The Courtauld Gallery - “Pure bliss beckons” The Independent on Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection

Visit The Courtauld Gallery in May

Final Weeks: Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection

★★★★★  The Evening Standard ★★★★★  Time Out "A display focused on Botticelli’s illustration for Dante’s Divine Comedy confronts us with a talent and a vision so exceptional that it shocked me. I knew he was brilliant. I did not know he was this brilliant." The Sunday Times

This major exhibition features no less than thirty of Botticelli’s exquisite drawings for Dante’s Divine Comedy alongside a selection of outstanding Renaissance illuminated manuscripts. These works were all sensationally sold to Berlin in 1882 by the 12th Duke of Hamilton. Dated to around 1480-95 and drawn on vellum, Botticelli’s Dante drawings are very rarely exhibited. This is an exceptional opportunity to see a representative collection of the great Renaissance master’s interpretation of one of the canonical texts of world literature. Ten drawings will be included from each of the three parts of the Divine Comedy, charting Dante’s imaginary journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. The drawings will be accompanied by an extraordinary selection of illuminated manuscripts, many from the time of Botticelli. These include the monumental Hamilton Bible. One of the most important illuminated manuscripts in the world, this splendid princely volume is depicted in Raphael’s portrait of Pope Leo X and has never returned to the UK since its sale in 1882.

Organised in collaboration with

Benefactors Anonymous in memory of Melvin R. Seiden Friends of The Courtauld International Music and Art Foundation

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Bruegel in Black & White: Three Grisailles Reunited  Closes 8 May 2016 Bruegel: A Tree-mendous Discovery  Gallery Blog  This focused exhibition brings together for the first time Bruegel’s only three surviving grisaille paintings: The Courtauld’s Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery, The Death of the Virgin from Upton House and Three Soldiers from the Frick Collection in New York. This exhibition includes replicas made by Bruegel’s sons, as well as other grisailles, in order to shed light on this genre in Northern Europe.       Supporters Friends of The Courtauld Johnny Van Haeften Ltd Eijk and Rose-Marie de Mol van Otterloo Displays at The Courtauld Gallery not only offer the possibility to see masterpieces in a different light and a different context but in preparing them, curators and conservators carry out a wealth of research on the works. Bruegel in Black & White: Three Grisailles Reunited was no exception, but the investigation yielded exceptional results....    Read the full blog here Book now Tickets now on sale Summer Showcase Georgiana Houghton: Spirit Drawings 16 June - 11 September 2016 Georgiana Houghton (1814-1884) was a Spiritualist medium who, in the 1860s and 70s, produced an astonishing series of largely abstract watercolours. Detailed explanations on the back of the works declare that her hand was guided by various spirits, including several Renaissance artists, as well as higher angelic beings. In 1871 Houghton rented a gallery in Bond Street and presented 155 of these works to an astonished London audience. Organised in collaboration with Monash University Museum of Art Book now

Ornament by Design, 23 April - 12 June 2016 Drawings Gallery

Ornament by Design: Behind-the-scenes

This display explores the ways in which ornament transforms buildings, objects, and other surfaces into something beautiful: objects of desire.  Ornament by Design presents a range of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French drawings: elevations and sections of buildings, ornamental motifs, garden ornaments, ceiling decorations, designs for frames and architectural capriccios.  They illustrate the variety of forms that ornament assumed and the functions it performed in the built environment of the ancien régime.

Discover what it takes to develop and execute a display like Ornament by Design at The Courtauld Gallery. Listen to our audio series to learn more about the works selected to be on display. Find out about the team of students and academics who carefully curated this show and view behind-the-scenes images and background information about each of the works.

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May Talks  Curator's Talks Wednesday 6 May 17.00 - 17.30 Join us on the first Wednesday of every month for a curator’s talk on the artwork, themes and ideas behind our latest exhibition. Talks are included in your admission ticket. Lunchtime Talks Every Monday & Friday 13.15 - 13.30 Lunchtime talks are delivered by students and researchers at The Courtauld Institute of Art.  They are informal and an interesting way of looking closely at the works in our collection. Included in your admission ticket. Sunday Talks Sundays 15.00 - 15.45 Explore highlights from the latest exhibition, or works from the collection, as they are examined by postgraduate students from The Courtauld Institute of Art. Included in your admission ticket, see our events calendar for dates. Sunday Music Sundays 15.00 - 15.45 Listen to performances inspired by the collection as you enjoy your visit. Included in your admission ticket, see our events calendar for dates. Find out more

Travel through ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos at dusk and embark on your own Sunset Safari.

Prepare for animal adventures, face painting and festival fun Travel through ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos at dusk and embark on your own Sunset Safari. Relax and be entertained as the sun goes down in the company of some of the world’s most fascinating animal species while watching animal themed acrobats, discovering exotic food, and learning more about the science of animals. Visitors can unwind to the sounds of smooth jazz and acoustic jams under the glow of fairy lights and animal lanterns, discover more about their favourite species and explore the delights of the World Food Market. These limited ticketed events take place from 6pm - 10pm on selected evenings in June and July. Book now for 35% off limited early bird tickets but hurry - once they're gone they're gone!

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British Museum - What's on in May

What’s on May 2016

Dive in and explore! The BP exhibition Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds opens on 19 May. Featuring stunning objects that have been submerged under the sea for a thousand years, it will showcase the rich interaction between ancient Egypt and the Greek world. It’s likely to be very popular, so make sure you book in advance! This month, you can also explore the fascinating history of the Mediterranean’s largest island in our Sicily exhibition, on until 14 August. May is also your last chance to see smaller exhibitions and displays on shoes from the Islamic world, British hoards and the Pacific god A’a.

