London Retrospective 4: Tate Britain

London diary: Monday 10 March

Selected gems from a richly rewarding day spent exploring the permanent collection of one of my favourite public galleries, Tate Britain.

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1 Girl with a Kitten, 1947, Lucian Freud

2 Self-Portrait with Badges, 1961, Peter Blake

3  Man in Shower in Beverley Hills, 1964, David Hockney

4 The Identi-Kit Man, 1962, Derek Boshier

5 Chloe Broughton-Leigh, c 1907, Gwen John

6 Self-Portrait, c 1902, Gwen John

7 Tube Shelter Perspective, 1941, Henry Moore

8 Henry Moore and Francis Bacon2

9-10 Honeysuckle, wallpaper design by May Morris (uncredited)

11 Portrait of a Woman, 1911, Augustus John

12 Merry-Go-Round, 1916, Mark Gertler

13 Dante and Gabriel Approaching the Angel who Guards the Entrance to Purgatory, 1824-7, William Blake

14 The Cholmondeley Ladies, c 1600-10, Unknown artist

15-16 A Young Lady Aged 21, possibly Helena Snakenborg, Later Marchioness of Northampton, 1569

17 Installation view. Foreground: Exodus ll, 2001, Mona Hartoum

18 Tate Britain 

London Retrospective 1: Picasso Printmaker

London diary 1: Tuesday 4 March

Directly following are selected highlights of the recent exhibition PICASSO PRINTMAKER at the British Museum. (Apologies for the lack of individual captions, which will be added shortly). 

This was one of several stunning exhibitions that happily coincided with a recent three-week trip to London. Owing to technical issues, I was unable to report on any of them directly from London. Instead, over the next few weeks, I will intermittently publish a series of retrospective posts on some of the galleries, museums and special exhibitions I visited during my all too brief stay.

PICASSO PRINTMAKER ran from 24 November 2024 - 30 March 2025.

Happy Birthday, Stephen Sondheim/Old Friends

The late, great Stephen Sondheim was born on this day in 1930.

This evening we are celebrating the occasion by attending a Sondheim Trivia Night, a fundraiser for Watch This, the Melbourne-based theatre company that for almost a decade has dedicated itself to performing his works. 

I still can’t believe my good fortune that my visit to London last year coincided with Old Friends,  a star-studded musical tribute to Sondheim that was performed at the Gielgud Theatre from September 2023 to early January 2024. Put simply, it was one of the finest theatrical productions I’ve ever seen. The top photo was taken from my seat on the night of the performance we attended.

I still remember my excitement the day I met my old friend Bev Murray in the West End to book our tickets at the theatre. 

Old Friends has recently been nominated for an Olivier Award, and deservedly so. 

During my stay I was also fortunate to attend a production of Sondheim’s Follies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama at the instigation of Susan Verney, another old and very dear friend. It was a dazzling production, with brilliant choreography and stunning performances which completely belied the fact that we watching a student production. 

Sending much love to all my old friends in London. Who’s like us? Damn few.

Hey, old friend

Are you okay, old friend?

What do you say, old friend?

Are we or are we unique?

Time goes by

Everything else keeps changing

You and I

We get continued next week

Most friends fade

Or they don't make the grade

New ones are quickly made

And in a pinch, sure, they'll do

But us, old friend

What’s to discuss, old friend?

Here's to us

Who's like us?

Damn few 

- Stephen Sondheim, Old Friends, from Merrily We Roll Along (1981). 

Happy Birthday, Stephen Sondheim.

Halloween 2023

Remembering London this All Hallows Eve

Photos 1-2 above: Louise Bourgeois, Spider V, 1999, bronze and steel; 

Photos 3-4 below: Louise Bourgeois, Spider Home, 2002, bronze spiders and fly, welded bronze wire web, wood base. 

Installation views from The Mother and the Weaver, Art from the Ursula Hauser Collection at the Foundling Museum, London, current to 18 February 2024. 

Photos 5-7 below: Spooktacular views of a house in Hampstead, a few doors down from where I stayed during my recent trip.

Happy Halloween, boys and ghouls. 🎃🕷️🕸️

YES

YES to this sunny autumn day (although the heavens did open up for a short time), YES to the cheery crowd lined up outside Australia House in the Strand, YES to the friendly, helpful Australian High Commission staff and YES to YES.