This Is London - 8 November 2019

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16 Leonardo da Vinci, 'The Virgin of the Rocks', about 1491/2-9 and 1506-8 LEONARDO: EXPERIENCE A MASTERPIECE The National Gallery is to become a painting studio, an imagined chapel and a room-sized experiment in a new immersive exhibition that leads visitors through the mind of Leonardo da Vinci to explore his masterpiece, ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’. The secrets of Leonardo’s masterpiece are revealed in four distinct spaces. Each space invites you to look at the painting in a new way. 'The Virgin of the Rocks' is a complex and mysterious painting which has intrigued people for centuries. For an artist who notoriously left works unfinished and from whom even fewer survive, this is a rare example of one of his large-scale paintings. It gives an insight into some of Leonardo’s groundbreaking scientific observations, demonstrating techniques and innovations which transformed Italian painting. Leonardo began his painting career in Florence, but in the early 1480s he moved to Milan in search of new opportunities. Shortly after his arrival in the city he received the commission to paint ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’. The painting was to be part of a grand altarpiece which included a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. The altarpiece was destined for the chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in the church of San Francesco Grande, the principal church of the Franciscan Order in Milan and the largest church in the city after the Cathedral. It was commissioned in 1483, but wasn't completed to the Confraternity’s satisfaction until 1508, twenty-five years later. A dispute over money led Leonardo to sell his first version of the picture – which is now in the Louvre, Paris. The confraternity finally managed to come to an agreement with Leonardo, and he began work on a second version of the painting which is now in the National Gallery collection. The idea of Mary’s Immaculate Conception was much debated in Medieval Europe – the Franciscan order supported it, while the Dominicans contested it. Supporters of the Immaculate Conception argued that in order for Christ to be born without original sin (which originated at the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden), his mother, Mary, also had to be free of sin. It was therefore necessary for the Virgin to have been conceived by God even before the creation of the world – and so before original sin. In 1476 (less than a decade before ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’ was commissioned), Pope Sixtus IV at last adopted the feast for the Western church. The subject was still so new there was no standard way of showing it, giving Leonardo free rein to create a new composition. In his final version he painted the Virgin, the infant Saint John the Baptist (a gilded cross under his arm), and an angel, kneeling behind Christ – a chubby cross-legged child. The three figures communicate with each other through their hand gestures and directed gazes while the angel acts as a heavenly witness to the scene. DISCOVER! CREATIVE CAREERS AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE The National Theatre is one of over 500 organisations taking part in Discover! Creative Careers Week (18-22 November), a national initiative backed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in England to encourage diverse new talent for the country’s booming creative industries. National Theatre Young Technicians. Photo: Dan Weill Photography. The creative industries employ over 3 million people and the sector is growing three times faster than the rest of the UK economy. The National Theatre will be welcoming 130 state secondary school students from across Greater London on Wednesday 20 November to an action-packed day that will shine a light on backstage and offstage roles to inspire the next generation of talent. BRIDGET RILEY AT HAYWARD GALLERY A major retrospective exhibition devoted to the work of celebrated British artist Bridget Riley is on view at the Hayward Gallery. Spanning 70 years of the artist’s working life, it is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of her work to date. Bridget Riley is one of the most distinguished and internationally renowned artists working today. Her pioneering approach to painting involves the skilful balancing of form and colour, yielding a continuous but highly varied enquiry into the nature of abstraction and perception. t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e
LUCIAN FREUD: THE SELF- PORTRAITS AT ROYAL ACADEMY The Royal Academy is presenting an exhibition focusing on Lucian Freud’s visceral self-portraits until 26 January. It will be the first of its kind spanning the artist’s career of almost seven decades though the media of paint, etching and drawing. The display will feature over 50 works charting his artistic development from early, more linear and graphic works to the fleshier painterly style that became the hallmark of his later work. The majority of pieces on display are from private collections and many have not been seen publicly for decades. The exhibition reveals his unexpected and wide-ranging exploration of the self-portrait and his dedication to the cause of art. ‘Drawing’, will focus on Freud’s early works in the 1940s. They reveal a playfulness in his presentation of his own self-image that was especially evident into the 1960s. ‘Transition’ focuses on the 1950s noting a gradual transition towards a mature style, prompted in part by changes to his working method. Freud’s intense friendship with Francis Bacon also contributed to his development, seen in works such as Self-portrait, (c.1956). The exhibition charts a life’s journey, from young boy to old man in a detailed study of the artists own ageing process. Reflection (Self-portrait), 1985 Oil on canvas, 55.9 x 55.3 cm Private collection, on loan to the Irish Museum of Modern Art © The Lucian Freud Archive / Bridgeman Images. VALUING ART BY THE CENTIMETRE! If one considered the commercial value of art by the square centimetre, it might be a surprise to learn that some of the world’s most expensive paintings are portrait miniatures. The ‘Art of Limning’ goes back to at least medieval times when sumptuous and beautiful illuminated manuscripts painted in watercolour on vellum were being produced. From these writings developed the highly skilled art of portrait miniatures. The art form flourished until the arrival of daguerreotypes (the first publicly available photographic process) in the late 1830s. The fall from fashion of miniatures was quick and profound. However, in 1896, the Society of Miniature Painters mounted their inaugural exhibition which brought about a dramatic renaissance of the genre. Having been granted the Royal Charter in 1904 by King Edward VII, the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers (RMS) are to present their 124th Exhibition, or as it was described in the 1920s ‘an academy of work in little’, between 28 November and 8 December at the Mall Galleries. With a maximum frame size of 15.24 x 11.45cm, today’s miniaturists explore a wide variety of subjects, including portraits, landscapes, still-lifes, interior scenes, marine, wildlife and stunning sculptures. SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S OUR PLANET SPECIAL EVENT Six months ago, Netflix launched its landmark series ‘Our Planet’, which took viewers on an emotional journey; showcasing Earth’s breath-taking wildlife as never before, whilst putting a spotlight on conservation for the first time in documentary filmmaking. It’s thanks to Sir David Attenborough and series like ‘Our Planet’ that the world is waking up to the rapid decline of wildlife and the urgent need to address threats such as climate change, with conservation playing a crucial role in preserving the world for future generations. The Whitley Fund for Nature, a charity that champions outstanding grassroots conservation leaders, has joined forces with ‘Our Planet’ Series Producer Alastair Fothergill to host a special event exploring the making of the documentary and the conservation taking place behind the camera. Alastair – who is also an Ambassador for WFN – will be joined by Whitley Award winner Jayson Ibañez, a WFN supported conservationist whose work to protect the Philippine Eagle is featured in the documentary. The event will take place on Wednesday 4 December at the Royal Geographical Society. Guests will enjoy a lavishly illustrated and entertaining talk, as Alastair reveals behind-thescenes footage from the making of this ground-breaking series. Alastair Fothergill. 17 t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS Events 4 Armistice Day at
Page 6 and 7: 6 Photos: Tristram Kenton. THE SNOW
Page 8 and 9: 8 CHRISTMAS WITH THE ROYAL CHORAL S
Page 10: 10 REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY WITH THE NATI
Page 14: 14 TUTANKHAMUN; TREASURES OF THE GO
Page 20 and 21: 20 PLAYS GHOST STORIES After exhila
Page 22: 22 ST JAMES BAR AT SOFITEL LONDON H

This Is London - 8 November 2019

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