Tate bites off more than it can chew
Art
MIGRATIONS
Tate Britain
***
MIGRATIONS is not a user-friendly exhibit – abstract and vague from the get-go (what is the plural of migration when applied to art, exactly?), I walked in feeling out of my depth. But once inside, Migrations comes into its own – or at least, it tries to. London has always drawn the best and brightest of the continent as it has long been considered Europe’s best art marketplace. So when it comes to artistic migrants to this sceptred isle, there are very rich pickings indeed. The ambitious exhibit seeks to show the ways in which foreign artists used Britain to launch or develop themselves – and new ideas – over the last 400 years.
Portraiture, landscape, decorative art and ship and boat painting were some of the genres introduced to Britain by European painters under Charles I, an ardent patron of the arts. Most of the court painters shown here (these include the likes of Van Dyck) are Flemish. Their expansive, finely-hewn landscape paintings are particularly lovely, from Hampton Court and gardens to the hills of Yorkshire. Charles also favoured Italians, including Canaletto and Antonio Verrio (no less), and this is a chance to see their richly colourful, ornate work, too.
Moving along the time-line takes us to a terrific room, featuring some breathtaking Singer Sargents and Whistlers, both of whom were American (and European-influenced) but lived in London. Works like Sargent’s Study of Madame Gautrau in a revealing dress were deemed too racy by the British chattering classes: this room is all about the clash of French and English tastes and values.
It wasn’t long until British prudery migrated along with the incoming flock of painters. A room devoted to Jewish and immigrant art is tightly focused and interesting, with work made by those who fled Nazi or other oppressive regimes. Work by Bomberg, Siegfried and Charoux is captivating.
The 1950s and onwards sees the introduction of all sorts of artistic ideas, but at this point the unifying idea of the exhibit feels too loose and harried. With Migrations, Tate Modern has bitten off more than it can chew, but it should be applauded for the effort.
And it’s a chance to see some classic stunners alongside some unusual gems from recent times.