Must-see: Picasso: Challenging the Past
From February 25 at National Gallery www.nationalgallery.org.uk
The National Gallery will break new ground as it stages a spectacular Picasso show. By tradition, 1900 had been this museum’s end point. After that, by tacit agreement, art was left up to the Tate. But now curators court a new audience with a blockbuster — this radical Spaniard’s relationship with the Old Masters. The sheer modernity of Picasso’s style was probably the most striking thing about him in his day. But actually he was curiously averse to selecting modern …

Simon Tarrent
Exhibits in the corridor.
Nature inspires Simon’s powerful and uncompromising paintings of light and colour.
Bold and swift use of oil is characteristic of his paintings, allowing him to capture the diverse qualities of the landscape that has inspired him. A mixture of influences is evident, from the spontaneous fluidity of Jack B. Yeats, to the vivid colours and raw emotion of Howard Hodgkin. Humphrey Ocean RA, commented that the brooding passion within Simon’s work is, “evocative of August Strindberg’s paintings, for their sense of foreboding”.
Fresh and contemporary, Simon’s unique new …

London Art Fair 2009
Modern British and international contemporary art from 100 galleries (predominantly painting, but also sculpture, photography, prints, video and installation art) is shown at this venue in north London.
January 14-18, Business Design Centre, London
www.londonartfair.co.uk
Adults £11/£15 (in advance/on the door); five-day pass £25; concessions £9; children under 12 years go free with an adult.
Art Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East
Jan 30-May 6
After the gallery’s inaugural show – a muted response to art’s big red Chinese dragon – comes a …