: Saturday 22nd November 2025
• HOURS: 11am - 6pm

I highly RECOMMEND this exhibition to

• anybody who is interested in miniature art - whether these are paintings, drawings or sculpture in a variety of media
• all those art collectors who, like me, are fast running out of space for new artwork

You can see my photographs of the artwork displayed in the cases in a dedicated album Royal Society of Miniature Painters - Annual Exhibition 2025 (58 items) on my Making A Mark Facebook Page. Taken while the glass cover was still up, these provide a reasonable view of the artwork without compromising copyright.

This year it also includes a memorial exhibit of 12 miniature paintings by the late Bill Mundy RMS HS MAA MASF who died in July this year.

Portraits by the late Bill Mundy (1936-2025)

Demonstrations

The RMS have always been excellent at providing demonstrations at their exhibitions of the materials and techniques used to produce their exquisitely small artworks. The remaining ones will be taking place between 12 and 5pm 

Thursday 20th Nov - Linda Kracht watercolour on vellum & Michael Coe watercolour on vellum
• Friday 21st Nov - Peter Hayton, watercolour on paper & Christina Hopkinson watercolour on Kelmscott vellum
• Saturday 22nd Nov - Claire Russell, Verre églomisé – gold leaf on glass & Jenny Musker VPRMS watercolour on polymin

How to paint miniature portraits - is a post is about the art materials, equipment and set-up used by an experienced miniature artist which I wrote a few years ago after watching one demonstration in an RMS Exhibition! 

The Exhibition

Things I noticed this year included the following

• there seem to be fewer landscapes - particularly those involving the countryside. Which is a pity as I am a great fan of those painted by Roz Pierson.  Maybe I could highlight that other exhibitions where I have analysed sales, I've also noted that landscapes sell extremely well as a subject!

Rembrandt, Vermeer and Reynolds at Kenwood House

I walked from Hampstead tube station and across Hampstead Heath up to Kenwood House to see the art collection yesterday. A bit of culture with a great cafe and a nice walk thrown in is my kind of ideal day out!

I haven't been to Kenwood House in years and years but my other half had visited more recently and suggested the venue for our weekly "day out".

Which is how I came to be pictured with Rembrandt - by himself!

Me - writing a Facebook post about Rembrandt and Vermeer
in the Drawing Room of Kenwood House

Kenwood House was bought by Lord Iveagh (Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh 1847-1927) to save it from development. It subsequently became a place to display his amazing art collection - which was bequeathed to the nation on his death.

This was the most generous bequest of art in history - and was conditional on it being on display in the house for free!

On the left: The Guitar Player by Vermeer
On the right: Self Portrait with Two Circles by Rembrandt

It includes:

Rembrandt’s Self-portrait with Two Circles. READ ABOUT IT

Painted in around 1665, it was first reproduced as a print in the mid 18th century and was publicly exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in1877. As a consequence it was a famous and celebrated artwork when Lord Iveagh purchased it on 10 July 1888.

Rembrandt’s Self-portrait with Two Circles

I'm the sort of visitor who always likes to get a close-up of the brush marks!

Vermeer's  The Guitar Player

"....one of only 36 known paintings by Vermeer, an artist who specialised in depicting everyday life in domestic interiors. A young girl, possibly his daughter Maria, is interrupted from her guitar playing, as the string continues to vibrate. Vermeer has seated the girl so far to the left that her arm is cropped by the edge of the painting."

The Guitar Player by Vermeer

PLUS a very large collection of paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Franz Hals, Anthony Van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, George Romney and Albert Cuyp - amongst others.

There is in fact an exhibition which focuses on all the paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds who was Lord Iveagh's favourite artist - and who is celebratig his 300th anniversary of his birth in 2023.

Some of you will remember Reynolds as the chap whose statue is in the area in front of the Royal Academy of Arts as Reynolds was the very first President of the RA (Note: I find it really very sad that the entry for Reynolds on the RA website spends MORE space and text on the "RA Collections Decolonial Research Project - Extended Case Study" than it does on Reynolds and what he did and why he was important. There is something very wrong when perspectives on the past get this distorted.)

Speaking personally, I'm not so much a fan of Reynolds. While I do not doubt his skill as a painter, I find some of his paintings very whimsical. Apparently he was nearly as bad as Turner for trying to develop new ways to paint - which cause his paintings to be something of a challenge on the conservation front.

Margaret Hyde "Daisy" Leiter (1898)

who became Margaret Howard, Countess of Suffolk

by John Singer Sargent

I very much liked the John Singer Sargent painting on the Deal Staircase of the Margaret Hyde Leiter, Countess of Suffolk who it is suggested was the sister of Mary Leitner - the role model for Lady Cora, the Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey - an American who married Lord Curzon who became Viceroy of India!

It seems there's a bit of a tradition for Americans marrying into the aristocracy!

Sales from the Artist's Estate

This is about resources for those needing to think about the disposal of art from an Estate after the death of an artist and/or art collector.

Having lost my mother recently, I'm in that rather odd phase where you become super sensitive to all mentions of death.

This morning it was the passing of Bill Turnbull - and the shock of realising he was younger than me! 

