Visit Birmingham to witness Artemisia Gentileschi 'Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria'
'Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria' by Artemisia Gentileschi - 17th century painting by the Italian Baroque artist, showing the painter in the guise of Catherine of Alexandria. Painted during the artist's time in Florence, it is one of several paintings of female martyrs that Gentileschi is known for. Artemisia is on display at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham's internationally acclaimed contemporary art venue housed in a magnificent neo-gothic school building . Surrounding the Gentileschi work, and made as a direct response, is a solo exhibition by contemporary Irish artist Jesse Jones — whose artistic practice crosses film, sound, performance, sculpture and installation. In her exhibition ‘Mirror Martyr Mirror Moon’, Jones presents multiple symbols of feminist resistance and transforms Ikon’s gallery space to present audiences with an opportunity to 'encounter' Gentileschi’s self portrait through a new lens. The masterpiece is presented as part of Ikon's 60th anniversary year and will be on display until 8 September 2024.
Journey time from London to Birmingham New Street is 1 hour 23 minutes.
Travel to Liverpool to catch Velázquez's magnificent 'The Rokeby Venus'
Liverpool's institution - The Walker Art Gallery - houses one of the most important and renowned painting collections in the UK. The collection includes European Renaissance paintings, masterpieces by Rubens, Rembrandt, Turner and Stubbs, Pre-Raphaelite, Impressionist and contemporary works by Hockney, Wylie, and the winners of the John Moores Painting Prize. 'The Rokeby Venus', Diego Velázquez’s only surviving female nude and one of his most celebrated pieces, forms the centrepiece of a new display. Supposedly painted during the artist's visit to Italy, 'The Rokeby Venus' depicts the goddess Venus in a sensual pose, laying on a bed with her back facing the viewer, and looking into a mirror held by the Roman god of physical love, her son Cupid. Over the centuries, the painting has become symbolic of the male gaze, and has often been held up as an example of the objectification of women in art. ‘National Treasures: Velázquez in Liverpool’ considers new ways of seeing, focusing on gender and gaze through a range of artworks that have rarely been displayed before. The display challenges traditional readings of the painting by setting it alongside unexpected artworks by women and non-binary artists from the collection. These include Ethel Walker’s 'The Spanish Gesture', photographs by René Matic and Zanele Muholi, and Harriet Hosmer’s sculpture 'Puck'.
Journey time from London to Liverpool Lime Street is 2 hours 21 minutes.
Edinburgh welcomes Vermeer's 'A Young Woman standing at a Virginal'
As part of the celebrations of the National Gallery's Bicentenary, the National Galleries of Scotland displays Vermeer’s A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal until 8th September 2024. The National Galleries Scotland: National, Edinburgh, located in a spectacular building at the foot of Edinburgh Castle in the heart of the city, is home to world-class international and Scottish art from 1300 to 1945. Visitors can experience paintings by internationally renowned artists such as Vermeer, Titian, Rembrandt, Velázquez and the Impressionists. The Dutch painter's oil masterpiece is a must see this summer, which at this rare occasion is on display alongside an early Vermeer from Scotland’s national collection. Depicting a richly dressed woman playing a virginal in a home with a tiled floor, paintings on the wall and some of the locally manufactured Delftware traditional blue and white tiles, the scene transports the viewer to the world that surrounded the 17th century artist and one that appears in other Vermeer works. Its beauty inspired renowned artist David Hockney, who incorporated it in his 1977 artwork entitled “Looking at Pictures on a Screen”. It features a folding screen with reproductions of masterpieces from the National Gallery, London, one of which is Vermeer's 'A Young Woman standing at a Virginal'.
Journey time from London to Edinburgh is 5 hours 10 minutes.
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