Week in art: Renoir's warmth, 90s nostalgia and the goddess Aphrodite
London and Oxford galleries this autumn feature exhibitions on Renoir's impressionism, 1990s fashion and art, and depictions of the goddess Aphrodite, alongside a rare David Hockney dog painting heading to auction.
The National Gallery in London opens an exhibition on 3 October, running until 31 January, dedicated to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, presenting his impressionist paintings as both joyful and grounded in realism around the theme of love.
Tate Britain will host a show from 8 October to 14 February exploring 1990s fashion and art, revisiting a decade when Britain saw itself as culturally cool. Meanwhile, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford presents "Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess" from 8 October to 11 April, bringing together depictions of the ancient goddess of love and desire — also known by her Latin name Venus — in works by Botticelli, Michelangelo Pistoletto and others.
Modern Art Oxford will show sculptor Mike Nelson's installation "Double Negative (The Clown)" from 3 October to 11 April, continuing his signature style of unsettling urban labyrinths. At the Royal Academy in London, an exhibition on painting of the French Riviera — featuring works by Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse — continues until 31 January, though it has been described as a tiring experience.
Hockney's dog and other highlights
This week's featured image is David Hockney's 1995 painting of his beloved dachshund Stanley, set to go under the hammer on 14 October during the Frieze art fair, with an estimated value of £1.5m to £2.5m. Until the auction, the painting can be viewed free of charge at Christie's auction house in London.
The week's masterpiece pick is Jean-Baptiste Pater's "Fête Galante" (around 1721-1725), held by the National Gallery, depicting figures picnicking in a park dotted with classical sculptures. The painting belongs to a genre pioneered by Pater's teacher, Antoine Watteau, and later reimagined by Renoir in his own impressionist style.
