London exhibitions to see this Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time to visit an exhibition at London’s art galleries, either to take time out from the festive celebrations or to revel in the luxury of the holidays.

We’ve pulled together some of the exhibitions that will be on in the Capital this December and January.

Take your pick!

BRIDGET REILLY

HAYWARD GALLERY, 23 OCTOBER 2019 – 26 JANUARY 2020

A major retrospective exhibition devoted to British artist Bridget Riley. The exhibition brings together the artist’s iconic black-and-white paintings of the 1960s, expansive canvases in colour, early figurative works and recent wall paintings. Further information.

Read our review of the Bridget Reilly exhibition by Life:Full Colour Founder, Sara McKee, seen here examining one of Reilly’s pieces.

LUCIAN FREUD: THE SELF PORTRAITS

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS, 27 OCTOBER 2019 — 26 JANUARY 2020

See more than 50 paintings, prints and drawings of Lucian’s Freud’s self-portraits. The exhibition brings together self-portraits from public and private collections, some of which have not been seen in public for years. Works include Freud’s first self-portrait, “Man With a Feather,” painted in 1943 when the artist was only 20 and “Painter Working, Reflection,” painted 50 years later. Further information.

LEONARDO: EXPERIENCE A MASTERPIECE

NATIONAL GALLERY, 9 NOVEMBER 2019 – 12 JANUARY 2020

The National Gallery becomes a painting studio, an imagined chapel and a room-sized experiment in this immersive exhibition that leads you through the mind of Leonardo da Vinci to explore his masterpiece, ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’. Further information.

ANTONY GORMLEY: IN FORMATION

WHITE CUBE, 13 NOVEMBER 2019 – 18 JANUARY 2020

A free exhibition featuring new cast iron work from Antony Gormley that questions to what extent we are the product of our environment, and to what extent we are makers of it. The focus is block works that Gormley calls Aggregates, which resemble the human body made from metal cubes.  Individual blocks weigh between 11 and 700 kilos each. Further information.

Read about Gormley’s major solo show in this post about autumn exhibitions in London.

WINTER COMMISSION

TATE BRITAIN, 30 NOVEMBER 2019 – 26 JANUARY 2020

Anne Hardy is an internationally recognised British artist known for her photography, sculptural installation and audio.

In the third annual Winter Commission, Hardy transforms Tate Britain’s iconic facade into a marooned temple in an exploration of the natural rhythms of the earth, tides, and the winter solstice. Further information.

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For tips on how to maximise your enjoyment at an art gallery, read our post here. And if you want to enjoy discounts to major exhibitions, check out the National Art Pass here.