William Blake: Apprentice and Master - Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

(Image linked in from the website of The Independent review, below)

I think this is one of those exhibitions in which the more you know about the artist beforehand the more you get out of it. I knew almost nothing about Blake before I went, and hand on heart I don't think I knew a heck of a lot more about him after I'd been. I knew a lot more about printmaking, and I had more of an understanding of Blake the printmaker and how he was keen to both exploit new techniques and to innovate in his own workflow. But I didn't get any sense of the man at all from it, no feeling of engagement with the person behind the printing press.

Now, not for one bit am I doing down the exhibition. It's like everything at the Ashmolean well planned and executed, though due to the nature of the materials on show the light levels are very low so seeing some of the details is a challenge for those of us with less than hawk like vision. It moves chronologically from his early days as an apprentice engraver through to his late work, and then includes work by those influenced by him. There are original copper plates on show so one can appreciate the amazing detail in the engraving, as well as some of his woodblocks. Lots of his prints to enjoy of course, including different prints from the same plate to illustrate how they differ. I'm going to put my hands up for this one and admit that frankly, I don't find I engage with Blake very well, somehow I just don't get that 'wow moment' - sorry.

Here are links to a couple of good reviews of the exhibition, either of which I wish I'd read first :-)

Richard Dorment, Daily Telegraph
Maev Kennedy The Guardian
Nick Clarke The Independent

I think though, for those more knowledgeable about Blake, his life and work, there was much more to be taken away from this exhibition than I did. So if you're going to see it and you're not a Blake fan, then my suggestion is that some background reading might be an idea

It's on till the first of March, so you've got another month to catch it - more information here

Cezanne and the Modern - Ashmolean Museum

"Masterpieces of European Art from the Perlman Collection"

Before today I have to admit that I had consciously seen few Cezanne paintings; I'm sure I've seen them in major galleries but never actually looked at them or thought about them. This exhibition has definitely made me want to see more of his work and to find out more about him. The exhibition contains works from the collection of Henry and Rose Perlman, and is the first time it's been shown in Europe. While the backbone of the show are the Cezanne paintings, there are also works by many of the greats of late 19th and early 20th century art like Degas, Modigliani, Lautrec and others.

Apart from a Degas, which is going to get a post all to itself once I've sorted out in my head how I feel about it, for me the stars of the show are the Cezanne watercolours which are breathtaking in their subtly and vibrancy (and that, dear reader, is a hell of a combination to pull off). They look very, very modern to the point where one might imagine somebody today doing something very similar in Photoshop and producing a similar effect. Tree trunks in sharply defined graphite mixed with strange ethereal foliage in many colours and shades are amazing - they are absolutely a representational image...but they're also just so abstract at the same time.

I loved this one - "Paths, Trees and Walls" from 1900

It's a great show and well worth catching if you can

There's a really good review with lots more information on the Perlman collection on the FT Website, and the website of the Perlman Collection itself