Art in London is abundant. This Spring, check out the best exhibitions London’s art scene has to offer. Pick between art, photography and museum exhibits.
Art
1. Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse at The Royal Academy of Arts
Starting with Monet, the exhibition shows the garden’s role in art evolution. From the mid-19th century to the early 20th, see how the modern garden came to be. Prepare to enjoy influential pieces from Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Avant-Garde artists, among the 120 plus paintings. (Image: Auguste Renoir, from RA.)
2. Nikolai Astrup: Painting Norway at Dulwich Picture Gallery
Astrup takes rugged Norwegian landscapes and shows them off as fairytale lands. Lakes, a farmstead and the changing seasons all show Norway as a majestic region with luscious colors and textures in Astrup’s paintings. You can also enjoy his digital display, Forest Folk. (Image: Nikolai Astrup, from Dulwich Picture Gallery.)
3. Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art at the National Gallery
Delacroix changed French painting in the 19th century by mastering the craft and inspiring what we now call modern art. Delacroix’s original pieces were inspired by literature and travels. He impacted the styles of many great artists like Matisse and Van Gogh. (Image: Delacroix,
Photography
4. Masahisa Fukase: Solitude of Ravens at the Michael Hoppen Gallery
Ravens was made in the wake of Fukase’s divorce. In Japan, ravens are a common sight, yet they represent solitude. The ravens featured in this eerie collection are representing human beings and the photographer alike. (Image: Masahisa Fukase, Michael Hoppen Gallery.)
5. Vogue 100, A Century of Style at the National Portrait Gallery
British Vogue has been commissioning photography since its founding in 1916. From the archive and international collections, more than 280 prints will be shown as part of the influential magazine’s hundredth anniversary year. (Image: Patrick Demarchelier, National Portrait Gallery.)
6. Julia Margaret Cameron: Influence and Intimacy at the Science Museum
Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Julia Margaret Cameron’s birth, the Herschel Album will be on display. Cameron gathered her finest work as a gift to Sir John Herschel, her friend and mentor. In addition to her portraits, other objects will be displayed in the exhibition. (Image: Julia Margaret Cameron, Science Museum.)
Museum
7. Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Genius at the Science Museum
Thirty-nine models of da Vinci’s famous flying machines, crazy contraptions and even weapons will be exhibited. Reproductions of his famous drawings will be displayed in large-scale. He is famous for his art, but see him as a genius engineer. (Image: Science Museum.)
8. Tibet’s Secret Temple at the Wellcome Collection in Bloomsbury
Tibet’s Dalai Lamas had a private meditation chamber in Lhasa’s Lukhang Temple. The chamber contained 17th century murals that inspired the exhibition. More than 120 items from paintings to ritual artifacts will be displayed alongside three digitally recreated murals. (Image: Wellcome Collection.)
9. Creation from Catastrophe – How Architecture Rebuilds Communities at RIBA
Many cities and communities have been razed to the ground. This has given architecture a unique opportunity to rebuild from a fresh slate. See five plans for London after the Great Fire of 1666, then Lisbon, Chicago, Skopje, Nepal, Japan, Chile and Pakistan through the centuries. (Image: Archtitecture.com.)