BEST FIVE EXHIBITIONS NOVEMBER 2010

Here are the  five top London shows I want to see:

Royal Academy -' Treasures from Budapest:  European Masterpieces from Leonardo to Schiele'.
It ends on 12 December.  Sounds like  it includes some great stuff, judging by  reviews I have read,
Link:
Royal Academy, Piccadilly, London

Turner Prize - at the Tate Britian, because I  found Dexter Dalwood's huge paintings/collages very interesting when I saw them several years ago at the Gagosian Gallery, London.
Link:
Turner Prize, at Tate Britain, Millbank, London

Thomas Lawrence at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martins Lane, London, to 23 January.  I rate him highly and find his portraits an inspiration.
Link:
Thomas Lawrence, portraits

British Museum, an exhibition of graphic art entitled Picasso to Julie Mehretu, to 25 April

Sounds fascinating, and the BM Prints Department Graphics comprise an unknown treasure house.
Link:
British Museum, Picasso to Julie Mehretu

The Courtauld Institute of Art, Gallery, London

A small exhibition of Cezanne's paintings of peasant card players and more, until 16 January
Link:
.Cezanne's card players

ZURBARAN, PAINTER OF PRIESTS, VELEZQUES, PAINTER OF PAINTERS

I was fortunate to hear the talk by Dr Xavier Bray, from the National Gallery, who demonstrated to us the greatness of Velazquez, and the considerable talent of Zurbaran.
Some information about Dr Bray is at this link from the Threadneedle Art Prize website

Xavier Bray

Of course we have been able to see two magnificent shows of Velazquez in London, fairly recently.   I have been lucky enought to visit to Prado in Madrid, too where there are fantastic paintings by him.
Here is useful information about Velazquez with some thumbnail images of some of his work.

Velazquez

I used a visual reference from the stupendous portrait of Philip IV in Brown and Silver, by Velazquez in the National Gallery- you can see him in the corner of my portrait of Ben, in similarly stuffed and puffed up clothing.

Philip IV of Spain in Brown and Silver