The Tate Britain, my favorite of the big London museums, has a well organized mix of old and new. No reservation needed, or even offered, so just walk in and take a look.
JMW Turner 1775-1851
The Shipwreck exhibited 1805
Oil paint on canvas
Storms and shipwrecks were a popular theme when Turner painted this. Fishermen battle waves, attempting rescue of an overcrowded lifeboat. A capsized ship lies behind on the dark sea. Turner specialised in the maritime Sublime - dramatic scenes that powerfully conveyed the danger of life at sea. He does this here by placing us, the viewer, close to the drama. With no land in sight, it is as it we are out on the stormy sea, too. The painting may have been inspired by an 1804 edition of William Falconer's poem, The Shipwreck, which was illustrated by elder marine painter Nicholas Pocock.
JMW Turner 1775-1851
The Shipwreck exhibited 1805
Oil paint on canvas
Storms and shipwrecks were a popular theme when Turner painted this. Fishermen battle waves, attempting rescue of an overcrowded lifeboat. A capsized ship lies behind on the dark sea. Turner specialised in the maritime Sublime - dramatic scenes that powerfully conveyed the danger of life at sea. He does this here by placing us, the viewer, close to the drama. With no land in sight, it is as it we are out on the stormy sea, too. The painting may have been inspired by an 1804 edition of William Falconer's poem, The Shipwreck, which was illustrated by elder marine painter Nicholas Pocock.
JMW Turner 1775-1851
The Shipwreck exhibited 1805
Oil paint on canvas
Storms and shipwrecks were a popular theme when Turner painted this. Fishermen battle waves, attempting rescue of an overcrowded lifeboat. A capsized ship lies behind on the dark sea. Turner specialised in the maritime Sublime - dramatic scenes that powerfully conveyed the danger of life at sea. He does this here by placing us, the viewer, close to the drama. With no land in sight, it is as it we are out on the stormy sea, too. The painting may have been inspired by an 1804 edition of William Falconer's poem, The Shipwreck, which was illustrated by elder marine painter Nicholas Pocock.
JMW Turner 1775-1851
Rome, from the Vatican. Raffaelle, Accompanied by La Fornarina, Preparing his Pictures for the Decoration of the Loggia
Exhibited 1820
Oil paint on canvas
Turner revelled in the history, architecture and light of Rome. On his return, he painted this sweeping view from the Vatican. It was Turner's tribute to Italian Renaissance painter and architect Raphael, which he exhibited on the 300th anniversary of his death. Raphael stands in the foreground with his companion La Fornarina. He gazes at the overhead vaults of the Loggia, painted by him and his students. The drawings and paintings in the centre foreground represent the breadth of Raphael's talent.
JMW Turner 1775-1851
Rome, from the Vatican. Raffaelle, Accompanied by La Fornarina, Preparing his Pictures for the Decoration of the Loggia
Exhibited 1820
Oil paint on canvas
Turner revelled in the history, architecture and light of Rome. On his return, he painted this sweeping view from the Vatican. It was Turner's tribute to Italian Renaissance painter and architect Raphael, which he exhibited on the 300th anniversary of his death. Raphael stands in the foreground with his companion La Fornarina. He gazes at the overhead vaults of the Loggia, painted by him and his students. The drawings and paintings in the centre foreground represent the breadth of Raphael's talent.
JMW Turner 1775-1851
Rome, from the Vatican. Raffaelle, Accompanied by La Fornarina, Preparing his Pictures for the Decoration of the Loggia
Exhibited 1820
Oil paint on canvas
Turner revelled in the history, architecture and light of Rome. On his return, he painted this sweeping view from the Vatican. It was Turner's tribute to Italian Renaissance painter and architect Raphael, which he exhibited on the 300th anniversary of his death. Raphael stands in the foreground with his companion La Fornarina. He gazes at the overhead vaults of the Loggia, painted by him and his students. The drawings and paintings in the centre foreground represent the breadth of Raphael's talent.
John Constable 1776 - 1837
Brightwell Church and Village 1815
Oil paint on wood
This view of the village of Brightwell near Ipswich shows the winding road that leads past houses and fields to the church above the trees on the horizon. Typically, Constable pays close attention to the light and colour of the landscape. White flowers and red poppies stand out against the fields and dusty bank in the foreground while pools of sunlight catch the golden fields in the distance. The Reverend FH Barnwell commissioned Constable to paint the view, as he had a special interest in the village.
