This week's art scene presents an exceptional array of exhibitions spanning from contemporary sculptural dialogues to rediscovered surrealist treasures. The highlight is "Encounters: Giacometti x Mona Hatoum," the second installment in an innovative series at London's Barbican that pairs today's sculptors with the legendary 20th-century artist Alberto Giacometti, renowned for capturing the fragile essence of human survival through his distinctive slender, simplified figures. This compelling exhibition runs from September 3 through January 11.
Several notable exhibitions are also opening across London's premier galleries. The Richard Saltoun Gallery presents a long-overdue showcase of Toyen, the Czech surrealist painter who has only recently emerged from historical obscurity, running from September 3 to October 4. Meanwhile, Gagosian Davies Street offers an intimate glimpse into Beatles history with Paul McCartney's personal photographs of the band during their rise to global fame in the winter of 1963, available for viewing until October 4. White Cube Masons Yard features the precisely calculated and impressive abstract works of New York-based artist Suzanne Song from September 4 to October 3.
Scotland contributes to the week's offerings with a significant historical exhibition at The National in Edinburgh. "Andrew Geddes" reveals how this Scottish Romantic-era artist pioneered etching techniques under Rembrandt's influence, showcasing his innovative approach until September 28. This exhibition demonstrates Geddes's crucial role in advancing printmaking during the Romantic period.
The week's standout image comes from a new retrospective celebrating photographer David Bailey, who revolutionized fashion photography in the 1960s with his iconic "Box of Pin-Ups" series. His 1965 portrait of Michael Caine exemplifies Bailey's groundbreaking technique of tightly cropping subjects' heads and shoulders against starkly lit white backgrounds. As Bailey noted at the time, "They're the hardest shots to do," yet these challenging compositions became his signature style that transformed fashion imagery.
This week's art world news included several significant developments: an old master painting stolen by Nazis was unexpectedly discovered on a real estate website, two-time Archibald Prize winner William Robinson passed away at age 89, and autumn exhibitions are already generating excitement with their innovative presentations and prestigious awards.
The week's masterpiece spotlight features "The Charity of St Nicholas of Bari" by Girolamo Macchietti (c.1555-60), currently housed at the National Gallery in London. This captivating painting exemplifies the narrative storytelling technique of Macchietti's master, Giorgio Vasari, the renowned architect, painter, and author of "The Lives of the Artists." Working primarily at Florence's Palazzo Vecchio, including in Francesco I's Studiolo, Macchietti developed an art of anecdotal storytelling under Vasari's direction.
The painting depicts the legendary moment when Saint Nicholas of Bari secretly throws gold balls into an impoverished gentleman's house at night, providing dowries for his daughters and saving them from destitution. Macchietti masterfully captures both the household's exhausted sleepiness and the underlying anxiety that keeps the family from resting comfortably. The figures sit fully clothed, suggesting they had been talking and worrying until finally succumbing to sleep in the early morning hours – precisely when Saint Nicholas delivers his miraculous gifts. This work perfectly embodies both the charm and theatrical quality characteristic of the Vasari school's distinctive approach to religious narrative painting.
