RA Festival of Ideas at the Royal Academy from 2nd to 6th May 2019
The RA Festival of Ideas returns to the Royal Academy of Arts which brings together a variety of fascinating people in art, literature, film, design, dance and music for five days of discussion, debate and creative thinking in the Royal Academy’s Benjamin West Lecture Theatre.
The festival is rooted in the Royal Academy’s heritage of rigorous debate and will explore culture, creativity and critical thinking through a series of interviews, conversations and panel discussions, as well as classes in the RA’s historic Life Room.
Thursday 2 May
Grayson Perry RA, one of Britain’s best-known contemporary artists, talks art, sex and creativity with psychotherapist Philippa Perry. Chaired by Tim Marlow, Artistic Director, Royal Academy of Arts. Accompanied by British Sign Language interpretation. (7pm)
Friday 3 May
Award-winning director Ken Loach talks to writer and critic Francine Stock about his 50-year career in film and the reactions his work has provoked, particularly in Britain. (12:30pm)
World renowned designer Sir Paul Smith discusses how the world constantly inspires him, leading him to look for ideas in everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. (2.30pm)
Recently appointed Artistic Director of the Young Vic theatre, Kwame Kwei-Armah talks to writer and broadcaster Sarah Crompton about his lifelong passion for theatre and the joys and challenges of opening it up to wider audiences. (6.30pm)
Having composed his first song at the age of 9, Neil Tennant, the singing half of Pet Shop Boys speaks to BBC Radio 4 presenter John Wilson about pop, poetry and the art of song writing. (8.30pm)
Saturday 4 May
In Rewriting the past: Sarah Dunant and Kate Mosse, two of the UK’s best-selling historical novelists, talk to the writer and broadcaster Alex Clark about their different approaches to exploring the past, and what the genre can reveal that eludes historians. Accompanied by British Sign Language and Stagetext interpretation. (1.30pm)
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the RA Schools, Life drawing at the RA invites participants to follow in the footsteps of generations of artists in a life drawing class in the RA’s historic Life Room, led by an expert tutor. (2.30pm)
Posy Simmonds, one of the UK’s most famous female cartoonist, reveals her penchant for difficult and dangerous women and why she loves poking fun at the middle classes. In conversation with journalist Claire Armitstead. (3.30pm)
The Turner prize nominated artists, identical twin sisters Jane and Louise Wilson RA discuss their fascination with politics, surveillance and conflict and the challenges of working together. Chaired by the Artistic Director of the RA, Tim Marlow. (5.30pm)
Sunday 5 May
In a provocative lecture entitled How the education system is crushing creativity, author, poet and broadcaster Michael Rosen argues that the education system is strangling the arts. Accompanied by British Sign Language and Stagetext interpretation. (12.30pm)
The British-Turkish novelist Elif Shafak, author of The Bastard of Istanbul and Three Daughters of Eve, talks to BBC presenter Razia Iqbal about gender, politics and identity in her work. (2.30pm)
Future of Feminism: Yomi Adegoke, Laura Bates, Candice Carty-Williams and Natalie Hayne presents a panel discussion with four leading feminists looking at what it means to be a woman in 2019, the era of Trump and #MeToo, and how they see the future of feminism. Chaired by the author and broadcaster Bidisha. (4.30pm)
Monday 6 May
Poet, playwright, broadcaster and educator Lemn Sissay MBE talks to writer and critic Alex Clark about how poetry saved his life and why language has the power to transform society. (11am)
Clio Barnard, the award-winning film maker behind The Arbor, talks to writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet about the social and political inspiration behind her work. (1pm)
Hofesh Shechter, the internationally-acclaimed dancer, choreographer and composer, reflects on how it feels to be an artist in a highly politicised world, with writer and broadcaster Sarah Crompton. (3pm)
Having made seven films about lesser-known artists for the BBC, Michael Palin, the award-winning actor, writer, comedian and presenter speaks to broadcaster Martha Kearney about falling in love with painting and why he thinks it works so well on the small screen. (5.30pm)
Family Events
Friday 3 May
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, one of Britain’s best-loved children’s authors, reveals the secrets behind creating her most memorable characters and why she’ll never stop writing, in conversation with BBC Arts Correspondent Rebecca Jones. (4.30pm)
Saturday 4 May
In The art of children’s illustration, talented storytellers and illustrators Cressida Cowell and Chris Riddell discuss the art of marrying words and pictures and treat audiences to live drawing on stage. (11am)
In the workshop How to train your dragon, audiences are invited to draw real life chameleons, geckos and bearded dragon lizards, inspired by the fantastical worlds of Chris Riddell and Cressida Cowell, led by Wild Life Drawing. (12.30pm and 3.15pm)
Sunday 5 May
