insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 03 - May 2015 | Page 19

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

art IN THE CAPITAL

by Lisamarie Lamb

London is a city of culture and art, and plenty of each can be found within the walls of
its numerous and varied art galleries and museums. For a day away from home, venturing
out into the capital to sample its creative and fascinating delights is a treat that can be
enjoyed in a group, with your partner, or by yourself.

La Carmencita by John Singer Sargent,
1890. © Musée dOrsay, Paris (R.F. 746)

National Portrait Gallery

Royal Academy of Arts

www.npg.org.uk // 020 7306 0055

www.royalacademy.org // 020 7300 8000

The National Portrait Gallery was
founded in 1856 for one reason: to
collect in one place portraits of famous
and notable men and women for all
to see. This was the only way at the
time that the public could find out for
free what their heroes and heroines
looked like, and as such, it was a
huge draw – just as it is today. Now
there are over 200,000 portraits
housed within its walls, and they cover
the period from 1600 to today.

The Royal Academy of
Arts is not ‘just’ a gallery;
there are plenty of
beautiful and intriguing
pieces on display,
including works by
Joseph Cornell, Daniel
Maclise, and Ross Wylie,
but this is also a place for
artists to hone their craft,
and to find their true
vocation. This is the home
of Britain’s first art school,
the RA School, where
alumni such as William
Blake perfected their craft.

May highlights include:
• Sargent: Portraits of Artists
and Friends
• Wellington: Triumphs, Politics
and Passions
• Old Titles and New Money: American Heiresses and the British Aristocracy
• Suffragettes: Deeds not Words

© 2014 The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation

May highlights include:
• An Abiding Standard:
The Prints of Stanley Anderson RA (until 24th May)
• Richard Diebenkorn
• Four Visions for the Future of Housing: The Future of Housing season
(until 17th May)

Barbican Art Gallery
www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery
// 020 7638 8891
The Barbican Centre in the City of London
has many faces; it is a concert hall, a
theatre, an exhibition space, a library, a
place to eat (it includes three restaurants)
Barbican Arts Centre
and, of course, an art gallery. This is the
place to visit for the most up to date and exciting exhibitions by w