John Constable 1776 - 1837
Brightwell Church and Village 1815
Oil paint on wood
This view of the village of Brightwell near Ipswich shows the winding road that leads past houses and fields to the church above the trees on the horizon. Typically, Constable pays close attention to the light and colour of the landscape. White flowers and red poppies stand out against the fields and dusty bank in the foreground while pools of sunlight catch the golden fields in the distance. The Reverend FH Barnwell commissioned Constable to paint the view, as he had a special interest in the village.
John Constable 1776 - 1837
Brightwell Church and Village 1815
Oil paint on wood
This view of the village of Brightwell near Ipswich shows the winding road that leads past houses and fields to the church above the trees on the horizon. Typically, Constable pays close attention to the light and colour of the landscape. White flowers and red poppies stand out against the fields and dusty bank in the foreground while pools of sunlight catch the golden fields in the distance. The Reverend FH Barnwell commissioned Constable to paint the view, as he had a special interest in the village.
John Constable 1776-1837
Hampstead Heath with a Rainbow 1836
Oil paint on canvas
Constable was proud of this painting. He called it 'one of my best bits of Heath', 'so fresh - so bright... & sunshiney'. It depicts Branch Hill Pond on Hampstead Heath, north of London. The Hampstead Heath ponds were dug as reservoirs to meet the growing water demand of a rapidly expanding city. Sand was extracted for building works and the flooded pits became watering holes for animals, as seen here, and swimming. Constable's late work often featured rainbows. He admired the way Old Master painter Rubens had painted them and saw in them a sign of hope.
John Constable 1776-1837
Hampstead Heath with a Rainbow 1836
Oil paint on canvas
Constable was proud of this painting. He called it 'one of my best bits of Heath', 'so fresh - so bright... & sunshiney'. It depicts Branch Hill Pond on Hampstead Heath, north of London. The Hampstead Heath ponds were dug as reservoirs to meet the growing water demand of a rapidly expanding city. Sand was extracted for building works and the flooded pits became watering holes for animals, as seen here, and swimming. Constable's late work often featured rainbows. He admired the way Old Master painter Rubens had painted them and saw in them a sign of hope.
John Constable 1776-1837
Hampstead Heath with a Rainbow 1836
Oil paint on canvas
Constable was proud of this painting. He called it 'one of my best bits of Heath', 'so fresh - so bright... & sunshiney'. It depicts Branch Hill Pond on Hampstead Heath, north of London. The Hampstead Heath ponds were dug as reservoirs to meet the growing water demand of a rapidly expanding city. Sand was extracted for building works and the flooded pits became watering holes for animals, as seen here, and swimming. Constable's late work often featured rainbows. He admired the way Old Master painter Rubens had painted them and saw in them a sign of hope.
Richard Smith 1931-2016
Born Letchworth (Hertfordshire), lived London, New York
Gift Wrap 1963
Oil paint on canvas
The size and the landscape orientation of Gift Wrap suggest a billboard. At the time Richard Smith was fascinated with product packaging and advertising. The inspiration for the work was a popular brand of cigarettes from the USA. Above all, Smith was interested in creating illusions in painting, giving the work a three-dimensional, sculptural quality. The composition combines abstract and pop art elements. Smith made it during a period of time when he was living between the USA and the UK.
Richard Smith 1931-2016
Born Letchworth (Hertfordshire), lived London, New York
Gift Wrap 1963
Oil paint on canvas
The size and the landscape orientation of Gift Wrap suggest a billboard. At the time Richard Smith was fascinated with product packaging and advertising. The inspiration for the work was a popular brand of cigarettes from the USA. Above all, Smith was interested in creating illusions in painting, giving the work a three-dimensional, sculptural quality. The composition combines abstract and pop art elements. Smith made it during a period of time when he was living between the USA and the UK.
Richard Smith 1931-2016
Born Letchworth (Hertfordshire), lived London, New York
Gift Wrap 1963
Oil paint on canvas
The size and the landscape orientation of Gift Wrap suggest a billboard. At the time Richard Smith was fascinated with product packaging and advertising. The inspiration for the work was a popular brand of cigarettes from the USA. Above all, Smith was interested in creating illusions in painting, giving the work a three-dimensional, sculptural quality. The composition combines abstract and pop art elements. Smith made it during a period of time when he was living between the USA and the UK.