In Designing a best-selling children’s book, author, illustrator and Waterstones Children’s Laureate Lauren Child and designer David Mackintosh reveal how they go about forming their popular creations. (10.30am)
A Family illustration workshop explores the art of illustration, as visitors learn about the techniques of Lauren Child and David Mackintosh, the team who bring Charlie and Lola to life, led by illustrator and educator Julie Vermeille. (12pm and 2.30pm)
Monday 6 May
Professional comic book artist Kev F. Sutherland, who writes and draws for The Beano, Doctor Who and Marvel comics, leads a Comic Art Masterclass, where participants can make a comic of their own (10am and 1.30pm)
For more information and tickets, visit the Royal Academy website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Hidden London : Statue of Charles I at Charing Cross
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Thousands of visitors to London make their way to Trafalgar Square to enjoy the public space, but very few will notice the statue on a small island before Trafalgar Square. Many would be surprised that the location of the statue is one of the most important in London being for centuries the official centre of London and being the place that all distances from London are measured. The location and the statue have a long and fascinating history which is often overlooked by Londoners and visitors.
The small traffic island on which the statue stands was the site of Charing Cross which was where Edward I in the 13th century erected the most elaborate of the Eleanor crosses which marked the funeral route of Eleanor, the Queen of Edward I who died in 1290 in Lincoln. The embalmed body of the Queen travelled from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey, where her body was laid to rest. Along the route were erected a series of twelve crosses that indicating the different stages of the journey.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The cross at Charing was by far the most expensive and elaborate of the twelve being the closest to Westminster. Eleanor’s Cross in Charing stood in the same spot for three and a half centuries until 1647. Although the original cross disappeared, in 1863, a replica of the ancient cross was erected in the courtyard of Charing Cross station, about 200 yards from the original site.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The equestrian statue of Charles I at Charing Cross, London is by the French sculptor Hubert Le Sueur and was probably cast in 1633. It is considered the first Renaissance-style equestrian statue in England and was commissioned by Charles’s Lord High Treasurer Richard Weston for the garden of his country house in Roehampton.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
However the English Civil War put these plans to one side and when Charles I was executed at Whitehall in 1649, the statue was sold to a metalsmith to be broken down. The metalsmith named John Rivet from Holborn received instructions from Parliament to break down the statue, he produced some broken pieces of brass as evidence that he had followed these orders and even sold pieces of cutlery, which he claimed was made from the remains of the statue.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
But for whatever reason and it was a dangerous course of action, Rivet buried the statue intact on his premises. After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the statue was purchased by the King Charles II and in 1675 was placed in its current location. A pedestal was made of Portland stone with a carved coat of arms for the statue by Joshua Marshall, mason to Charles II.
The site has been used for less noble purposes, after the Restoration, eight people involved in Charles I’s death were executed on the spot and in the 18th century, a pillory, was set close by the statue. An etching by Thomas Rowlandson from 1809 shows the scene of the pillory with the person in the stocks surrounded by a large crowd.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
So if you are looking for the centre of London, make your way to the statue and the site which is now dwarfed by Trafalgar Square but for centuries was one of the most important places in London.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Exhibition Review : Van Gogh and Britain at Tate Britain from 27 March to 11 August 2019
Tate Britain presents a major exhibition about Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). The exhibition entitled Van Gogh and Britain explores Van Gogh’s relationship with British art, literature and culture and how Van Gogh’s work inspired British artists like Walter Sickert, Frank Brangwyn, Matthew Smith, Jacob Epstein, David Bomberg and Francis Bacon.
The exhibition includes over 45 works by the artist from public and private collections around the world which is the largest group of Van Gogh paintings shown in the UK for nearly a decade. Van Gogh and Britain is the first exhibition of the artist’s work at Tate in over 70 years, when a blockbuster show in 1947 attracted record-breaking crowds. The exhibition was a phenomenon in London and went on to tour to Birmingham and Glasgow.