Followed by looking at the Mall Galleries website to check the dates of an exhibition - and noticing that the first thing I see is a new section of their website about sales of art from Artists Estates. 

(It's on the home page at the moment - but it's unclear which section you can find it in future as there are two possible options)

This appears to be publicising a feature/service that a small number of deceased members of the societies which make up the Federation of British Artists enjoy. It's certainly NOT including artwork by every artist who has died. Many of course will have made alternative arrangements. But there is a selection of artists whose work continues to be available online.

It occurs to me there's scope to make this into a more developed aspect of the offerings by the Mall Galleries. 

• Almost every exhibition I go to has news of between one and three artists who have died in the past year. 
• This is in part because many of the members of the various artists which make up the nine national Art Societies which form the Federation of British Artists (FBA) which runs the Mall Galleries tend to be rather old.

It's also a well known fact that many artists

• tend to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to thinking about disposal of their art after their death
• AND are not very good at making arrangements in advance for the disposal of their art after their death. Who should do it - and how it should be done. 

It's one thing to appoint Executors - as we all do - but many artists also need a specific Executor appointed to handle their art.

I've been well aware of this issue of the Art Legacy for some time. Hence a major section on my Art Business Info for Artists website which covers this topic - of which more below.....

The Art Legacy | Art Business Info for Artists

POLL: What was the best place to sell your art in 2021

I'm going to revive my monthly opinion polls in 2022. On the whole, I think they provided some very useful feedback for both professional and amateur artists and those who aspire to do more with their art - particularly in relation to the business side of art activities.

Most polls have continued in terms of 

• either charts of the results on this blog (see below) 
• or ongoing live polls on my Art Business Info. for Artists website

I'm starting the year - an the monthly polls - by reviving polling about the best place to sell art. I've run this a number of times and had interesting results each time.  

MOST PROFIT: What was the best place to sell art in 2021?

My first topic is PROFIT

• WHICH place/option - which generates sales of your art - also generates the most profit?
• the "most profit" might be due to e.g.
• LOTS of sales - even if the profit margin between income and expenses is low
• VERY LOW EXPENSES - so that all sales max out your profit
• HIGH VALUE SALES - which make you a lot of money - even if expenses are high

You can find the Poll below

Below the Poll I explain what platform I've used to generate it and anything else you might want to know

POLLS PLATFORM

My previous platform (CrowdSignal) no longer works for me, so I'm switching to Google Forms. I've just spent a lot of this afternoon learning how to use them for Polls of this sort - but may not have got it right! Do let me know if you run into any problems.

Don't worry, I've set the poll up so that no personal data (like emails) is asked for or collected. 

With any luck we should get a result which indicates the three most popular options for generating PROFIT in 2021 (i.e. income you generated for an option less the expenses associated with that particular option)

I'll also be putting this Poll on my website Art Business Info so that it can continue to collect data on the most profitable places 

You can also find the poll on this page too How to Sell Your Art

Previous Polls

Below you'll also find links to the poll results in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012

• 2014 - Most Revenue or Best Profit? What was the Best Place to sell Art in 2013?
• 2014 - POLL: Selling Art in 2014 - Is the best place for generating cash the same as the best place for making a profit?
• 2012 - 2012 Poll Results: What's the best place to sell art? (Part 1) - this reveals 4 places where (1) the most money & (2) the most profit were made from selling art in 2011/12.
• 2012 - What's the best place to sell art? Trends in selling art 2008-2012: (1) direct from the studio; (2) via third party galleries ad art societies.
• 2012 - The Best Place to Sell Art - (Part 2 More Trends Trends in selling art 2008-2012: via temporary venues and online websites.
• 2011 - What's the MAIN way you have sold art in the last 12 months? (Poll results)
• 2010 - What's the MAIN way you have sold art in the last 12 months? (Poll Results)
• 2010 - What's the best place to sell art? Trends in selling art 2008-2012: (1) direct from the studio; (2) via third party galleries ad art societies.
• 2009: MAM Poll (August) results: the MAIN way you've sold art in the last 12 months
• 2008: What's the MAIN way you sell your art? - The Results.

What's an NFT for art? Plus why artists should be wary of the latest bubble

I'm pretty sure my view about NFTs includes perspectives related to "the Emperor's New Clothes", the "South Sea Bubble", the "dot.com boom" and tulipmania.

In other words excessive speculation often leads to very big losses - of dignity, reputation or cash!

Just because something is the latest thing and there seems to be a furore about it doesn't make it any good!

So here's a quick run-down on NFTs - plus links to a list of articles on the topic as follows:

• What is an NFT
• Why are people excited about NFTs?
• Why artists should be wary of NFTs
• Recommendations for artists
  
• List of articles about NFTs - from authoritative and other sources

Screenshot of the Christies's website  - and the sale of Beeple's 5,000 images of Everydays

 

What is an NFT?

NFT stands for "non-fungible token". Let's take that apart word by word.

• "Non" means it isn't one i.e. it's not the same as a fungible token
• "token" means a voucher that can be exchanged for goods or services

Which leaves us with "fungible". 

