5 Best Exhibitions In London Museums Now

From retrospectives of famous artists to new commissions and competitions, Londoners and visitors always have a wide choice of museums and art galleries to visit. Here are five of the best shows to see in the capital now.

1.Cezanne, Tate Modern, Until 12 March

“With an apple, I will astonish Paris,” Paul Cézanne once claimed. The Impressionist genius’s still lifes of apples, as well as his landscapes and paintings of bathers did exactly that. Pablo Picasso called Paul Cézanne “the father of us all” and his influence can be clearly seen in the the art of Cubists and the generations of avant-garde artists who followed. The Tate Modern exhibition follows the artist as an ambitious young painter from the Mediterranean South, eager to make it in metropolitan Paris. Featuring many works shown for the first time in the UK, the show traces his struggle between seeking official recognition and joining the emerging impressionists before pursuing his own unique language.

2.Lucian Freud: New Perspectives, National Gallery, Until 22 January 2023

This first major exhibition of Lucian Freud’s work in ten years brings together paintings from more than seven decades. It spans a lifetime of work of one of Britain’s greatest painters, charting how Freud’s painting changed during his long career, from his early and intimate works to his well-known, large-scale canvasses and his intimate, naked portraits. The 60 works here include paintings of powerful public figures, alongside private studies of friends and family. The familiar, domestic setting gives way to the artist’s paint-splattered studio – a place that becomes both stage and a subject in its own right – and the approximated features of his earliest paintings are complemented by the expertly rendered flesh of his final works.

3.Making Modernism, Royal Academy, until 12 February 2023

This fascinating show is the first major UK exhibition devoted to pioneering women working in Germany in the early 1900s: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Kӓthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin. Female artists working in Germany in the early 20th century were at the forefront of modernism, exploring the tension and contractions of their changing world through themes such as motherhood, intimacy, the vibrant life of the city and the rural peace of the countryside. Bringing together 65 works, from seven artists, many never seen in the UK before, Making Modernism foregrounds the individuality of each artist whilst shining a spotlight on the strong affinities between them. The Russian-born painter Marianne Werefkin is a particular standout in this small but carefully curated show. Her paintings often include sombre-looking portraits or figures struggling down long roads, while her circus scenes and portraits of dancers display her fascination with the full range of human experience.

4.Africa Fashion, Victoria & Albert Museum, until 16 April 2023

This showcase of 45 designers from over 20 countries is a joyous celebration of the diverse creativity of African fashion from independence and the liberation years to the vibrant contemporary fashion of today. Be prepared to devote a morning or afternoon to this show as there’s so much to see and absorb. Over 250 objects are on display in the exhibition, with half from the museum’s permanent collection, including 70 new acquisitions. Many of the garments, from the personal archives of mid-twentieth century African designers, are on show for the first time in a London museum – Shade Thomas-Fahm, Chris Seydou, Kofi Ansah and Alphadi. These designers drew on past traditions, recovered, reinvented them and so laid the foundation for today’s fashion revolution. Designs from contemporary African fashion creatives are here too, including Imane Ayissi, IAMISIGO, Moshions, Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo.

5.Astronomy Photographer of the Year, National Maritime Museum, until 13 August 2023

The world’s greatest space photography is shown every year in this annual competition when photographers from across the globe compete to take home the prestigious title. Over 100 photographs are on show in a special exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, displayed in lightbox displays. As well as the overall winner, there were eleven different category prizes this year, from glittering galaxies and shimmering aurorae to out-of-this-world skyscapes. Gerald Rhemann is the overall winner of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022 for his photograph Disconnection Event. This remarkable image shows Comet C/2021 A1, commonly known as Comet Leonard, which was first discovered in January 2021 by astronomer Greg Leonard. For many astrophotographers this comet was the highlight of the year. “Astronomy, myth and art come together beautifully in this shot,” says competition judge Imad Ahmed. “It holds great value to scientists, as it elegantly captures a disconnection event. Yet this photograph, which was taken on Christmas Day, seems to tell an otherworldly story too – it could be the Star of Bethlehem, an angel or a fairy soaring through the night sky.”