Some of the highlights include Self-Portrait 1889, L’Arlésienne 1890, Starry Night on the Rhône 1888, Shoes 1886 and the rarely loaned Sunflowers 1888 from the National Gallery in London. The exhibition also features late works including two painted by Van Gogh in the Saint-Paul asylum, At Eternity’s Gate 1890 and Prisoners Exercising 1890.
Van Gogh spent time in London between 1873 and 1876 and explored British culture during his stay. He admired works by John Constable and John Everett Millais and enjoyed British writers like William Shakespeare, Christina Rossetti and especially Charles Dickens. Despite this influence, his only image of London is the remarkable Prisoners Exercising, from Gustave Doré’s print of Newgate Prison.
The period in London was to influence Van Gogh in other way, his unrequited love for this landlady’s daughter led to change of character from relatively carefree to someone obsessed with religion. Dore’s work and Dickens played a major role in his development as an artist especially regarding subject matter. He wrote that ‘My whole life is aimed at making the things from everyday life that Dickens describes and these artists draw’.
The self portraits created during the 1880s show a man driven to capture the world around him with landscapes like Wheatfield Arles 1888, Autumn Landscape at Dusk Nuenen 1885, Avenue of Poplars in Autumn Nuenen 1884 and Olive Trees, St Remy 1889.
He also began to paint workers including Miners in the Snow Cuesmes 1880 and Loom with Weaver Nuenen 1884.
The Sorrowing old man 1890 gives some indication of the time when Van Gogh is descending into mental illness and ultimately his suicide.
Although Van Gogh died in relative obscurity, the Van Gogh exhibition of 1947 began to illustrate that people and artists attitudes were changing. The art works brightened up post war Britain when people were looking for a new beginning after the tragedy of the war. Modern British artists like Matthew Smith, Christopher Wood and David Bomberg saw new possibilities with their art and Francis Bacon saw himself like Van Gogh, the embattled, misunderstood artist, an art outsider.
This fascinating exhibition is a reminder of the often cruel twist of fate that befall artists. Van Gogh commits suicide because of his lack of success and recognition. Over 100 years later, Van Gogh is one of the most famous artists in the world and his paintings sell for millions. This exhibition provides the opportunity to understand the role that Britain played in that transformation. The influence of Dore and Dickens were considerable but it is the remarkable intensity and dynamism of some of the paintings that generally appeal to a modern audience. The exhibition of 1947 was a turning point for the appreciation of Van Gogh in the UK, this exhibition confirms his status as one of the great artists.
Visiting London Guide Rating – Highly Recommended
For more information or to book tickets, visit the Tate Britain website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review: Superstars of Gymnastics at the O2 Arena – 23 March 2019
Photo – Jamie McPhilimey/Matchroom Multi Sport
Gymnastics has enjoyed a massive growth in the UK since the London 2012 Olympics and British gymnastic success in the Rio 2016 Olympics. Therefore it was not surprising that large crowds made their way to the O2 Arena for the Superstars of Gymnastics event.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Two of the major attractions of the event was the American superstar Simone Biles and British Olympic hero Max Whitlock. They were joined by Rio gold medalist Fabian Hambüchen of Germany, triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ellie Black of Canada, double Olympic silver medallist Marcel Nguyen, three-time World Champion Oksana Chusovitine, four-time World Cup medallist Elisabeth Seitz, six-time Dutch national champion Casimir Schmidt and Jamaican international Danusia Francis.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
British favourites, James Hall, Danny Purvis, Dom Cunningham, Courtney Tulloch, Sam Oldham, Jay Thompson and Halle Hilton were also among the competitors.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Unlike the usual gymnastic events, Superstars of Gymnastics includes a series of innovations that increases the excitement for the gymnasts and the audience. Routines will be judged by the all-star panel, who will also provide feedback. Each apparatus will have its own leaderboard with a winner per piece to be determined by the highest combined score. Athletes will have the freedom to devise and perform their own routines and judges will score out of 10 based on flair, creative choreography, execution and engagement with the live crowd at The O2.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
To get the event started, Simone Biles showed her considerable skills on the floor. Biles is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time with a remarkable total of twenty five Olympic and World Championship medals. Although only 22, Biles has recently said that the Tokyo 2020 will be her final Olympics and the huge ovation by the O2 crowd when she entered the arena was testament of the high esteem she is held in the world of sport and beyond.