"Fungible" means that the object or 'thing' or 'token' so described (e.g. money or gold bars or bitcoins or barrels of oil) can be replaced by the same type and quantity of 'thing' when paying a debt or settling an account. In other words 

• one gold bar is the same as another gold bar.
• one £10 note = two £5 notes
  

So that means "non-fungible" must mean that it's unique and not interchangeable. 

In other words it can't be replaced with something else of equivalence.

For example there is only one Cullinan Diamond. There are other diamonds, but there are none which have the same number of carats, the same quality of brilliance and the same cut. 

There is only one of some paintings. (i.e. while each painting is unique, some artists have muddied the waters by creating more than one or used the same title for more than one painting).

It's thought that the momentum around NFTs for art stems in part from the sharing of images without any regard to copyright or attribution - on platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest.

Maybe people thought that if sharing is for free maybe we can make some money out of this?

 

The NFT seems to have arisen in connection with digital art because unlike some other forms of art, there can - in theory - be infinite numbers of the same digital file. 

 

So there's a need for a token that says this file is the only one and/or the first one and/or one of a limited edition - whatever the artist chooses.

A non-fungible token is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. NFTs can be used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio, and other types of digital files.

Wikipedia

However, there is one big issue - which is you don't get the artwork. 

Instead, they get a unique digital token known as an NFT which records ownership of the digital artefact in a blockchain (like with bitcoins / cryptocurrency).

This part of the BBC article on this topic explains it most clearly

What's stopping people copying the digital art?

Nothing. Millions of people have seen Beeple's art that sold for $69m and the image has been copied and shared countless times.

In many cases, the artist even retains the copyright ownership of their work, so they can continue to produce and sell copies.

But the buyer of the NFT owns a "token" that proves they own the "original" work.

Some people compare it to buying an autographed print.

So there you go. You're paying out to say you own the first version. 

Why are people excited about NFTs?

 

Basically because of this  

Do you use eco-friendly packaging for transporting / shipping your art?

Have you thought about how sustainable the packaging is that you use for packing your artwork for transporting to exhibitions or shipping to clients?

Have you heard about the Plastic Packaging Tax - which will start being levied in the UK as from April 2022 - with the aim of reducing the use of single use plastic?

This post looks at:

• the background to the drive for more sustainable packaging
• the Plastic Packaging Tax
• what is packaging - from the perspective of a self-employed small business owner
• your obligations on under the waste duty of care rules?
• how to review your use of sustainable green eco-friendly packaging for your artwork
• PLUS CHECKLIST of questions to ask when thinking how to be more friendly to the planet - and marketing your art!

Background

Very many people are concerned about:

• the impact of climate change
• the extent to which single use plastic packaging is becoming a curse for the planet and its oceans 

In March 2018, the government launched a call for evidence on using the tax system or charges to tackle single-use plastic waste. This received a record 162,000 responses, highlighting the strong public interest in action in this area.

Using new plastic typically has greater environmental impact: it requires unnecessary resource extraction and processing, with higher energy use and emissions than using recycled material. It also results in significant amounts of additional plastic waste on the market, which is generally sent to landfill or incinerated. 

Plastic Packaging Tax | HM Treasury Overview

Many people who buy products are very concerned that packaging should reflect their values and avoid the destruction of the environment. 

These include people who buy art.

What is the Plastic Packaging Tax and who will be impacted?

The UK government wants to promote 

a clear economic incentive for businesses to use recycled material in the production of plastic packaging, which will create greater demand for this material and in turn stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste, diverting it away from landfill or incineration.

To do this it's introducing a Plastic Packaging Tax as from April 2022

Those affected by this tax will be:

• UK producers of plastic packaging,
• importers of plastic packaging,
• business customers of producers and importers of plastic packaging, and
• consumers who buy goods in plastic packaging in the UK.

Bottom line - if you are currently using plastic materials for your packaging, you will probably find it increases in cost next year.

Now is the time to get your packaging standards reviewed and revised!

What is packaging?

Just in case you think this is nothing to do with you as an artist.....

‘Packaging’ is any material used to hold, protect, handle, deliver and present goods. This includes packaging for raw materials right through to finished goods to be sold or being sold. For example, pallets, boxes, bags, tape for wrapping, rolls, tubes and clothes hangers sold as part of the clothing item.

GOV UK Guidance - Packaging waste: producer responsibilities

So unless you place your framed artwork in the hands of your buyer yourself - with no packaging -  you are a packaging producer!

Also, did you know that your art business (in the UK) MUST follow the waste duty of care rules?

Home Is Where The Art Is: The Copyright Artists (series 2, Episode 3)

One of the nice aspects of Home Is Where The Art Is is the opportunity to see existing art in the homes of the client art collectors - especially when you've never seen their artwork before.

So this post is about the Copyright Artists - who also get a listing in the credits at the end (see Home Is Where The Art Is (Series 2) for more on the topic of TV credits for artists.)

