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Visual Arts

Best London art exhibitions to see this spring

From Andy Warhol to Gauguin, Cecil Beaton to Aubrey Beardsley, these are the top exhibitions to see this spring.

Illustration for Oscar Wilde’s Salome 1893 The Peacock Skirt Line block print on paper Stephen Calloway Photo: © Tate

Aubrey Beardsley, Tate Britain

Fin-de-siècle enfant terrible Aubrey Beardsley had a reputation for being somewhat of a dandy and an eccentric. He was also an extremely talented illustrator. Next year Tate Britain will launch and exhibition of more than 200 of his works, including many rarely-seen ink drawings.

WHEN

04 Mar 2020 – 25 May 2020, Open every day 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

A portrait of Baba Beaton, the photographer’s sister. Photograph: Cecil Beaton/National Portrait Gallery/PA

Cecil Beaton's Bright Young Things, National Portrait Gallery

Vogue photographer and social butterfly Cecil Beaton captured the bold and the beautiful of high society during a golden age of glamour and fashion. This spring, an exhibition will examine Beaton's portraits of Britain's socialites from the 20s and 30s – the actors and dancers, aristocrats and influencers of the era.

WHEN

12 Mar 2020 – 07 Jun 2020, Daily 10am–6pm

WHERE

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych, 1962. Photograph: Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society/DACS

Andy Warhol exhibition, Tate Modern

This hotly anticipated exhibition of Andy Warhol's work will run at Tate Modern for six months and will include some of his best-known works.

WHEN

12 Mar 2020 – 06 Sep 2020, Sunday to Thursday 10.00–18.00 Friday to Saturday 10.00–22.00

WHERE

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Paul Paul Gauguin, Portrait of a Young Woman, Vaïte (Jeanne) Goupil, (1896)

Gauguin and the Impressionists, Royal Academy

Paul Gauguin headlines this all-star exhibition, which will examine the impressionists and their impact on the art that followed.

WHEN

29 Mar 2020 – 14 Jun 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Zanele Muholi, Tate Modern

Visual activist Zanele Muholi utilises photography, video and installation to produce work that explores black LGBTQI identities, shining a light on the prejudice and often violent discrimination experienced by this community.

WHEN

29 Apr 2020, 18 Oct 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Arctic: Culture and Climate, British Museum

This exhibition will explore the resilient communities of the Artic and what climate change means for their future.

WHEN

28 May 2020 – 23 Aug 2020, Open daily 10am – 5.30pm

WHERE

British Museum, Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Tate Britain 2020

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye is undoubtedly one of her generation's most intriguing painters. Her style is heavily influenced by the old masters, but her work every bit the product of a contemporary genius.

WHEN

19 May 2020 – 31 Aug 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1654 or later) Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria about 1615-17. © The National Gallery, London

Artemisia, National Gallery

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1654 or later) is one of the most important painters of the Italian baroque and somewhat of feminist icon. She achieved the near impossible, becoming a highly successful painter in the face of overwhelming odds and possessed a formidable talent, lending a woman’s perspective to man’s world.

WHEN

04 Apr 2020 – 28 Jul 2020, 10am – 6pm daily. 10am – 9pm Fridays

WHERE

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN