The Hidden Lives of Plants: Botanical Illustrations from the V&A 22 June – 10 November 2024 There are almost 1,000 botanical illustrations in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection – ranging from scientific diagrams documenting medicinal plants to merchandising images that adorn seed packets. Many of these illustrations also exist as objects of beauty in their own … Read more
Scent and the Art of the Pre-Raphaelites 11 October 2024 – 26 January 2025 Scent is a key motif in paintings by the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic movements. Fragrance is visually suggested in images of daydreaming figures smelling flowers or burning incense, enhancing the sensory aura of ‘art for art’s sake’. Scent was … Read more
Claudette Johnson: Darker Than Blue 22 June – 15 September 2024 Claudette Johnson is one of the foremost artists working in Britain today. Her primary subjects are Black women, including herself, and, more recently, Black men. Through these figures, Johnson employs a powerful style to explore the body; her work challenges perceptions of identity, sexuality … Read more
Women in Power: Coins from the Barber Collection 22 June 2024 – 26 January 2025 Spanning nearly 2,000 years and more than 2,500 miles, the Barber’s forthcoming coin exhibition explores historical women who have appeared on coins. From London to Ctesiphon (now Baghdad), and from representations of gender fluid deities from the 3rd century BC to … Read more