Specifically it's about the artwork in the home of the art collectors in Episode 3 - who like art by northern artists. (I come from the North West - and spent seven years travelling in and out of Manchester by train to go to School - hence my interest)

I don't have a clue who the art collectors are - but they've got an impressive art collection in terms of the calibre of these northern artists. Some of whom have already had a mention on this blog

The Copyright Artists

The artists are - in alphabetical order:

• Taro Chiezo
• Reg Gardner
• Russel Howarth (it's not mispelt)
• Tony Noble
• Emma Rogers
• William Selby
• Stuart Walton

All but one of them were born in the north and all still have some sort of connection with the north. Here's a bit about each of them. A link to their website (if they have one) is embedded in their name. Most have their work sold through art galleries.

Taro Chiezo (1962-present)

Taro Chiezo is a Japanese artist based in Manhattan.

Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1962, he studed art in New York.

His works include Super Lambanana, a sculpture in Liverpool, England. He's exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions all over the world and his work is in several public collections.

A small version of the Super Lambanana was seen in the show.

Super Lambanana (1998)
 Painted Concrete

A replica of the 17ft (5.2m) high Superlambanana sculpture is to be created in Liverpool after six months of negotiations saw permission given.
The popular Merseyside artwork will then go on public display for the next 80 years.
The current version was limited to a 10-year display licence and will be handed back to its creator, Japanese artist Taro Chiezo. 

Superlambanana proved popular in Liverpool last year when the Go Superlambananas Parade saw 119 scaled-down models hit the city for 10 weeks in the summer and was hailed as one of the key highlights of the Capital of Culture celebrations. The models were eventually auctioned and raised £600,000 in one night for a Lord Mayor's Charity Appeal.  BBC Merseyside 2009 

Reg Gardner (1948-present)

Reg Gardner is a British Postwar & Contemporary painter. His artwork reflects the urban landscape of the North West, capturing the homely yet industrial feelings of Manchester and Stockport

• born in Prestwich in 1948 to a working class family but spent his formative years in Ardwick.
• age 12 he won his first art competition in the Manchester Evening News. 
• At the age of 14 he won a scholarship to the HIgh School of Art in Manchester.
• He has painted professionally since his first exhibition in the Colin Jellicoe Gallery in Manchester in 1969.
• Between 1973 and 1980 he mounted several one-man shows in venues like Stockport Art Gallery, Rivington Great House, The Barbican and the National Theatre in London. 
• He sells his work through art galleries.
• His work also sells in auctions - consistently above mid-estimate

extract from Invaluable site re works sold at auction

Russel Howarth (1927-present)

Russel Howarth has perhaps been the most geographically dedicated painter in the north of England over the past century. His 70-year commitment of unwavering effort to draw and paint the Saddleworth area of Oldham must be regarded as a great artistic compulsion.

Examples of work by Russell Howarth at the Castlegate House Gallery - who have sold a lot of his work

• 1927 - born on 28 May 1927 in Glodwick, Oldham
• 1937 - moved to Waterhead, Oldham - in a house he has lived in ever since, living with his parents until they died in 1975
• 1941 - left school (age 14) and became an apprentice toolmaker 
• studied at night school to achieve various qualifications and skills. 
• after the war began working for Platt Brothers, a huge textile machinery manufacturer in Werneth. His draftsmanship and technical skills meant he worked in the drawing office
• late 1940s Russel took some evening watercolour classes
• began painting scenes of Saddleworth after work and at the weekends (he never married)
• 1951 joined The Saddleworth Group of Artists
• 1961 - became a member of the Saddleworth group of Artists
• 1980 - retired from being an engineer
• He also taught pottery for 30 years until..... 
• 1992 - retired age 65.
• 2017 Russel Howarth - Saddleworth in a Lifetime - Retrospective Exhibition - Saddleworth Museum and Gallery - 7th April - 8th May 2017
• He's still painting.....

His subject is the rugged landscape of The Pennines in general and Saddleworth in particular - for 70+ years. His artwork is painted in oils on boards - in very muted tones - using predominantly earth colours. Like LS Lowry, he maintained a full time job and painted in evenings and at weekends

For thirty years he taught art part time, and exhibited his own work with various one man shows and at numerous exhibitions, including the Royal Society of British Artists, Uppermill Gallery and Tib Lane Gallery, Manchester.

His work is now increasingly sought after.

There's an excellent account of his life in an article about him for his retrospective exhibition in 2017

I was very impressed with this painter - which is slightly odd as I usually like more colour in paintings. However his compositions are fabulous and he draws you into the landscape. I'm not of the Pennines but I know them well enough to know that he is capturing them perfectly. He may be older than my mother but his work has a contemporary edge - perhaps because of skills as a draughtsman?

Tony Noble

Tony Noble is an artist living & working in Batley, West Yorkshire. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in fine art from Loughborough College of Art. He used to work as a primary school teacher but has been a full time professional artist since 2008. 

He has an EXTREMELY impressive track record of exhibiting in national open exhibitions and art competitions - I've seen few as good - including The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2015, 2016, 2019) ; The John Moores Painting Prize Exhibition(2014); The BP Portrait Award Exhibition, The National Portrait Gallery (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013); The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Exhibition (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013); The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition (2010 (winner of The Meynell Fenton Prize), 2011, 2013, 2014); The Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize Exhibition, (2013, 2019); The Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Exhibition, ( 2011); The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition (2009, 2010, 2019) and The Royal Society of British Artists Exhibition (2011).

