The Easel

4th December 2018

Fernand Léger: The French artist whose abstract mechanical paintings were called Tubism

Alastair Smart | The Independant | 23rd November 2018

The ghastly experiences of WW1 did not dim Léger’s optimism. He expected technology would improve the quality of life. His art perfectly captures this outlook – ‘cylinder figures’, advertising iconography, forward thrust. Not the greatest show, critics think, but one that nonetheless reveals a “trail blazing artist fully engaged with the world around him”. More images are here.

27th November 2018

Lorenzo Lotto Portraits review: National Gallery show uncovers a forgotten Renaissance master

Matthew Collings | Evening Standard | 5th November 2018

To be blunt, Lotto was out-competed in Venice by Titian. Consequently, he mostly worked in Italy’s lesser towns. There, the talent that may have rankled Venice’s great and good could be fully revealed – portraits with great psychological depth. As one critic has noted, “One of the most interesting painters of the Renaissance rather than one of the best.”

Gainsborough’s Family Album review – the powerfully affecting work of a lifetime

Laura Cumming | The Guardian | 25th November 2018

Gainsborough liked landscapes but only did society portraits for the money. Portraits of his family were another matter. Advertisements of his capabilities they may have been, but “what is so compelling about these family portraits, seen en masse, is the paradoxical combination of light touch and deep emotion.” More images are here.

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