A Visit to Sutton Hoo

The Magnificence of the Tsars

An exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington - not a place I visit very

often - but this was well worth it. OK this display of the Coronation Robes of the Russian Emperors from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century might not say much about the political and economic context of this long and significant period of Russia's history, but the only word that could have been used in the title was 'magnificence'. Exquisite, delicate, gaudy, intricate and totally over the top these tremendous pieces of clothing actually said a lot about the social history of these times. Starting with the Coronation of Peter II in 1727 the complicated nature of clothing was revealed - so many layers, so many buttons, such display - underwear, stockings, breeches, waistcoats, top coats, and the decorations of the chivalric orders all covered in gold and silver thread, interwoven with semi-precious and precious stones all demonstrate the autocracy, wealth and power of the regime. Even in the twentieth century the last Tsar and Tsarina re-created the costumes of previous eras for a celebration ball. Perhaps what is so remarkable is the fact that these items have survived in such excellent condition over such a long period of time, the colours still bright and the decorations intake through times of invasion and revolution. Excellent labelling helped to explain the exhibits too. Rating: 8/10

Byzantium - at the Royal Academy

Babylon Exhibition at the British Museum

A small collection of artifacts from ancient Babylon, but impressive nevertheless. I was pleased that all the pieces were put into context and brought in the nuggets of stories I vaguely

remembered from my childhood - so the Hanging Gardens, Daniel in the lions' den, Belshazzar's Feast, and the Tower of Babel. I was very taken by the ceramics taken from the processional route to Nebuchadnezzar's great city, so bright and fresh, even after close on 3000 years. I was fascinated by the written materials too, the tiny, almost microscopic writing on minute pieces of pottery or cylinders. There were useful maps extensive labelling, and Babylon-related pictures from medieval to modern times. It also made you realise how much we owe to that remarkable period of history - a period of civilisation in the middle east (the site of Babylon is just south of modern day Baghdad) when there was little evidence of a civilised life in the British Isles. The current system of hours divided into 60 minutes stems from Babylon, for this was a place of scientific developments. All in all a terrific exhibition and worth a rating of 8/10

Hadrian - Empire and Conflict

The British Museum really know how to put on an exhibition. This one was appropriately set in the Reading Room - a structure based upon the Pantheon - a building re-constructed by the

subject of this collection of exhibits from the time of the Emperor Hadrian. And he was a truly remarkable man.

The Courtauld Cezannes at Somerset House

An exhibition of some of the Cezannes held by the Courtauld Collection - including not only some famous oils, but water colours and sketches by the great French late 19th Century painter - part of the impressionist group of artists. A great plus is that this exhibition is free on a Monday morning! What I really enjoyed about this (small) collection of Cezannes was the mixture and contrast between the various periods of Cezanne's artistic career - and it was terrific to see how some of his pictures were built up from sketches, through outline watercolours to the finished large scale oils. I liked all these pictures tremendously, even if the paintings of people were a touch out of proportion! You got a great feeling for the lives of these people, and the pictures of Provence just exude a feeling of heat. Rating 9/10

British International Motor Show - Excel Centre

I've just had a lovely day out at the Motor Show - it only comes to the Excel

Centre in East London only two years. Now I'm not normally a fan of cars (or 'motors' as my Essex compatriots would say), but the Motor Show really is something else. I was entranced by the motor homes - vast houses on wheels, some costing more than my flat! I fell in love with the yachts and motor cruisers (the Excel is adjacent to the old Royal Albert Dock) and I was impressed by the commitment the motor trade seems to have developed to investigating the potential of alternative fuels. I'm not entirely certain that riding around with quantities of hydrogen gas in the boot will ever catch on - I have visions of that famous sequence featuring the destruction of The Hindenberg! There were so many prototypes and products in development on show that maybe there is a future for road transport when the oil runs out.
Despite not being a fan of vehicles this was a really great day out - everything well displayed, lots of activities, things to see and do, and I'd rate it 9/10 as an experience

Amazing Rare Things

A collection of items from the Royal Collection selected by David Attenborough and currently on exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace. A truly superb exhibition - including some unforgettable Leonardo da Vinci sketches of animal anatomy, and wonderful botanical illustrations. I especially liked the illustrations of flora and fauna from Surinam, drawn and painted in such incredible detail by a woman botanist from the Netherlands who travelled to South America for a few years, studied the local plants and wildlife and then sailed home to publish her findings. As always exhibitions at the Queen's Gallery are well laid out, the numbers of visitors well regulated to give plenty of space to examine the materials, and each special exhibition is always accompanied by a selection of items from the Queen's collection. On this occasion we found portraits of Victoria's children, the Ko-I-Noor diamond, some superb decorative armour and remarkable porcelain. Rating: 8/10