Photo – Jamie McPhilimey/Matchroom Multi Sport
Biles and Whitlock were not competing with other gymnasts but put on special performances in the afternoon and evening sessions before joining Amy Tinkler and Laurent Landi on the judging panel.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Away from the pressures of high level competition, the gymnasts soon entered the spirit of the event and enjoyed the freedom to perform anything they want to enthuse the crowd.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The combination of legends and upcoming gymnasts provided a great blend of experience and youthful exuberance, both enjoyed by loud and knowledgeable crowd.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The crowd was treated to some unusual dancing on the top of the parallel bars and Danusia Francis provided a remarkable display above and below the beam.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The Superstars of Gymnastics showcases the stars of the sport in a fun and innovative way, the large number of young people in the audience were encouraged to sing, dance and interact with the gymnasts. This created an enjoyable atmosphere where the gymnasts tried a few unorthodox moves which delighted the audience. With many sports struggling to attract a young audience, gymnastics seem to have found a winning formula with serious competitions and fun events like Superstars of Gymnastics.
Visiting London Guide Rating – Highly Recommended
For more information , visit the Event website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review: The London Landmarks Half Marathon 2019
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
A month before the London Marathon, runners had the opportunity of racing around the capital’s streets with the second London Landmarks Half Marathon organised by baby charity Tommy’s.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
A warm spring morning bought out around 13,000 runners and an estimated 50,000 spectators on the 13-mile course that runs through the heart of London.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The route passes 12 key landmarks and numerous other places of interest including Nelson’s Column, Big Ben, the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, Bank of England and the Tower of London. Runners start at Pall Mall, before ending up at Downing Street in Whitehall to collect their coveted medals.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Alongside the many thousands of runners, a number of celebrities will also be attempting the 13.1 mile course, including Call the Midwife actress Jennifer Kirby, TV presenter Jenni Falconer, Radio 1 broadcaster Cel Spellman and Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
To keep the runners and spectators entertained there are lots of cheer stations featuring choirs, bands, dance acts and DJs.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Like the London Marathon, many of the runners are running for a variety of charities and last year the inurgral event raised over 4 million pounds.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The London Landmarks Half Marathon is already a firm favourite with runners, many who will be returning at the end of April to take on the London Marathon.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
‘Lost’ Portrait of Charles Dickens goes on display at the Charles Dickens Museum – 2 to 7 April 2019
A recently discovered portrait of Charles Dickens by Margaret Gillies is to be displayed at the Charles Dickens Museum. The ‘lost portrait’ of Charles Dickens was discovered in an auction of household goods in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 2017. Last year, the painting arrived at the Philip Mould & Co Gallery in London and, following conservation and provenance research, was confirmed to be the portrait of Charles Dickens painted by Margaret Gillies over six sittings in 1843, when Dickens was 31 years old and writing A Christmas Carol.
Gillies’ portrait was exhibited at the 1844 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and quickly became the defining image of Dickens. On seeing the portrait, the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning said it “has the dust and mud of humanity about him, notwithstanding those eagle eyes”. However, in 1886, Gillies noted that she had ‘lost sight of the portrait itself’. It remained lost until the South African auction and undisplayed until its unveiling at Mould & Co last year.
The Museum is campaigning to raise the funds to secure the future of the painting and bring it permanently to Doughty Street. It has already raised £65,000 of the £180,000 needed to purchase the portrait.
Address: Charles Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LX
For more information or to book tickets, visit the Charles Dickens Museum website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Phaedra at the Royal Opera House – 15th to 20th May 2019
© ROH, 2019. Image by AKA.
The Royal Opera House will present Henze’s final opera Phaedra in the Linbury Theatre in May 2019. The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists will be taking the main parts and the opera will be directed by Noa Naamat and conducted by Edmund Whitehead.
Phaedra had its world premiere in 2007 re-imagines the Classical myth of Phaedra and her stepson Hippolytus (Hippolyt) placing them at the centre of the action. Phaedra’s desire for Hippolyt fills her with self-loathing and she attempts suicide. Aphrodite stops her. She is jealous of Hippolyt’s loyalty to the goddess Artemis and takes revenge by inciting Phaedra to action. What follows is a complex tale of love and betrayal tied up with myth and legend.