The couple in the episode had a LOT of this artists paintings

When I like a painter's work I always look back to see if I have identified him before as producing good work - and lo and behold there he was

Archives of British Art and Funding Opportunities at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

On trips around various art websites, I sometimes find some real goldmines of art history. Such as happened today when I came across the Archive Collections associated with British Art on the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art website

[PS The next blog post about the Summer Exhibition will be tomorrow - it's taking rather longer than I expected]

It's a bit of heaven for those who like researching British Art! Thus we have just a few examples....

Art Prizes

• Hunting Art Prize - material relating to the Hunting Art Prizes (HAP) which ran from 1981 to 2005. Spot a young looking Lord Gowrie and Daphne Todd below

Art Critics

• William Packer - relates to William Packer's work as an art critic and includes his copy for published articles of art criticism, mainly prior to editorial intervention.
• Brian Sewell (1931 - 2015) - 70 boxes - which he had organised himself (and I assume "edited")
• articles pertaining to art and the arts (boxlist 1)
• a smaller group of materials concerning his writings on any other subject matter (boxlist 2).
• material covers every other aspect of Sewell’s life, from childhood to death (boxlist 3).

Brian Sewell (1931 – 2015) was a British art historian, author, critic, and media personality. After graduating from the Courtauld Institute of Art, he worked at Christie’s (1957-1967); as an independent dealer (1967-1980), and as a journalist, most notably for the Evening Standard (1984-2015).

Art Historians

• Paul Oppé - 34 boxes of material that reflects his work as an art historian, critic, museum official and art collector

He also inaugurated the study of British drawings as a scholarly pursuit.

• Benedict Nicholson - archive comprises seventeen personal diaries, six folders of correspondence and a small amount of reference and research material.

Lionel Benedict Nicolson (1914–1978) was a British art historian and author. He was the elder son of authors Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West. He was Deputy Surveyor of the King’s Pictures (1939-1947), serving in British Army Intelligence for the duration of the Second World War. He was editor of the Burlington Magazine (1947-1978). 

• Roy Strong - 34 boxes containing research papers relating to Strong's publications and other research

Sir Roy Colin Strong (b.1935) is art historian, museum director, writer and broadcaster and landscape designer. He was Assistant Keeper (1959-1967), then Director (1967-1973) of the National Portrait Gallery and Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum (1974-1987).

Scholarship

The Centre has a Funding Programme which supports scholarship, academic research and the dissemination of knowledge in the field of British art and architectural history from the medieval period to the present. Awards are made twice a year, in Spring and Autumn.

All supported topics must have a historical perspective and all applications must demonstrate that there is a substantial element of British art and/or architectural history to their project.

The next round of funding opportunities close on the 31 January 2020! 

In this round you can apply for:

• Senior Fellowships
• Mid Career Fellowships
• Postdoctoral Fellowships
• Junior Fellowships
• Rome Fellowship
• Terra-PMC Fellowship
• Research Support Grants
• Event Support Grants

This is the Guidance for Individuals.

Where to find The Paul Mellon Centre for British Art

The Paul Mellon Centre for British Art can be found:

• Address: Paul Mellon Centre, 16 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3JA, United Kingdom
• website: https://www.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePaulMellonCentre/

Taking aim at art world patrons - Sherman, Perry and Pohida

I'm beginning to think the new theme for art in 2019 is taking aim at art world patrons.

Below I've got three short items about three separate exhibitions which each include a penetrative comment on their art world patrons.

Sherman, Perry and Powhida sounds to me as if it ought to be a firm of upmarket American art lawyers!

Cindy Sherman - portraits of rich Society Women

Over at the National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition by Cindy Sherman which has just closed included her very "near to the bone" take on the women of wealth of who become art world patrons known as the Society Portraits (2008)

This is an article which considers why she did what she did

• The truth about Cindy Sherman's society portraits
• MOMA - an audio commentary on Society Portraits

Two of the portraits of Society Women in the exhibition of Cindy Sherman at the National Portrait Gallery

Grayson Perry - Super Rich Interior Decoration

Grayson Perry is renowned for taking an anthropological approach (quasi or otherwise) to making art using a variety of media. He's also a bit like marmite and engenders love hate relationships.  The RA used to hate him until they realised the public really love him - at which point they got him to curate their 250th anniversary show!

Perry also portrays rich women as contemporary art patrons

The first new exhibition by Grayson Perry since 2012 at Victoria Miro in Mayfair includes pots, sculpture, large-scale prints, a tapestry and a carpet.

Victoria Miro website has a slideshow which shows you items in the show and explains what you see

The introduction to the exhibition comments that

During the making of the work Perry had in mind Nam June Paik’s famous quote that ‘the artist should always bite the hand that feeds him – but not too hard.’ While some of the works appear to goad the wealthiest in society, indeed the very people who might collect contemporary art, richness here might refer to a profusion of decoration and abundance of reference as much as affluence.