David Hockney born 1937
A Bigger Splash 1967
Acrylic paint on canvas
David Hockney moved to Los Angeles from London in 1964. This is one of several paintings he made of swimming pools there. It would become a defining image of sun-lit, clean-contoured southern California. Hockney was interested in using paint to capture fleeting moments. He explained: 'When you photograph a splash, you're freezing a moment and it becomes something else. I realise that a splash could never be seen this way in real life, it happens too quickly. And I was amused by this, so I painted it in a very, very slow way!
David Hockney born 1937
A Bigger Splash 1967
Acrylic paint on canvas
David Hockney moved to Los Angeles from London in 1964. This is one of several paintings he made of swimming pools there. It would become a defining image of sun-lit, clean-contoured southern California. Hockney was interested in using paint to capture fleeting moments. He explained: 'When you photograph a splash, you're freezing a moment and it becomes something else. I realise that a splash could never be seen this way in real life, it happens too quickly. And I was amused by this, so I painted it in a very, very slow way!
David Hockney born 1937
A Bigger Splash 1967
Acrylic paint on canvas
David Hockney moved to Los Angeles from London in 1964. This is one of several paintings he made of swimming pools there. It would become a defining image of sun-lit, clean-contoured southern California. Hockney was interested in using paint to capture fleeting moments. He explained: 'When you photograph a splash, you're freezing a moment and it becomes something else. I realise that a splash could never be seen this way in real life, it happens too quickly. And I was amused by this, so I painted it in a very, very slow way!
Bridget Riley born 1931
Fall 1963
Polyvinyl acetate paint on hardboard
In 1960, Bridget Riley started exploring the visual sensation of looking. She investigated the dynamic potential of optical effects. This would become known as op art. Riley mostly worked with the contrast of black and white, occasionally introducing different tones of grey. In Fall, she repeated a single curving line to create varying optical frequencies. She said of this work: I try to organise a field of visual energy which accumulates until it reaches maximum tension.'
Bridget Riley born 1931
Fall 1963
Polyvinyl acetate paint on hardboard
In 1960, Bridget Riley started exploring the visual sensation of looking. She investigated the dynamic potential of optical effects. This would become known as op art. Riley mostly worked with the contrast of black and white, occasionally introducing different tones of grey. In Fall, she repeated a single curving line to create varying optical frequencies. She said of this work: I try to organise a field of visual energy which accumulates until it reaches maximum tension.'
Bridget Riley born 1931
Fall 1963
Polyvinyl acetate paint on hardboard
In 1960, Bridget Riley started exploring the visual sensation of looking. She investigated the dynamic potential of optical effects. This would become known as op art. Riley mostly worked with the contrast of black and white, occasionally introducing different tones of grey. In Fall, she repeated a single curving line to create varying optical frequencies. She said of this work: I try to organise a field of visual energy which accumulates until it reaches maximum tension.'
William Roberts 1895-1980
Portrait of Hélène Yellin c.1923
Oil paint on canvas
William Roberts was a regular visitor to the clubs in Soho and made several paintings of musicians and dancers in the 1920s. Hélene Yellin was a singer who performed in London clubs including the Harlequin Café, a popular venue off Regent Street. She was known for her renditions of British folk songs. In the 1920s, Yellin and her family lived next door to Roberts on Albany Street. She became a frequent model for Roberts as well as artists Mark Gertler and Jacob Epstein during this time.
William Roberts 1895-1980
Portrait of Hélène Yellin c.1923
Oil paint on canvas
William Roberts was a regular visitor to the clubs in Soho and made several paintings of musicians and dancers in the 1920s. Hélene Yellin was a singer who performed in London clubs including the Harlequin Café, a popular venue off Regent Street. She was known for her renditions of British folk songs. In the 1920s, Yellin and her family lived next door to Roberts on Albany Street. She became a frequent model for Roberts as well as artists Mark Gertler and Jacob Epstein during this time.
William Roberts 1895-1980
Portrait of Hélène Yellin c.1923
Oil paint on canvas
William Roberts was a regular visitor to the clubs in Soho and made several paintings of musicians and dancers in the 1920s. Hélene Yellin was a singer who performed in London clubs including the Harlequin Café, a popular venue off Regent Street. She was known for her renditions of British folk songs. In the 1920s, Yellin and her family lived next door to Roberts on Albany Street. She became a frequent model for Roberts as well as artists Mark Gertler and Jacob Epstein during this time.
Henry Moore 1898-1986
King and Queen 1952-3, cast 1957
Bronze
According to Henry Moore, this sculpture was inspired by ancient representations of monarchs. He said it was 'connected with the archaic... idea of a king... the head of the king which is a head and a crown, face and beard combined into one form. Although Moore emphasised anonymous and universal themes of rulership, he created King and Queen around the same time as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Images of the ceremony were widely published in the media.
