Exhibitions

LICHFIELD

14^th May – 4^th June 2008

Patrick Lichfield’s photography has graced the world’s media for over forty years.

We are thrilled to announce the first-ever selling show of his remarkable work.

Lichfield’s archive is a rich seam of culturally important photography, much of which has become synonymous with our perception of the celebrated and fashionable in the late 20th century. Since his death in 2005 his archive has been extensively catalogued, and we will show a selection of these well-known images alongside recent discoveries made public for the first time.

A fully illustrated, 73 page catalogue, with a comprehensive biography, is available from the gallery at £10 post free.

THE CARTOONISTS 2008 – THE SECOND ANNUAL CARTOON SHOW

8^th April – 3^rd May 2008

Following on from the gallery’s highly successful exhibition last year, You Havin’ a Laugh? we are proud to present another selling show devoted to the art of British cartooning.

We have brought together some of Britain’s best-loved cartoonists from publications such as The Times, The Sunday Times, Private Eye, The Spectator, the Daily Express, the Evening Standard, the Telegraph, Punch, and The Economist, representing the best British cartoons of the last 100 years.

The great variety and diversity of cartoons are reflected in the range of prices, with works from £50-£5000.

This exhibition includes over 600 cartoons. You can view 100 of these online by clicking the link above.

JOHN SWANNELL – PORTRAITS, NUDES AND FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

19^th March – 3^rd May 2008

John Swannell’s reputation as one of the biggest names in British photography is no accident, his consistently inventive work and unerring professionalism having kept him in demand by press and public for over 35 years.

Our retrospective show will include over 60 of John Swannell’s pictures, juxtaposing classic images with lesser-known, more intimate portraits and those new to the public eye. John’s witty approach to portraiture gives us national darling Joanna Lumley like a latter day Cruella de Vil, a combative looking Queen Elizabeth II guarding the banqueting hall at Windsor Castle, Spike Milligan distinctly unamused in his back garden, Sir John Gielgud leaping into the air at eighty, and many more unusual and insightful portraits.

We will also hang a group of spectacular nudes. Produced in a limited edition of 25 platinum prints, these images represent the best of his career-long devotion to the genre.

Recording Britain: The Twentieth Century Landscape

20 February – 15 March 2008

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the influential art historian Sir Kenneth Clark initiated an ambitious extension of the Official War Artist scheme, calling it ‘Recording Britain’.

Our exhibition is in the spirit of that project. It aims to encapsulate the variety and beauty of Britain as it changed throughout the century, and highlight the renaissance in landscape painting that occurred during the period.

We will include over two hundred watercolours, oils, drawings, etchings, and photographs by some of the great artists of twentieth century, many of whom were involved in ‘Recording Britain’.

THE ILLUSTRATORS - THE BRITISH ART OF ILLUSTRATION 1800-2007
The world’s biggest event for illustration enthusiasts and collectors celebrates its 26th anniversary.

A full history of this most culturally significant of art forms, from Thomas Rowlandson to Quentin Blake.

With 1000 pictures on the wall covering 200 years of art history, The illustrators will be one of London’s most exciting exhibitions this winter. “A Christmas treat and a source of tremendous presents, with 70% of the exhibits costing £1000 or less”
Frank Whitford, The Sunday Times Culture Section

Val Archer – ‘The Painter, The Cook and The Art of Cucina’
The Painter, the Cook, and the Art of Cucina is Val Archer’s latest spectacular achievement. One of  Britain’s leading still-life painters Val Archer has collaborated with the great Italian food expert Anna del Conte to produce a unique food travelogue through six of Italy’s lesser-known regions. The book is a visual feast of Italian produce, with recipes and food history celebrating the very best regional and seasonal specialities at the heart of Italy’s Slow Food Movement. Our selling exhibition will feature over 100 of Val Archer’s stunning oil paintings and watercolours from this appetising book.

TERRY O'NEILL - SINATRA: FRANK AND FRIENDLY

Frank Sinatra is a truly iconic legend and few photographers worked more closely with him than Terry O'Neill.

Our exhibition will accompany the launch of his new book 'Sinatra: Frank and Friendly' and will feature the best images from his long association with the star.

BEASTLY FEASTS AND OTHER ARTWORK BY RONALD SEARLE

An exhibition to mark the publication of Beastly Feasts, a new collection of entertaining rhymes by Robert L Forbes about animals both naughty and nice, with charming illustrations by master caricaturist Ronald Searle. As well as the illustrations from this delectable new book, this exhibition contains a range of comical and illustrative artwork for sale by the world’s most famous living illustrator-cartoonist Ronald Searle. Beastly Feasts is available from the gallery at £12.99 plus £2 UK postage. Suitable for ages 7-77.
Until 27 October 2007

TERENCE DONOVAN: IMAGE MAKER & INNOVATOR
When he died in 1996 legendary photographer Terence Donovan left behind an archive of over one million pictures, a comprehensive visual history of British culture and fashion over nearly 40 years. Featuring over 80 images, our exhibition will juxtapose many of his best-known images with some that have not been seen for decades, and others that have never been released at all. A fully illustrated, 107 page catalogue is available from the gallery at £10 post free.