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A blockbuster exhibition

The BP exhibition Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds Opens 19 May ‘The undoubted blockbuster exhibition of the season’  Evening Standard ‘The stuff of legend’ Daily Telegraph Vanished beneath the waters of the Mediterranean, the lost cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus lay at the mouth of the Nile. Over the last 20 years, world-renowned archaeologist Franck Goddio and his team have excavated spectacular underwater discoveries using the latest technologies. They will be seen alongside fascinating objects from major Egyptian museums for the first time in the UK in this major exhibition. Supported by BP #SunkenCities Watch the trailer › Book now ›

Victoria and Albert Museum - May at the V&A

ELYTRA FILAMENT PAVILION 18 May – 6 November 2016 The John Madejski GardenOpening this month is a newly commissioned Garden installation, Elytra Filament Pavilion by experimental architect Achim Menges with Moritz Dörstelmann, structural engineer Jan Knippers and climate engineer Thomas Auer. In the form of a large-scale, site-specific undulated canopy structure, the Pavilion explores the impact of emerging robotic technologies on engineering, architectural design and making. It will grow over the course of the V&A Engineering Season in response to data on structural behaviour and patterns of inhabitation of the Garden. Read more Free, drop inPart of the V&A Engineering Season #vamEngineeringSeason

BOTTICELLI REIMAGINED  Until 3 July 2016 Sponsored by Societe Generale ‘Wonderful – a must-see!’TripAdvisor Discover the ways that artists and designers from the time of the Pre-Raphaelites to the present have responded to the artistic legacy of Sandro Botticelli (1445 – 1510). This major exhibition includes over 50 original works by Botticelli alongside those by artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, René Magritte, Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman. Read more and book V&A Members go free #BotticelliReimagined   PAUL STRAND:PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM FOR THE 20TH CENTURY Until 3 July 2016 Supported by the American Friends of the V&A ‘***** moving and magic’ Time Out One of the 20th century’s greatest photographers, Strand’s images have defined how photography is understood today. This major retrospective lets you discover over 200 objects spanning Strand’s entire career, including breakthrough trials in abstraction, street portraits, travels and the avant-garde film Manhatta (1920 - 21).  Read more and book V&A Members go free The international tour is organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in collaboration with Fundación MAPFRE and made possible by the Terra Foundation for American Art. #PaulStrand Inspired by Paul Strand’s work? Enter our competition with your#MyStrandPhoto UNDRESSED: A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNDERWEARUntil 12 March 2017 Sponsored by Agent Provocateur and Revlon Book your tickets to this much anticipated exhibition. Learn about the intimate relationship between underwear and fashion and its role in moulding the body to a fashionable ideal, with cut, fit, fabric and decoration revealing issues of gender, sex and morality. Read more and book  V&A Members go free #vamUndressed

MEET LULU FROST DESIGNER LISA SALZERMonday 9 May Meet the creative force behind cult New York jewellery brand Lulu Frost. Drop into the V&A Shop Monday 9 May, 11.00 –17.00 Shop Lulu Frost    WORLD OF WEDGWOOD POP UPTuesday 3 May, 10.00 – 17.00 Explore the making of Ceramics at Wedgwood’s first V&A pop up designed for London Craft Week. This event brings makers from Wedgwood to the V&A for the first time to take over the ceramics studio space. Read more Free, drop-in JAPAN FESTIVAL FOR FAMILIES Sunday 1 May, 11.00 – 17.00 Join in for special Children's Day celebrations. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and stories of Japan. Take part in dance, music, storytelling, digital and art activities for all the family. Read more  Free, drop in     THE DECISIVE MOMENT  Tuesdays, 3 May – 28 June (excluding 31 May) 10.30 – 13.00 Learn how best to previsualise moments, explore candid photography and strengthen your powers of observation. Read more and book   FASHION AND FICTION: SARAH DUNANT Thursday 5 May, 18.30 – 19.30 Join broadcaster and best-selling novelist Sarah Dunant in conversation with journalist Rosie Goldsmith as they discuss her popular ‘Italian novels’, including The Birth of Venus and Blood And Beauty, which explore the lives of women in Renaissance Italy. Read more and book    COLLECTING FUTURE JAPANFriday 27 May, 10.00 – 17.30 This one-day international conference will examine emerging trends in Japanese design and consider what kinds of objects museums such as the V&A should be collecting now and in the future. Read more and book    WEIRD MUSEUM AT NIGHT Thursday 12 May, 19.00 – 21.00 Museum of Childhood Explore the V&A Museum of Childhood, its Collection and its building in this bizarre Museum late. Discover the strange quirks of puppetry, dolls houses and Victorian toys in the heart of East London. Read more and book      SICILY: CULTURE AND CONQUESTUntil 14 August 2016 British Museum  Sicily has been shaped by waves of settlement over 4,000 years. Discover the fascinating stories of a cosmopolitan island at the centre of the ancient and medieval world in this new special exhibition. Read more   WORDS IN THE SQUARE CELEBRATING 175 YEARS OF INSPIRATIONThursday 5 – Sunday 8 May 2016 St James's Square Gardens  Be inspired at a weekend of talks and debates celebrating 175 years of The London Library. To enjoy £4 off all tickets enter the promotional code VAOFFERwhen you book atwww.londonlibrary.co.uk/175   TAKE YOUR PICK AT ART16Friday 20 – Sunday 22 May 2016Olympia London Special offer: Buy 2 tickets for the price of 1* At ART16 explore an exciting edit of over 1000 artworks from more than 30 countries. Plus enjoy a series of installations, a programme of free talks, regular guided tours and much more… *Use the code VA241 before Friday 13 May and get 2 general admission tickets for the price of 1. Read more