The exhibition has provoked some extreme reactions in the press. These are the reviews by:

• LOVE - Vogue - Grayson Perry's First Exhibition In Years Is Deliciously Provocative – And Utterly Brilliant

The title of the show came about when Perry was working on hanging the Royal Academy 2018 Summer Show, where he painted the main gallery an unexpectedly bright shade of sunshine yellow. One of “the more snarky, conservative” members of the Academy walked in “and he said to me, ‘Oh, I see what you’ve done there: interior decoration.’”
Perry was annoyed “for a millisecond, but then I was inspired. You can easily turn those snobby insults into an asset. You know, it’s like someone calling me a pseudo-intellectual. How do you tell the difference between an intellectual and a pseudo-intellectual? The pseudo-intellectual’s the one with the TV series, the book deal and the stage show.” He laughs, deliciously. “It’s bitter jealousy.”

• HATE - The Guardian - 1* from Jonathan Jones who is scathing in Grayson Perry: Super Rich Interior Decoration review – a super stupid anti-rich binge

Grayson Perry bites the hands that feed him in his new exhibition Super Rich Interior Decoration. Except he doesn’t really give them a serious wound. He just titillates wealthy fingers with a sexy nibble that makes buying his babbling ceramics, ranting wall hangings and anything-but-magical carpet feel naughty and fun for the super-rich art collectors who will shortly be rolling up for London’s Frieze art fair.

William Powhida - Complicities

William Powhida's exhibition "Complicities" is at Postmasters, 54 Franklin Street, Manhattan; 212-727-3323, postmastersart.com. in Tribeca - and of course, with impeccable timing - closes a very few hours before I arrive in New York! (Just like MOMA reopens the day after I leave!)

Powhida is an artist renowned for using art for social commentary. 

His latest works offer a broad indictment of the art world and key figures in it - specifically the Sacklers.

Reviews to date can be foundin:

• The Art Newspaper - Three exhibitions to see in New York this weekend - From the LMCC’s Art Center inaugural season to William Powhida’s watercolour memes

William Powhida’s first solo show with the gallery in five years, Complicities, contemplates the nuanced and sometimes insidious networks of influence that undergird museum politics in our neoliberal age.

• artnet news: William Powhida’s First Gallery Show in Years Is Taking Aim at Problematic Art World Patrons—and It Turns Out All Of Us Are Complicit

DO TAKE A LOOK at the image of the Sacklers on artnet. 

The Sacklers' Family Tree unpicks the who's who in the Sackler world and their perspective on and relationship to the Opioid Crisis and various other scandals. It also has a very useful zoom tool at the bottom which means you can actually study it. Absolutely fascinating.

The Sackler name is of course the one which is being removed from art galleries around the world - or changed to make it very clear that the portals of the RA are now endowed with the "Jillian and Arthur M Sackler Galleries" (i.e. the non-Oxycontin side of the family!)

The New York Times comments

the stars of the show: seven chart-paintings that map out such subjects as the family tree of the Sacklers, whose pharmaceutical company helped fuel the opioid epidemic, and decades of neoliberal economic and legislative policies under the last six United States presidents. There are fewer quips in these artworks than dense layers of information tracing an inordinately complex web of capital, culture and corruption. Spend time with them. The more you do, the more implicated and motivated you may become.

 A new trend? 

If I see yet more exhibitions taking pot shots at art collectors in the near future I shouldn't be in the least bit surprised!

Although there is a considerable irony in the fact that only the very rich artist can afford to prod and poke and laugh at the very rich art collector - unless they've made a career of it as Powhida has done!

A gem of an art collection and maybe a Titian?

This morning I went to see a painting and found an extremely impressive art collection as well.  You can see both at Apsley House and the permanent collection - like those at the Wallace Collection and the Courtauld - is an absolute gem.

A painting from the Titian Workshop

The painting is called Orpheus enchanting the animals. It celebrates the civilizing power of music and its capacity to create peace. English Heritage have been working on its conservation for the last 18 months - and they are now confident of attributing the painting to the workshop of Titian (1490-1576).

Orpheus Enchanting the Animals AFTER TREATMENT
(c) English Heritage, The Wellington Collection, Apsley House

The ancient Greek god and poet Orpheus is seen charming the animals by playing the a Lira di Bracchia which was a four stringed instrument popular in the 1560’s in Venice when the painting was made. His music has united the Lion and the Unicorn who are traditional foes.

There are a lot of animals in the painting - everything from iguanas and turtle doves to dragons, dogs and tortoises!

Orpheus hanging on the wall of the Waterloo Gallery

In 2018 the decision was made to conserve Orpheus Enchanting the Animals. The conservation involved:

• removal of the old, yellowed varnish with swabs dipped in solvent mixtures. 
• a specialist liner relined the painting as the old lining canvas was failing. 
• old damages filled with chalk putty and retouched with easily removable, synthetic pigments which will not discolour like oil paint does
• finally the painting was revarnished. 

Conservator Alice Tate-Harte restores 'Orpheus Enchanting the Animals'  
Working on the Conservation
(English Heritage | Apsley House)

The quality of the figure can now clearly be seen as the removal of dirty varnish revealed some subtlety in the shading and modelling of the figure.