Henry Moore 1898-1986
King and Queen 1952-3, cast 1957
Bronze
According to Henry Moore, this sculpture was inspired by ancient representations of monarchs. He said it was 'connected with the archaic... idea of a king... the head of the king which is a head and a crown, face and beard combined into one form. Although Moore emphasised anonymous and universal themes of rulership, he created King and Queen around the same time as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Images of the ceremony were widely published in the media.
Henry Moore 1898-1986
King and Queen 1952-3, cast 1957
Bronze
According to Henry Moore, this sculpture was inspired by ancient representations of monarchs. He said it was 'connected with the archaic... idea of a king... the head of the king which is a head and a crown, face and beard combined into one form. Although Moore emphasised anonymous and universal themes of rulership, he created King and Queen around the same time as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Images of the ceremony were widely published in the media.
Vong Phaophanit's Neon Rice Field contains white rice and neon lights. When combined they create the optical illusion of an undulating paddy field. For the artist, this 'third material' symbolizes the idea of cultural identity as unfixed and imaginary.
Vong Phaophanit's Neon Rice Field contains white rice and neon lights. When combined they create the optical illusion of an undulating paddy field. For the artist, this 'third material' symbolizes the idea of cultural identity as unfixed and imaginary.
Vong Phaophanit's Neon Rice Field contains white rice and neon lights. When combined they create the optical illusion of an undulating paddy field. For the artist, this 'third material' symbolizes the idea of cultural identity as unfixed and imaginary.
Susan Hiller 1940-2019
Born Tallahassee, Florida (US), died London
Monument 1980-1
41 photographs, colour, on paper, bench, tape player, headphone and audio Monument replicates and enlarges 41 memorial plaques from Postman's Park, London, which was first proposed by Victorian sculptor George Frederic Watts. Each plaque commemorates an ordinary person who died while saving the lives of others. Facing away from the wall is a park bench. You can sit and listen to a sound piece narrated by the artist. She speaks about the nature of heroism, and the duration of a life compared to the duration of a name on a plaque. Hiller was struck by how rarely members of the public noticed or read the plaques in Postman's Park.
Susan Hiller 1940-2019
Born Tallahassee, Florida (US), died London
Monument 1980-1
41 photographs, colour, on paper, bench, tape player, headphone and audio Monument replicates and enlarges 41 memorial plaques from Postman's Park, London, which was first proposed by Victorian sculptor George Frederic Watts. Each plaque commemorates an ordinary person who died while saving the lives of others. Facing away from the wall is a park bench. You can sit and listen to a sound piece narrated by the artist. She speaks about the nature of heroism, and the duration of a life compared to the duration of a name on a plaque. Hiller was struck by how rarely members of the public noticed or read the plaques in Postman's Park.
Susan Hiller 1940-2019
Born Tallahassee, Florida (US), died London
Monument 1980-1
41 photographs, colour, on paper, bench, tape player, headphone and audio Monument replicates and enlarges 41 memorial plaques from Postman's Park, London, which was first proposed by Victorian sculptor George Frederic Watts. Each plaque commemorates an ordinary person who died while saving the lives of others. Facing away from the wall is a park bench. You can sit and listen to a sound piece narrated by the artist. She speaks about the nature of heroism, and the duration of a life compared to the duration of a name on a plaque. Hiller was struck by how rarely members of the public noticed or read the plaques in Postman's Park.
I listened to the artist, it was very good, very moving.
I listened to the artist, it was very good, very moving.
I listened to the artist, it was very good, very moving.
Dora Carrington 1893-1932
Farm at Watendlath 1921
Oil paint on canvas
Dora Carrington was associated with the Bloomsbury Group of writers and artists, who lived, worked and studied together in London. This painting shows a farm near Keswick in the Lake District, where the newlywed Carrington spent a summer holiday with her husband and their friends. Art critics have suggested that the landscape was distorted to look like the curves of a female body. The two small figures gaze towards the landscape, possibly contemplating their own femininity.
Dora Carrington 1893-1932
Farm at Watendlath 1921
Oil paint on canvas
Dora Carrington was associated with the Bloomsbury Group of writers and artists, who lived, worked and studied together in London. This painting shows a farm near Keswick in the Lake District, where the newlywed Carrington spent a summer holiday with her husband and their friends. Art critics have suggested that the landscape was distorted to look like the curves of a female body. The two small figures gaze towards the landscape, possibly contemplating their own femininity.
