Egon Schiele The Poet, 1911
On rainy Saturdays in London, I sometimes head over to Trafalgar Square and take a walk through the labyrinth of The National Gallery. Now, a welcome addition to the familiar sight of the gallery’s permanent collection, the latest exhibition of Rebels & Martyrs plays on the cliché that artists are tortured souls outcast by the rest of society. Displaying a beautiful selection of paintings from the 18th century through till the early 20th century, it includes works by Schiele, Picasso, Van Gogh, Delacroix, and other ‘brooding’ painters. Opened June 28, 2006, it’ll be showing until August 28 in the Sainsbury Wing.
Sarah Badr © MMVI