National Portrait Gallery

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was the greatest portrait painter of his generation. Acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic, he was closely connected to many of the other leading artists, writers, actors and musicians of the time. His portraits of these friends and contemporaries, including Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet and Robert Louis Stevenson, were rarely commissioned and allowed him to create more intimate and experimental works than was possible in his formal portraiture.

This major exhibition of over seventy portraits spans Sargent’s time in London, Paris and Boston as well as his travels in the Italian and English countryside. Important loans from galleries and private collections in Europe and America make this an unmissable opportunity to discover the artist’s most daring, personal and distinctive portraits.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Admission

Tickets, including donation:
Full price £16
Concessions £14.50

Website

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/sargent/home.php

Wellington: Triumphs, Politics and Passions, the first gallery exhibition devoted to the Duke of Wellington, marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815).

The Duke of Wellington’s long life (1769 –1852) spanned the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Most famous for his military career which culminated with victory over Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo, Wellington later entered politics, serving twice as Prime Minister. The exhibition will explore these aspects of his character as well as his personal life, and illustrate the role of visual culture in creating the hero and the importance of the portrait in Wellington’s own public and private self-representation.

Website

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2015/wellington-triumphs-politics-and-passions.php

This fascinating photographic exhibition illustrates the life of actress and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993). From her early years as a chorus girl in London’s West End through to her philanthropic work in later life, Portraits of an Icon will celebrate one of the world’s most photographed and recognisable stars.

A selection of more than sixty images will define Hepburn’s iconography, including classic and rarely seen prints from leading twentieth-century photographers such as Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Angus McBean, Norman Parkinson and Irving Penn. Alongside these, an array of vintage magazine covers, film stills, and extraordinary archival material will complete her captivating story.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Admission

Tickets, including donation:
Full price £10
Concessions £8.50

Website

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/hepburn/home.php

A unique cross-site CPD day (starting at the Imperial War Museum London) exploring the themes of truth and memory looking at conflict from the First World War to the present day. Teachers will have the opportunity of working with key speakers to explore questions about memory, representation and the shaping of identity.

Highlights include:
• Exclusive private view of the Imperial War Museum London’s new First World War Galleries before public opening hours and discussion with curator and historian Ian Kikuchi.
• Lucy Wood - Assistant Curator, National Portrait Gallery, considers impact of Sargent’s portrait commission General Officers of World War I (1922).
• Stephen Bourne – Community Historian and author of Black Poppies: Britain's Black Community and the Great War.
• John Johnston – Head of Art and Learning, Goldsmiths, explores his recent work on the United Nations committee on memory and memorial in present day conflicts and the teaching of history in post-conflict nations.
• Workshops at Imperial War Museum London considering their current exhibition Truth and Memory: British Art of the First World War and other artworks.

Admission

FREE
Booking essential

Booking information:
Please note that although this event is free, to cover costs we will charge a fee of £40 per head for no shows. Cancellations may be made up until 10 am Monday 2 March in order to allow us to cover spaces from the waiting list.

Website

http://www.npg.org.uk/learning/schools-and-colleges/cpd#infocus

Tate Paintings Conservator, Rebecca Hellen, and Tate Conservation Scientist, Dr Joyce Townsend, share recent research into key works by Sargent in Tate’s collection, showing the methods and materials he used and the consequences these have had for the appearance and preservation of these paintings.

This event offers an opportunity to learn about the making of Sargent's oil paintings, the methods and materials he used and the consequences these have had for the appearance and preservation of these paintings. Tate Paintings Conservator, Rebecca Hellen, and Tate Conservation Scientist, Dr Joyce Townsend have examined a selection of Sargent's paintings in Tate's collection alongside one of his paint boxes. Their study has focused on gathering technical information from a number of different collections as well as new examinations on some of Sargent's most iconic pieces.

Suitable for

Admission

Tickets: £7 (£6 concessions and Gallery Supporters) Book online, or visit the Gallery in person.

Website

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/late-shift-1/lecture-sargents-methods-for-painting-portraits-14052015.php

DJ Mr Madam combines a range of musical styles to create his sets
 from Thomas Tallis to Gracie Fields
Grace Jones to John Barry
Duke Ellington to Lord Creator
 if you can hum it, he will try and play it.

Suitable for

Website

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/late-shift-1/guest-dj-mr-madam-14052015.php

Take advantage of the Gallery’s late night opening by visiting an exhibition, meeting friends at the bar, enjoying live music and conversation, or participating in our popular Drop-in Drawing session.

Suitable for

Website

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/late-shift-1/museums-at-night-15052015.php