According to the Royal Academy in London, Victorian artist Richard Dadd produced terrifying creatures of the night and surreal dreamscapes before his confinement to Bedlam, where his visions became the focus of a new exhibition running from 25 July to 25 October. Major museums and galleries across the United Kingdom are staging high-profile exhibitions and revealing newly discovered collections, offering art enthusiasts a diverse calendar of cultural events this season.
Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam at the Royal Academy
The Royal Academy in London is exhibiting the unsettling works of Victorian artist Richard Dadd from 25 July to 25 October.
Alongside the Dadd exhibition, several other notable shows are currently welcoming visitors across London. The Richard Saltoun Gallery presents dreamlike mixed-media images by Felicity Powell, an artist who documented her own cancer before her death in 2015, in an exhibition running until 3 October. Additionally, Seventeen Gallery hosts “Autopsy,” featuring works by Paul McCarthy and Chino Moya that explore UFOs, the Roswell alien, and truth in the digital age through 15 August.
Did you know? Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery in London is featuring pastoral and horticultural new paintings by Clare Woods in her exhibition “Garden Without Seasons,” running from 29 July to 8 November.
Ray Exworth’s Secret Body of Work Revealed
According to reports on posthumous discoveries, sculptor Ray Exworth spent his life filling Cornish sheds with breathtaking sculptures while refusing to let anyone view them. Following his death, this secret body of work has finally been revealed to the public, offering a striking look at a lifetime of secluded artistic creation. Meanwhile, institutions in other regions are expanding their reach, such as Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, which is displaying tapestries alongside paintings and drawings by color-loving Scottish artist Elizabeth Blackadder through 14 November.
Institutional leadership is also shifting across the museum sector. According to museum announcements, Jessica Morgan has taken a significant pay cut to become the new director of the Tate. In other milestones, painter, sculptor, and performance artist Ken Turner celebrated his 100th birthday, continuing a lifetime of challenging cultural norms.
Vincent Van Gogh’s Peasant Woman at the National Gallery
According to the National Gallery in London, Vincent Van Gogh painted “Head of a Peasant Woman” around 1884 as part of his first truly ambitious art project in Nuenen, in the southern Netherlands. After abandoning early attempts at art dealing, teaching, and missionary work, Van Gogh viewed art as a social vocation. Instead of preaching to save the poor, he chose to depict their harsh lives directly on canvas.
This portrait of a peasant woman documents rural poverty and directly culminated in his famous 1885 painting, “The Potato Eaters.” According to gallery notes, Van Gogh captured sadness and distraction in her eyes as she patiently sat for him. By leaving the background vague, he heightened her individual presence, suggesting a tension between her workaday appearance and a richer, more elusive inner life that later drew him toward expressionism and wild color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Richard Dadd exhibition taking place?
According to the Royal Academy, the “Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam” exhibition is hosted at the Royal Academy in London from 25 July to 25 October.
Who is the new director of the Tate?
According to museum announcements, Jessica Morgan has taken over as the new director of the Tate.
Where can visitors view Vincent Van Gogh’s “Head of a Peasant Woman”?
According to the National Gallery, the painting is housed at the National Gallery in London.
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