4 of London's best 2020 art exhibitions
Andy Warhol to Queen Elizabeth I
What a year! Not in a good way obviously. When 2020 was ushered in no one would have thought that museums and galleries across the world would have been shut for most of it. But despite the turmoil, despite the openings and closings (and reopenings and reclosings), there were still some great exhibitions held in London this year. Here are 4 of my favourites.
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Derek Jarman: My Garden’s Boundaries are the Horizon - Garden Museum
The story of Derek Jarman’s garden at Prospect Cottage in Kent was beautifully explored at London’s Garden Museum on the south side of the Thames. It recreated the cottage in a way that somehow did manage to make you feel like you were really there. Wonderfully evocative, it was a small show that punched above its weight.
Andy Warhol at Tate Modern
It’s easy to forget just how unsettling it felt when lockdown closed all of the UK’s museums and galleries. The fact that this blockbuster - years in the planning - was shuttered just days after opening highlighted how far from normality we were heading. Thankfully, this thrilling exhibition got a decent run in the summer reopening, ensuring that art-lovers (although far fewer than originally hoped due to social distancing) could still experience this rollercoaster ride of pop art.
Andy Warhol at Tate Modern. Photo: @maxwellmuseums
Artemisia - National Gallery
The most eagerly anticipated exhibition of the year didn’t disappoint. The first major exhibition of Artemisia Gentileschi’s work in the UK, it reunited all her major paintings from around the world. A thrilling show that packed a punch in every piece, it was unsurprisingly a roaring sell-out success. Artemisia’s 21st Century fame has been cemented.
Faces of a Queen - Queen’s House in Greenwich
Sometimes the simplest shows can be the best. This history-making exhibition was a real joy, as the three surviving Armada portraits of Elizabeth I were displayed alongside each other for the very first time. You can’t beat the feeling of being in the presence of such iconic works, especially in the palatial surroundings of the excellent 17th century Queen’s House.
Faces of a Queen at Queen’s House. Photo: @maxwellmuseums
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