Chinese mezzo-soprano Hongni Wu sings the title role, alongside American soprano Jacquelyn Stucker as Aphrodite, American countertenor Patrick Terry as Artemis, Scottish-Iranian bass-baritone Michael Mofidian as the Minotaur and New Zealand tenor Filipe Manu as Hippolyt, in his Royal Opera debut.
The production features work by international performance designer takis and atmospheric lighting design by 2019 Olivier Award nominee Lee Curran.
Phaedra opens at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre on 15 May 2019, with subsequent performances on 16, 18 and 20 May 2019.
Sung in German with English surtitles
For more information and tickets , visit the Royal Opera House website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Great London Sculptures : Goodman’s Fields Horses by Hamish Mackie
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Many of the sculptures in London provide some insight into the history of the capital, even modern pieces of art often pay tribute to the past. An illustration of this point is the six bronze horse sculptures by Hamish Mackie in Goodman’s Fields near Aldgate.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Goodman’s Field has a fascinating history, famous London historian, John Stow provides some insight of the area in his Survey of London which was published in 1598.
Near adjoining to this abbey, on the south side thereof, was sometime a farm belonging to the said nunnery; at the which farm I myself in my youth have fetched many a halfpenny worth of milk, and never had less than three ale pints for a halfpenny in the summer, nor less than one ale quart for a halfpenny in the winter, always hot from the kine, as the same was milked and strained. One Trolop, and afterwards Goodman, were the farmers there, and had thirty or forty kine to the pail. Goodman’s son being heir to his father’s purchase, let out the ground first for grazing of horses, and then for garden-plots, and lived like a gentleman thereby.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
It is this history that was the inspiration for Goodman’s Fields Horses, the artist wanted to portray the unbridled joy of horses being released from the toil of working in the London streets.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Mackie chose six breeds of horse to illustrate the variety of horses from the past – Andalusian Stallion, Russian Cross Arab, European Warmblood, Irish Cob, Thoroughbred Cross Shire and Thoroughbred.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The sculpture was unveiled in 2015 and quickly became a popular local attraction. In 2016, Hamish Mackie was awarded the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association’s Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Fountains for the Goodman’s Fields Horses commission.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Although it is not on the usual tourist paths, if you are visiting the City of London it is worth taking a small detour to Aldgate to see this stunning sculpture and find out about some of the history of Goodman’s Field.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
London Shopping Streets : The Bookshops of Charing Cross Road and Cecil Court
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Charing Cross Road runs from near Trafalgar Square to Tottenham Court Road. The road was developed in the late 19th century and its construction destroyed some of worst slums in London. In the early 20th century, Charing Cross Road became famous for its specialist and second-hand bookshops.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
One of the most famous bookshops was Foyles which was started by William and Gilbert Foyle in Cecil Court before to Charing Cross Road in 1906. They later moved to 119 Charing Cross Road where the shop became something of an institution until it closed in 2014, although Foyles opened a new shop further up Charing Cross Road. Christina Foyle who was the daughter of William created literary luncheons at the Charing Cross Road shop from the 1930’s. Speakers included great literary figures and celebrities and the events were very popular both with authors and the public. Christina took over the control of the shop in 1945 and the shop became famous for her idiosyncratic management style. She refused to install many modern conveniences, would not allow orders to be taken by phone. Customers were often required to queue three times and staff turnover was high. At the turn of the 20th century, Christina Foyle died and control passed to her nephew Christopher, who modernised the shop and business.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The bookshops on Charing Cross Road became internationally famous in the 1970s and 1980s when the book 84, Charing Cross Road was published. The book was based on the long-standing correspondence between New York City-based author Helene Hanff and the staff of a bookshop on the street, Marks & Co. The book was made into a 1987 film starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins and also into a play.
