Exhibition of the week
I, I, I, I, I, I, I Kathy Acker
A fascinating journey through the writer and performer’s visionary words, illuminated by some terrific pieces, from Jamie Crewe’s gorgeously decadent drawings to a ventilation system stripped from a Belgian bar. Funny, strange and moving. Read the five-star review.
• ICA, London, until 4 August.
Also showing
Francis Bacon
Blood and guts in 1950s Soho from the greatest British (and Irish) artist of the 20th century.
• Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, until 2 June.
Joy for Ever
On the 200th anniversary of John Ruskin’s birth this exhibition seeks to revive his belief in the social purpose of art, featuring work by Helen Allingham, Jorge Otero-Pailos, JMW Turner and others.
• Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, until 9 June.
Peter Halley and Ugo Rondinone
Halley’s paintings of networks and systems meet Rondinone’s surreal sculptures in a joint meditation on the architecture of power.
• Modern Art Vyner Street, London, 4 May-15 June.
Woodwork: A Family Tree of Sculpture
A survey of wood carving in art from traditional African sculpture to Barbara Hepworth.
• Leeds Art Gallery until 29 March 2020.
Masterpiece of the week
Minerva Protects Pax from Mars (“Peace and War”), 1629-30, Peter Paul Rubens
Mars, the brutal and savage god of war, looks wistful and disappointed as Minerva, goddess of wisdom, prevents him from slaughtering innocent children who play among the fruits of peace. If the allegory seems none too subtle that’s because Rubens painted this as a direct political statement. Nowadays that would probably mean protest art. Yet Rubens was working for peace from the inside. This consummate painter of the baroque age – the flowing energy, ripe colours and florid figures of this mighty picture typify his talent – was not just a jobbing artist but a courtier who mixed with the monarchs of Europe. He painted this when he was visiting England as an ambassador for Spain, and presented it to Charles I as a visual argument for a peace treaty between the two powers that had been at each others’ throats since the days of the Armada. However, the nightmare of civil war would ravage Britain in spite of this plea for peace, and King Charles would himself be executed. Those fruits are fragile.
• National Gallery, London.
Image of the week
Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, artist unknown
A sketched portrait found among Queen Elizabeth II’s huge collection of Leonardo da Vinci drawings has been identified as an image of the great artist himself. It is is only the second known surviving depiction of him. Assumed to have been made by one of his studio assistants, it presents Leonardo in a thoughtful pose. The identification coincides with the 500th anniversary of his death. The sketch will go on public display at Buckingham Palace this summer.
What we learned
Leonardo da Vinci was no slouch as a musician, either
The 2019 Turner prize has a thrilling shortlist …
… while Stagecoach’s sponsorship ended over an LGBT rights row
Marine Tanguy wants Instagrammers to improve their visual diet
… while Dmitry Markov’s images from Russia are an inspiring choice
Yuri Kozyrev’s Carmignac prize-winning photojournalism explores Russia’s legacy in the Arctic
Australia’s Archibald portrait prize is stirring debate about representation …
… take a look at some of the contenders
Polish censors found bananas disturbing, but artists love them
Blenheim Palace will get a solid-gold toilet – and you can try it out
The true story behind an iconic Dutch wartime portrait has been uncovered
Maja Daniels has chronicled the weirdest village in Sweden
Artemisia Gentileschi is on tour
Matthijs Kuijpers got close to some striking sitters
Sculptor David Nash helps open a new museum in Cardiff
America’s fading shopfronts are signs of the times
Mega-cities photographer Michael Wolf has died
Don’t forget
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