The James McNeill Whistler exhibition at Tate Britain is big, probably a bit too big, but it's packed with beautiful pictures and it's not in the least bit boring. That's not surprising as Whistler led a colourful life, never shying from controversy and confrontation -- notably pursuing a high-profile libel case against John Ruskin -- and he produced art that was groundbreaking, hugely influential and enormously atmospheric. Including, of course, probably one of the most recognisable paintings in art history, that of his mother in profile, dressed in black. It's in this show, and we'll be taking a look at it shortly. But we start in Whistler's studio, where the artist has painted himself at work, palette and brush in his hands, and looking out directly at us, the viewers. This is the first picture you see in the show, and we're told that for Whistler, the studio was a place for public performance, as well as making art. So here he is, making a statemen...
A show of paintings by Indian artists for their English rulers during the 100 years or so that the East India Company ran the subcontinent in the late 18th and 19th century. Sounds quite interesting from a historical point of view, we thought, but maybe not that enthralling. Forgotten Masters at the Wallace Collection in London exceeded our expectations by a mile. It's an absolutely fascinating exhibition, entertainingly and beautifully presented (it's curated by William Dalrymple, the historian and author of many books on South Asia), and with some stunning works of art by painters you're unlikely ever to have heard of -- Bhawani Das, Sita Ram, Yellapah. Many of these pictures, it seems, were in albums locked away in drawers and cupboards for decades. They combine the Indian tradition of painting using stone-based pigments mixed in shells with scientific European innovation in areas such as natural history and architecture, and the use of Western watercolours. ...