The 21st century has seen a number of the bookshops closing down but Charing Cross Road is still home to Foyles, Quinto Bookshop, Henry Pordes and Any Amount of Books.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The nearby Cecil Court has a longer history going back to the late 17th century, Mozart and his family lived here for a short time. There is evidence for bookselling in Cecil Court going back to the 18th century, however it was after Cecil Court was redeveloped at the end of the 19th century that it became an important base for new British film industry which inspired the nickname Flicker Alley.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Booksellers and publishers moved in Cecil Court at the start of the 20th century, Watkins which is considered the oldest esoteric bookshop in London arrived in 1901. Cecil Court was also well-known for its specialist foreign language like Welsh-language bookshop, Griffs and the Dolphin Bookshop sold Spanish and Catalan books.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Cecil Court today has a range of businesses including Antique Dealers, Art & Craft and Art Galleries. However there are still a number of bookshops including Watkins, Tindley & Everett, Tender Books, Stephen Poole Books and Goldsboro Books.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Charing Cross Road and Cecil Court provide a pleasant change from the often mundane bookshop chains. Whilst all over London independent bookshops have closed or closing, this is the historical London heart of the modern bookshop and still provides plenty of interest to visitors.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Exhibition Review – Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light at the National Gallery from 18 March to 7 July 2019
The National Gallery presents the first major exhibition in the United Kingdom for over a century of the Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863–1923). The exhibition entitled Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light include portraits, landscapes, garden views, and beach scenes. There are sixty works on display which spans the artist’s career, including important works on loan from public and private collections in Europe and the United States.
This will be the first UK retrospective of the artist since 1908 when Sorolla himself mounted an exhibition at London’s Grafton Galleries where he was promoted as The World’s Greatest Living Painter. Sorolla is best known for his sun-drenched depictions of the life, landscapes and traditions of Spain, as well as his gifts as a portraitist.
Sorolla studied in Madrid and Rome and gained an international reputation for works tackling social subjects. The exhibition features a series of his early social paintings including his The Return from Fishing (1894), Sewing the Sail (1896) and Sad Inheritance! (1899).
The first room includes portraits of Sorolla’s wife Clotilde as well as his daughters María and Elena, and son Joaquín. Family played a very important role in Sorolla’s life and his family are used as models. In this room is also Sorolla’s reclining Female Nude (1902) which was inspired by Velázquez’s ‘Rokeby Venus’ (1651).
The second room focuses on the 1890s, when Sorolla began to document some the realities and hardships of Spanish life. His first great success, Another Marguerite! (1892) depicted a woman arrested for murdering her child. His other large works from this period were sent to exhibitions across Europe and were part of the reason he gained an international reputation.
The third room illustrates how Sorolla considered himself as part of great tradition of Spanish artists such as Velázquez and Goya, whose works he closely studied. The influence of Velázquez is clearly shown in the portrait of the American painter Ralph Clarkson of 1911, My Children (1904) and The Drunkard (1910).
Room Four introduces viewers to some of Sorolla’s best known work, Boys on the Beach (1909), Running along the Beach, Valencia (1909) and Afternoon at the Beach in Valencia (1904) are examples of how Sorolla manages to capture the sunlight and the sea and people’s enjoyment of a day at the beach. Sorolla had grown up by the coast and would often paint out-of-doors, documenting the various scenes on the beaches close to Valencia and Jávea. These scenes proved very popular especially in the United States and led to a number of commissions.
Room Five contains one of these commissions for the Hispanic Society of America in New York in 1911. He created a large mural-like series of paintings entitled Vision of Spain. Painted between 1911 and 1919, they documented some of the country’s regional dress, occupations, and traditions.
The sixth room of the exhibition is devoted to Sorolla’s views of landscapes and gardens. Sorolla’s love of the outdoor life and search for interesting lighting led him to create a range of studies ranging from Sierra Nevada from the Cemetery, Granada (1909), Burgos Cathedral under Snow, and the gardens of the Alcázar in Seville and the Alhambra in Granada.
The final room illustrates Sorolla’s fascination with family, but in contrast the formality of the first room, we have large canvases painted out-of-doors such as Skipping Rope, La Granja (1907),Strolling along the Seashore (1909) and The Siesta (1911). In these paintings, Sorolla had finally found his own style which celebrated family and the enjoyment of the outdoor life.
Sorolla died in 1923 and his reputation went into something of a decline, there are very few paintings by Sorolla in UK public collections. However, this interesting exhibition provides evidence that Sorolla excelled in creating large canvases that takes viewers to the beach or other outdoor locations and captures the light, life and movement. In many ways it was when he came out of the shadows of Velázquez and Goya that he found his true voice that has some similarities with Impressionism.
Visiting London Guide Rating – Highly Recommended
For more information and tickets, visit the National Gallery website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
London Visitors 