Dora Carrington 1893-1932
Farm at Watendlath 1921
Oil paint on canvas
Dora Carrington was associated with the Bloomsbury Group of writers and artists, who lived, worked and studied together in London. This painting shows a farm near Keswick in the Lake District, where the newlywed Carrington spent a summer holiday with her husband and their friends. Art critics have suggested that the landscape was distorted to look like the curves of a female body. The two small figures gaze towards the landscape, possibly contemplating their own femininity.
Winifred Knights 1899-1947
The Deluge 1920
Oil paint on canvas
Winifred Knights was one of several British artists in the 1920s who participated in a revival of religious imagery. Her apocalyptic painting shows the Old Testament story of the Flood. Figures flee the rising water towards high ground, while Noah's ark floats calmly in the distance. However, this work depicts a distinctly modern scene, showing modern buildings and people wearing clothes typical of the 1920s. Knights includes herself with the figures in the foreground of the painting. The work can be seen as a metaphor for the devastation following the First World War.
Winifred Knights 1899-1947
The Deluge 1920
Oil paint on canvas
Winifred Knights was one of several British artists in the 1920s who participated in a revival of religious imagery. Her apocalyptic painting shows the Old Testament story of the Flood. Figures flee the rising water towards high ground, while Noah's ark floats calmly in the distance. However, this work depicts a distinctly modern scene, showing modern buildings and people wearing clothes typical of the 1920s. Knights includes herself with the figures in the foreground of the painting. The work can be seen as a metaphor for the devastation following the First World War.
Winifred Knights 1899-1947
The Deluge 1920
Oil paint on canvas
Winifred Knights was one of several British artists in the 1920s who participated in a revival of religious imagery. Her apocalyptic painting shows the Old Testament story of the Flood. Figures flee the rising water towards high ground, while Noah's ark floats calmly in the distance. However, this work depicts a distinctly modern scene, showing modern buildings and people wearing clothes typical of the 1920s. Knights includes herself with the figures in the foreground of the painting. The work can be seen as a metaphor for the devastation following the First World War.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
La Mitrailleuse 1915
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson identified with the Italian futurist art movement. They celebrated and embraced the speed and efficient power of the modern age. Nevinson's experience as an ambulance driver in the First World War, however, changed his view of the potential of a mechanised world. In this painting, soldiers fighting in France are reduced to a series of angular planes and grey colouring. They lose their individuality and even their humanity as they seem to fuse with the machine gun, which gives this painting its title.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
La Mitrailleuse 1915
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson identified with the Italian futurist art movement. They celebrated and embraced the speed and efficient power of the modern age. Nevinson's experience as an ambulance driver in the First World War, however, changed his view of the potential of a mechanised world. In this painting, soldiers fighting in France are reduced to a series of angular planes and grey colouring. They lose their individuality and even their humanity as they seem to fuse with the machine gun, which gives this painting its title.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
La Mitrailleuse 1915
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson identified with the Italian futurist art movement. They celebrated and embraced the speed and efficient power of the modern age. Nevinson's experience as an ambulance driver in the First World War, however, changed his view of the potential of a mechanised world. In this painting, soldiers fighting in France are reduced to a series of angular planes and grey colouring. They lose their individuality and even their humanity as they seem to fuse with the machine gun, which gives this painting its title.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
Bursting Shell 1915
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson uses a bright swirling spiral and strong black forms to recreate the disorienting experience of an explosion on the senses. The dark shapes, which could be shards of debris or shadows, fracture what appear to be the bricks and timber of buildings and roads illuminated by the explosion. The work was painted during the second year of the First World War when people were beginning to accept that the violence of the war may not be close to ending.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
Bursting Shell 1915
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson uses a bright swirling spiral and strong black forms to recreate the disorienting experience of an explosion on the senses. The dark shapes, which could be shards of debris or shadows, fracture what appear to be the bricks and timber of buildings and roads illuminated by the explosion. The work was painted during the second year of the First World War when people were beginning to accept that the violence of the war may not be close to ending.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
Bursting Shell 1915
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson uses a bright swirling spiral and strong black forms to recreate the disorienting experience of an explosion on the senses. The dark shapes, which could be shards of debris or shadows, fracture what appear to be the bricks and timber of buildings and roads illuminated by the explosion. The work was painted during the second year of the First World War when people were beginning to accept that the violence of the war may not be close to ending.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
The Arrival c.1913
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson was interested in the idea of 'simultaneity', the way in which humans can experience multiple elements of a moment all at once. Here, Nevinson paints various details of a ship arriving to land all at once. The overlapping, geometric style creates a sense of commotion that is not explicitly shown. When Nevinson first exhibited this work in 1915, he titled it My Arrival in Dunkirk. This refers to the French port city many British soldiers travelled to in order to fight against the Germans in the First World War.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
The Arrival c.1913
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson was interested in the idea of 'simultaneity', the way in which humans can experience multiple elements of a moment all at once. Here, Nevinson paints various details of a ship arriving to land all at once. The overlapping, geometric style creates a sense of commotion that is not explicitly shown. When Nevinson first exhibited this work in 1915, he titled it My Arrival in Dunkirk. This refers to the French port city many British soldiers travelled to in order to fight against the Germans in the First World War.
