Artbeat: weekly arts column
Although Elizabeth I and the wives of Henry VIII have been well served by television recently, other women from the Tudor and Stuart age have enjoyed less of the limelight. Now the National Portrait Gallery in London is staging Painted Ladies: women at the court of Charles II (until January 6, 2002), an exhibition of portraits of 17th-century women. The first important exploration of Restoration portraits for 20 years, the show is dominated by the paintings of Peter Lely, the King’s principal painter. The Restoration woman best known today is probably Nell Gwyn, the actress who became Charles II’s mistress. Although it’s difficult to separate genuine portraits of her from apocryphal ones, the exhibition has images of her as well as many likenesses of Charles II’s other mistresses. Pre-booked groups of more than 10 children, pound;2 per head. Bookings: 020 7306 0055; www.npg.org.uk More 17th-century art in The Stuart Portrait: status and legacy exhibition at the Southampton City Art Gallery (until December 30). Here the focus shifts to Charles II’s father, Charles I, who was a great patron of the arts in the 1630s, inviting painters such as Anthony Van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens to work in England. Details: 023 8063 2601; www.southampton .gov.ukleisurearts One legacy of Britain’s imperial history is a huge archive of photographs, a selection of which are on show in the India: pioneering photographers 1850-1900 exhibition at the Brunei Gallery in London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (until December 15). The photographs, drawn from the British Library’s Oriental and India Office and the Howard and Jane Ricketts collections, include scarce images from the 1840s. Details: Katriana Hazell, 020 7499 1287; k.hazell@ August Wilson’s Jitney is in repertory at the Royal National Theatre in Black History Month. The title is the American name for an unlicensed cab company, and the play is set in 1970s Pittsburgh. Box office: 020 7452 3000. Half-term events at the National in London include Play , an introduction to Japanese culture for children. On October 22 and 24, there are performances of Baby Love , a warm play about a new baby’s effect on an only child (box office: 020 7452 3000). London’s South Bank also holds its first festival of children’s literature, Imagine: writers and writing for children , this week. (details: 020 7960 4242; www.rfh.org.ukfamily ). This weekend, York hosts the SightSonic 2001 festival, with computer workshops, exhibitions, music, video and online participation (details: www.sightsonic.com ). Exhibitions and activities aimed at young audiences are also taking place at the Mercer Art Gallery and Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate (details: 01423 556188). In Newcastle , the Centre for the Children’s Book presents Ohanashi! Ohanashi! (“A story! A story!”), a family festival which embraces origami, haiku, printing, handscroll and music workshops (details: 0191 222 6059). A longer version of this review appears in this week’s Friday magazine
asiahouse.co.uk; www.education.bl.uk
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