New art historical research also found

• An old inventory number was discovered on the back which linked it to the Spanish Royal Collection. This placed the painting in the Duke of Infantado’s collection in Spain from 1601 (meaning that its previous attribution to an artist called Padovanino is now unsustainable since he was only 13 when this was written!)
• infrared examination of the work revealed an underdrawing - but also pentimento (significant changes between the underdrawing and the final painting). 

Some experts now believe that, at the very least, the figure and the red cloth are of sufficient quality to be painted by Titian himself.

The question of attribution is so tricky but by looking at technical and historical evidence we were able to pin it down at least to Titian’s workshop, although the process in Titian’s studio was very collaborative and Titian may well have done some of the underpainting or added some finishing touches. It is now over to connoisseurs of Titian to decide. Alice Tate-Harte, Fine Art Conservator, English Heritage 

The Apsley House Collection

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND art fans visit the art collection hung on the walls of this very prominent house. I had no idea that Apsley House has what is called the "the Spanish Gift".

These are 82 paintings which were removed from the Spanish Royal Collection by Napoleon and then rescued from Napoleon by the Duke of Wellington who tried to return them to the Spanish King.

King Ferdinand VII however considered that the Duke of Wellington had rescued Spain from the imperial ambitions of Napoleon and he was gifted the paintings - which became known as "The Spanish Gift".  They now form the core of the permanent art collection of Apsley House

This important collection of fine art, includes paintings by Velazquez, Goya, Titian, Rubens, Brueghel, Jan Steen, Sir Thomas Lawrence alongside an absolutely outstanding display of porcelain and silver (I thought it more posh than Buckingham Palace!). 

I came away with the impression of a house which has an outstanding art collection.

The Waterseller of Seville by Diego Velaquez

Entering the Ark by Jan Brueghel the Elder

Danae by Diego Velaquez

See Wellington's Titians revealed to be the real deal which talks about the conservation work done on this painting which proved that this is the painting which Velaquez sold direct to the Spanish King Philip II.

Apsley House

Apsley House is located at Hyde Park corner was purchased in 1817 by the 1st Duke of Wellington after his victory at Waterloo. 

As the victor of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, he had been voted £700,000 by Parliament to build a new ‘Waterloo Palace’. Instead of embarking on a new building, however, he submitted an anonymous bid to buy Apsley House (from his elder brother) for £40,000 to help resolve his brother’s financial difficulties.

The house became known as ‘Number 1 London’ although more conventionally it's located 149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, London, W1J 7NT. It is open Wednesday-Sunday from April until 22 December.

You can read more about on the Apsley House website about

• the history of the house
• the collection

The Art of Collecting at the Mall Galleries

'The Art of Collecting' at the Mall Galleries

The Art of Collecting opens at the Mall Galleries tomorrow (until 6th July). It comprises displays of selected works from four different and important private art collections in the UK - plus it has a room devoted to paintings by important women artists in those four collections.

The Fleming Collection 

This year the Fleming Collection is celebrating 50 years of collecting Scottish art from the seventeenth century to the present day; including many of the greatest names in Scottish art. The collection is now owned by the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation which pursues a "museum without walls" strategy

• to initiate exhibitions of Scottish art outside Scotland
• to promote and understanding and awareness of Scottish art through various activities

Part of the Fleming Collection on display - including a painting by Joan Eardley

The Jerwood Collection 

The Jerwood Collection is currently celebrating 25 years since the purchase of its first work. It promotes the public display of this private collection of British Art from the 20th and 21st centuries through a number of initiatives including exhibitions

The Ingram Collection 

The Ingram Collection is the youngest Collection. It was begun in 2002 by Chris Ingram, a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist.  The Collection has over 600 works of Modern British Art and aims to provide opportunities to be inspired by art. It's generally recognised as the biggest privately owned publicly accessible collection of Modern British Art in the country.

part of the Ingram Collection of Modern British Art on display

(left) paintings by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
(right) Ingram Collection - including paintings by Maggie Hambling and Cedric Morris

The Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust 

This is a trust related to just one artist, who was a leading member of the St Ives Group, and was established in 1987. The Trust was set up to maintain her legacy and promote her achievements after her death.

On Friday 29th June, there is also an event An Introduction to Artist Legacy Planning

Art lawyers, tax lawyers, artist estate representatives and others discussing everything from artist resale rights, copyright, collection inventories, will making to different models of artist trusts and foundations

Importantly, the exhibition also forms part of the Mayfair Art Weekend (29 June – 1 July 2018) which embraces all the major independent art galleries and institutions in the Mayfair area which has a Facebook Page, Instagram account and Twitter account

I attended a preview last night and took a few photographs. It was fascinating to see some of the galleries used in different ways and containing the type of artwork not normally seen in the galleries. It's also an opportunity to see amazing paintings by some artists who are not often seen in London.

Big paintings in the North Galleries looked extremely good
- part of the Jerwood Collection of paintings by past prizewinners

Women Artists in the Threadneedle Space

This part of the exhibition contains paintings by women from all four collections - including Rose Wylie, Aleah Chapin, Alison Watt, Chantal Joffe and Anne Redpath plus smaller paintings by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.