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889-1946
The Arrival c.1913
Oil paint on canvas
Christopher Nevinson was interested in the idea of 'simultaneity', the way in which humans can experience multiple elements of a moment all at once. Here, Nevinson paints various details of a ship arriving to land all at once. The overlapping, geometric style creates a sense of commotion that is not explicitly shown. When Nevinson first exhibited this work in 1915, he titled it My Arrival in Dunkirk. This refers to the French port city many British soldiers travelled to in order to fight against the Germans in the First World War.
William Ratcliffe 1870-1955
Hampstead Garden Suburb from Willifield Way c.1914
Oil paint on canvas
William Ratcliffe paints Hampstead Garden Suburb, a new development built between Golders Green and East Finchley in London. The suburb was intended as a place where people from different social classes could live and mix, benefitting from both town and country living. Hampstead Garden Suburb was one of the largest paintings Ratcliffe produced in his career, showing the elevated view from the tower of the community club house. Ratcliffe was a member of the Camden Town Group of painters, and this realistic street scene was a subject that interested them.
William Ratcliffe 1870-1955
Hampstead Garden Suburb from Willifield Way c.1914
Oil paint on canvas
William Ratcliffe paints Hampstead Garden Suburb, a new development built between Golders Green and East Finchley in London. The suburb was intended as a place where people from different social classes could live and mix, benefitting from both town and country living. Hampstead Garden Suburb was one of the largest paintings Ratcliffe produced in his career, showing the elevated view from the tower of the community club house. Ratcliffe was a member of the Camden Town Group of painters, and this realistic street scene was a subject that interested them.
William Ratcliffe 1870-1955
Hampstead Garden Suburb from Willifield Way c.1914
Oil paint on canvas
William Ratcliffe paints Hampstead Garden Suburb, a new development built between Golders Green and East Finchley in London. The suburb was intended as a place where people from different social classes could live and mix, benefitting from both town and country living. Hampstead Garden Suburb was one of the largest paintings Ratcliffe produced in his career, showing the elevated view from the tower of the community club house. Ratcliffe was a member of the Camden Town Group of painters, and this realistic street scene was a subject that interested them.
Duncan Grant 1885-1978
Bathing 1911
Oil paint on canvas
Duncan Grant painted this in the summer of 1911 as part of the decoration for the dining room at the Borough Polytechnic, London. Based on the theme 'London on Holiday', he represents the continuous movements of male figures bathing, from diving into the water to emerging onto the shaky boat. Grant's design was inspired by Michelangelo's male nudes and summers spent at the Serpentine in Hyde Park, which was a site associated with London's gay culture. The painting was seen as controversial at the time due to its homoerotic implications.
Duncan Grant 1885-1978
Bathing 1911
Oil paint on canvas
Duncan Grant painted this in the summer of 1911 as part of the decoration for the dining room at the Borough Polytechnic, London. Based on the theme 'London on Holiday', he represents the continuous movements of male figures bathing, from diving into the water to emerging onto the shaky boat. Grant's design was inspired by Michelangelo's male nudes and summers spent at the Serpentine in Hyde Park, which was a site associated with London's gay culture. The painting was seen as controversial at the time due to its homoerotic implications.
Duncan Grant 1885-1978
Bathing 1911
Oil paint on canvas
Duncan Grant painted this in the summer of 1911 as part of the decoration for the dining room at the Borough Polytechnic, London. Based on the theme 'London on Holiday', he represents the continuous movements of male figures bathing, from diving into the water to emerging onto the shaky boat. Grant's design was inspired by Michelangelo's male nudes and summers spent at the Serpentine in Hyde Park, which was a site associated with London's gay culture. The painting was seen as controversial at the time due to its homoerotic implications.
