MANET, MORI & MARTINIS

Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets
courtesy of Musee d'Orsay

Last week as the snow had finally melted and the temperatures had crept up respectably I travelled into London to see the Manet: Portraying Life exhibition at the RA. The gallery was really busy, too busy in fact, to the point that it was difficult to see many of the paintings and impossible to read most of the information plaques. Many of the works appeared to be incomplete and having read some of the reviews that have discussed his techniques I'm not sure this worked well for me; there seemed to be an odd conflict of finished, detailed areas alongside what appeared to be unworked areas. Some of the works are exceptional; the contrast of black clothing with the luminosity of skin in Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets is stunning and it's impossible not to be provoked by Dejeuner sur l'herbe if only for the composition. As a whole though I have to admit that I found the exhibition a little bit disappointing and difficult to engage with and whether the volume of people present hampered it I'm not sure.

Dejeuner su l'herbe courtesy of The Courtauld Gallery

The next stop was a short stroll round the corner to Burlington Gardens and the Mariko Mori: Rebirth exhibition. This was completely different from the first one being much smaller and emptier which allowed the viewer to contemplate the work; I particularly liked the contrasting textures, the smoothness of ceramic with the ornate and scrolled opaque glass. The use of soft lighting to reflect and highlight some of the sculptural elements was interesting and reinforced the theme by making the spaces feel intimate and at times womb-like.

Flat Stone - image courtesy of artnet

So after the cultural excursion it was time for some food and a visit to Brasserie Zedel near Piccadilly Circus. You walk off the street and down into a gorgeous art deco interior with fabulous murals and mirrored walls until you enter the restaurant and are transported to Paris. I can recommend the escargot and beouf bourguignon and the wonderful French martinis are a must-have.

Oh and do visit the ladies toilets while you're there and enjoy the lovely tiles in the cubicles!