You see, you cannot intervene and lead love and desire when you feel them with such power and clarity. They come effortlessly, unexpectedly, from the depths of the soul to the surface. All these moments are rare, almost sacred, for human existence
Tag: Reviews
Peacock and Vine by AS Byatt review – Mariano Fortuny and William Morris, masters of design
Byatt teases out the similarities and contrasts between two multifaceted makers, who each gave their name to famous brands, in this late-life meditation on the values of art
Tate Modern’s Switch House review – brain-fizzing art to power a pyramid
Supersized sculpture, live performance and piles of goo get the airing they deserve in an expansion full of surprise – the 360-degree lookout is art itself
Bruegel in Black and White review – a brief but harrowing encounter
Courtauld Gallery, London
While the best-loved paintings of Pieter Bruegel the Elder overflow with life, there are no cakes and ale in these images drawn from his darker side
Miró’s Studio review – hallucinatory shop window for the surrealist’s later works
Mayoral gallery, London
Recreation of the painter’s Mallorca studio is a tasteful homage, showing Miró moving beyond political dissent to something less cutting-edge – cosy even
Listen to Me Marlon review – intimate portrait of the actor
Using an archive of the star’s recollections, Brando’s gradual decline from giant of the screen to bloated bit-part player is carefully teased out
Goya: The Portraits review – the artist in an extraordinary new light
National Gallery, London
This spectacular show of Goya’s weird, wilful and radically truthful portraits brings him out of the shadows at last
The German War by Nicholas Stargardt review – the Third Reich’s home front
A penetrating study of ordinary Germans’ lives during the second world war
Sonia Delaunay review – chic, dynamic, perpetually modern
Tate Modern, London
From knitted swimwear and bright ballgowns to the pure colour and rhythm of her paintings, the nonstop invention of abstract pioneer Sonia Delaunay feels timeless
Between Worlds; Des Knaben Wunderhorn – review
Barbican, London
Tansy Davies and Nick Drake’s 9/11 opera is daunting, difficult and simply told
James Turrell: A Retrospective review – light and colour reach for the sublime
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
The American artist plays with real and artificial light to create tricks on the mind and eye, invoking a feeling of awe that’s rare in contemporary art
• James Turrell interview: I can make the sky any colour you choose