The Easel

9th August 2022

A tortured existence

Sean McGlynn | The New Criterion | 5th August 2022

In the 1880’s, early in his career, Munch had a significant dalliance with Impressionism and Pointillism. Those influences came and went quickly – by 1892 the characteristic bold strokes and sombre purples and blues of his “soul paintings” had emerged. Some critics find the earlier works “patchy”, so “at odds” with his later style as to provide limited insight. Does that matter? One critic notes that viewers want “the torment, the anguish, the darkness, the big emo, and there’s plenty of it.“ Images are here.

England’s Coronation tapestries: the right royal story behind the lavish, 500-year-old textiles

Thomas Campbell | The Art Newspaper | 5th August 2022

Apparently, Henry VIII had an eye for art. He collected around 2500 tapestries, the best of which used extravagant amounts of gold and silver thread. The Story of Abraham, told in 10 tapestries, was woven in Brussels at huge expense and is Britain’s “most impressive set”. They carried political intent – Henry wanted Abraham’s story, by analogy, to position him as the “nation’s patriarch”. The tapestries were “a mirror for princes … readily understandable to everyone in Henry’s circles.” Images are here.

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