I don't think there will be many better years in my lifetime. I was dismayed by my turkey of the year, but I am not sure I will be as upset again.
Succession H. Matisse/ Artists Rights Society is located in New York.
This was the first show that I saw in 2023 and it was a perfect exercise in exhibition-making. The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the SMK in Copenhagen had pieces from two great Matisse collections.
Faith Ringgold, American People Series #20: Die was slightly different from the New York show. The emotional power of the exhibition was demonstrated by the fact that Picasso painted the work that inspired it.
A rare accurate use of the "once-in-a-lifetime" tag, this show managed to exceed expectations with its elegant staging, which allowed for good sightlines amid the hordes. I can only agree that it is one of the most profound experiences of his life.
The Glasgow Museums Collection has a picture of Le jambon.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is presenting a tour of the exhibition, Manet/Degas, which looks at the similarities and differences between the two artists. Carrie Mae Weems: Reflections for Now is at the Barbican Art Gallery.
Carrie Mae Weems's Untitled (woman and daughter with make up) from the Kitchen Table Series was created in 1990.
The show was well- paced and reflected her journey from the magnificent photographs of The Kitchen Table Series to the seven-act panoramic video installation The Shape of Things. Chris Ofili: The Seven Deadly Sins is at the Victoria Miro Gallery.
Chris Ofili has a painting called The Pink Waterfall.
Ofili's seven-painting masterpiece is his finest achievement so far. The sequence is full of potent flora and mythical fauna, but gives no easy answers to the question of whether sin is something to be resisted or embraced. Claudette Johnson: Presence, The Courtauld, London is open until 14 January 2024.
It was the first museum show in London for a long time, reflecting Johnson's exploration of the Black female figure in her early work, and her return to form after a long stalemate. Sarah Lucas: Happy Gas is an installation at Tate Britain. Her uncompromising, unconventional, off- Tate Modern's version of the controversially postponed show was flawless, bar the curious omission. It explains the life and work of Picasso with clearness and sensitivity.
There is an installation view of Picasso Celebration.
The 50th anniversary of Picasso's death is a terrible time for a museum to redesign its displays. Paul Smith was given carte blanche to redesign the museum's displays, and delivered an abysmal rehang, aiming for visual enhancement but destroying the works.