It was great to see a painting by Aleah Chapin again (see my interview with Aleah Chapin). You can see an interview between Chris ingram and Aleah Chapin after her first exhibition at the Flowers Gallery in London below.

(Left) The Tempest by Aleah Chapin - painted the year after she won the BP Portrait Award 2012
(right) a work by Rose Wylie

I also adore paintings by Alison Watt and was pleased to be introduced to the paintings of Anne Redpath.

(left) Window in Menton by Anne Redpath RSA ARA (right) The Bathers by Alison Watt OBE FRSE RSA 

The collector interviews the artist

The exhibition is in all three galleries of the Mall Galleries until 6 July 2018. Admission is free.  The bookshop has a number of relevant publications related to both collections and the artists in them.

Gender bias in Government Art Collection?

Is there a gender bias in the Government's Art Collection in terms of the percentage acquisition of artwork by male artists?

The Guardian today accuses the government of having a very marked gender bias in terms of recent acquisitions

Here's the accusations (as alleged/reported in The Guardian)

In 'Institutional' male bias in government's art collection, says Labour

• 265 works by men and just 80 by women were collected over the last five years for which data is available, between 2011-2012 and 2015-2016
• more than 70% of works acquired during the period were by male artists - even after bulk acquisitions of work by male artists are excluded
• re. works purchased (rather than donated) between 2011/12 to 2015/16, more than 70% were created by male artists and 27% by female artists, with the rest unknown or made collectively by studios.
• the government’s art collection was 'not setting the right example.'

This issue is gathering pace. The Guardian also commented on it last year.

Guardian research showed last year a strong gender imbalance in works displayed in commercial and public galleries. Female artists account for just 4% of the National Gallery of Scotland’s collection; 20% of the Whitworth Manchester’s and 35% of Tate Modern’s collections. Only 33% of the artists representing Britain at the Venice Biennale over the past decade have been women.

Looking for some leadership within the ranks.....

Frances Morris, the director of Tate Modern, who has said its permanent collection representing 335 female artists compared with 959 male artists is “just not good enough”, would not comment on the government art collection or its acquisitions policies.

Here's the links to the reports on recent acquisitions

Below are links to the reports where you can read the names of the artists whose work has been bought by the Government

GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions Lists (Adobe Acrobat PDF format.)

• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2015-2016 (PDF 1.3mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2014-2015 (PDF 1.8mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2013-2014 (PDF 1.4mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2012-2013 (PDF 2.2mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2011-2012 (PDF 1.9mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2010-2011 (PDF 1.4mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2009-2010 (PDF 1.2mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2008-2009 (PDF 1.5mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2007-2008 (PDF 1.1mb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2006-2007 (PDF 861kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2005-2006 (PDF 937kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2004-2005 (PDF 196kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2003-2004 (PDF 111kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2002-2003 (PDF 240kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2001-2002 (PDF 165kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 2000-2001 (PDF 225kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 1999-2000 (PDF 260kb)
• GAC Annual Report and Acquisitions List 1997-1999 (PDF 261kb)

The official DCMS Comment

Add caption

A DCMS spokesperson said: 

“The government art collection is a strong supporter of women artists. Almost half the artists that had work purchased by the GAC [Government Art Collection] between 2011 and 2016 were women, and it will continue to promote a diverse range of British artists that have a strong connection with our country.”

So obviously people are reading different reports, or comparing apples and pears or can't add up.

Or are we talking about one figure (The Guardian) relating to ARTWORKS and another (DCMS) relating to ARTISTS?

So it looks like it's "apples and pears".

The distinction between purchases and donations

Certainly the report suggests a number are donations.

That's because being able to say your work is included in a government collection enables you to hike your prices to the ordinary art collector - because you now have added 'street cred.'
I like to think - but don't know - that the acquisition process includes a means of vetting whether the artist and the artwork are any good.

Otherwise one might suspect artists of getting rid of artwork that won't sell...

Or it is taking up space needed for other artwork.

What's also needed is transparency over the cost of acquisition

In the spirit of transparency which applies to ALL contractual transactions and ALL salaries over a certain amount in the public sector, we should also be able to monitor the amount spent on artworks and artists by gender.

The sums spent are in the listings - but nobody is totting them up.

Also the values of artwork transferred from HMRC in payment of death duties is NOT currently stated

Just to be fair to everybody - and accountable to the punters who pay the taxes which buys the art I think the GAC could go the extra mile....

The Solution

The solution is:

• the government acquisition's policy needs to be explicit as to gender issues
• the GAC Reports need to be explicit as to:
• number and percentage of ARTWORKS acquired - re gender
• number and percentage of ARTISTS whose work was bought - re. gender
• numbers and percentages re. purchases and donations
• the value and percentage of SPEND - by gender (including the transfer values with respect to artist's estates)

ALL publicly funded services ought to be accountable based on 

• the same standards applicable to the expenditure of public money elsewhere and 
• the conduct of public services.

REFERENCE: Previous posts

• The Government Art Collection
• Art of the state - and the state of the art
• Your Paintings