A Visit to Tate Modern

I'm not a great fan of modern art - in fact can someone tell me the difference between conceptual art and installation art? On the other hand, Tate Modern has the advantage

of having a wonderful location at the end of the Millennium Bridge, and facing the most spectacular view of St Paul's Cathedral. Usually the Turbine Hall (a vast space suitable for something massive) has a very unusual exhibit. On this occasion it was between things - the previous item - a crack in the floor - was being removed. However, there were several other works of 'art' that could be heavily criticised and ridiculed. Can a whole collection of used pieces of soap on a floor to ceiling kebab truly say anything worthwhile? On the other hand a room containing something called Thirty Pieces of Silver was interesting, and intriguing and admirable. This work consisted of a collection of dinner services, flattened by a steam roller and suspended from a high ceiling by strands of fine silver thread or wire. Not sure what it said about the betrayal of Christ, but there you go. There were some memorable Picasso's, Magritte's and a Stanley Spencer to be seen too.

Pompeo Batoni Exhibition

Currently at the National Gallery. The artist who became the 'artist of choice' for the Grand Tour of Europe in the Eighteenth Century. I knew nothing about this painter prior to seeing this wonderful collection of pictures. There is a terrific variety of subjects - the spectacular religious pieces, narratives and allegories on a huge scale, dramatic and visionary depictions, and of course excellent portraits - and so sensitive representations, bringing out the characters of those portrayed. Although these pictures fill entire walls in some cases the devotion to detail in each means they can, should, must be viewed not only at a distance to take in the grandeur of the subject, but close to in order to reveal the tiny references. Sumptuous is the word to describe this exhibition.

From Russia

A wonderful exhibition currently at the Royal Academy. There was a very difficult lead up to the opening to this exhibition, and for a while the Russian authorities seemed likely to withdraw permission for the wealth of artworks to be brought to London. This is a truly remarkable collection in broadly four sections.

The first section portraysRussian art and French influences in Russia between 1870 and 1900. In the first part of the C19th Russian art was dominated by biblical and mythological representaions - and this seemed inappropriate to the reality of Russian life. So towards the end of the century we see a depiction of Tolstoy as a barefoot peasant. The picture entitled 17th October 1905 seems to predict the kinds of heroic art of the Stalinist era however.

The second section concentrates on the two major Russian collectors of the late C19th/early C20th, Shchukin and Morozov. Here you have a swathe of great French art, including Gauguin, Monet, Manet and Picasso combined with great Russian contemporary artists, many heavily influenced by these artists.

The third section looks at the World of Art demonstrating the influence of the Russian greats in other areas of culture - especially the dance. Here you have Diaghilev, most famous as founder of the Ballet Russes, but also organiser of eleven exhibitions between 1897 and 1906, introducing French art to Russia. He used these influences in his theatrical designs.

The fourth section looks at the innovations of the first two decades of the C20th. Neo-Primitivism through Cubo-Futurism, transforming into Abstraction, and Constructivism, but always with a distinctively Russian feel. Some remarkable art came out of the darkest period of the First World War and the Russian Revolution.

A truly remarkable exhibition - Rating: 9/10

The First Emperor Exhibition

What a terrific exhibition - no wonder people are queuing in the early hours for 'on the day' entries. I was fortunate to go with a life friend of the British Museum, so tickets were well timed. This exhibition is always packed out with people - and I'd been warned about overcrowding. We were so lucky to be there at a 'quieter' time and were able to drift though and linger, and read the information fairly well. Of course the warriors are the stars, so delicate and yet sturdy, each individually crafted, but still uniform. However, it is the tiny details that are more fascinating - the arrowheads, the spears, the tiny indentations on the bottom of the boots worn by the archers - and the expressions on the horses faces. Lovely. The chariot pictured above is just beautiful. There are some beautifully sculptured metal birds and animals to be admired. This emperor ruled and unified China at a time when Britain was certainly fairly uncivilised in comparison - well before the arrival of the Romans. Something to think about - this Emperor introduced bureaucracy and legalism in opposition to the ideas of Confucius. Under the First Emperor the law was supreme, and there were punishments for infringement - no one was exempt or above the law. The alternative was, Confucius believed, good example imposing conformity. A good ruler would produce good subjects. Mmmmm