19 September - 13 October 2007

ALBERT GOODWIN RWS (1845-1932)
Albert Goodwin (1845-1932) was probably the greatest follower of Turner. Travelling beyond Europe to India, the South Seas, Australia and the USA, he was the last of the great Victorian travelling artists, developing and extending Turner’s aesthetic and vision. The exhibition follows the museum blockbuster event Ruskin, Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites at Tate Britain, and The Poetry of Truth: Alfred William Hunt and the Art of Landscape at the Ashmolean, which have demonstrated a revival of interest in the influence of Turner on Later Victorian artists. Along with Alfred William Hunt, Goodwin was the most successful artist to follow Ruskin’s appeal to synthesise Turner’s atmospherics with Pre-Raphaelite precision.

The Chris Beetles summer show 2007
The annual Summer show is the gallery’s most prestigious exhibition of the year.
Highlights include Stanley Roy Badmin’s masterwork Heath Village, a large group of drawings and oils by Feliks Topolski , and sculpture by London’s monumental artist of the moment, Paul Day. There will also be significant groups by Robert Sargent Austin, Hercules Brabazon Brabazon, Peter Coker, Cecil Arthur Hunt, Muriel Pemberton, Beatrice Parsons and others. All images can be viewed below in artist order.

LOUIS WAIN & THE SUMMER CAT SHOW 2007 - 18 August to 8 September 2007
The annual spectacular with the world’s largest display of cat imagery on show
The exhibition centers on more than 100 fine paintings and drawings by Louis Wain (1860-1939). Chris Beetles is the principal dealer of this celebrated Edwardian artist who invented a wacky world of cats engaged in human activities such as golf, ice skating, fishing and dancing. Also included in the show will be work by celebrated gallery artists Lesley Fotherby, Leslie Anne Ivory, and Geraldine Girvan. 

RONALD SEARLE AT NUNNINGTON HALL
Nunnington, Nr York, North Yorkshire, YO62 5UY · 3rd July 2007 to 2nd September 2007
A selling show of 50 pictures by the world’s most famous living illustrator-cartoonist.

Famous for his illustrations from Lilliput and Molesworth and his St Trinian’s girls’ school horrors, the exhibition will contain original artwork from his early period as well as Punch cartoons from the 1950s-1970s; political reportage; film, literature and theatrical portraiture and cartoons from Le Monde and the New Yorker. Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 12pm - 5.30pm.

WILLIAM HEATH ROBINSON (1872-1944)
The 20th century’s Gadget King
A selling exhibition of 101 original illustrations to coincide with the launch of CONTRAPTIONS - a new volume of the most brilliant and memorable work by the cartoon wizard of machines and inventions. Heath Robinson is best known for his comic images and through the popular press he was recognised by the public as the ‘Gadget King’. Exhibition runs from 11 July to 11 August 2007. Images will be available to view soon.

HAVING A LAUGH! - THE BRITISH ART OF THE CARTOON: 24 April – 31 May 2007
A selection of some of Britain’s best-loved cartoonists (and some of the most reviled) from publications such as The Times, Private Eye, Daily Express, Evening Standard, Punch and many more. Including contemporary political satire of the peerless Peter Brookes, hilarious gags from punchline masterminds Ed McLachlan and Mike Williams, down to earth dark humour from Tony Husband, wry social observation from Nick Newman and Kipper Williams and as usual, some of the best British cartoons of the last 100 years from such masters as H M Bateman, Bill Hewison, Vicky and Giles.

Quentin Blake - A Celebration!: 25 March - 7th April - Date extended
The Chris Beetles Gallery presents a selling exhibition of 150 original drawings and watercolours by Quentin Blake, the world's favourite living children’s illustrator. The show features a selection of his most recent work as well as old favourites. Images include familiar faces from children's classics such as the BFG, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Arabel's Raven and many more. Signed copies of a large range of Quentin Blake publications are available from the gallery.

Geraldine Girvan: 21 March – 7 April 2007 - Date extended
50 new exquisite oils and watercolours from a modern Scottish colourist
A favourite at the Chris Beetles Gallery, Geraldine has had a biennial solo exhibition here since 1989. She produces bold and vibrant paintings in a tradition which although a century old, is ever bright and vital. Fresh flowers stand out against brilliant, rich textiles in an explosion of colour.

Snowdon in New York 2007
1 March - 21 April 2007 · Godel & Co. Fine Art · New York

Following the remarkable success of his first selling show this past autumn in London,
we are proud to announce his first exhibition in New York. Containing 29 new images in addition to the best of the London exhibition, it will be Snowdon’s first selling show in America.

The Illustrators 2006 - 25th Anniversary exhibition
Grand opening weekend 18 & 19 November 2006

“A Christmas treat and a source of tremendous presents, with 70% of the exhibits costing £1000 or less”.
Frank Whitford, The Sunday Times Culture Section, November 2005.

For a quarter of a century The Illustrators has been essential for collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. This year will be our biggest show ever, with over 1000 pictures by over 100 artists, and will be open every day until Christmas.

PAUL COX - MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS
A Celebration of the 50th anniversary of My Family and Other Animals and a selling exhibition of original artwork by Paul Cox. To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Gerald Durrell’s extraordinary and entertaining memoir My family and Other Animals, the Folio Society has produced a beautifully bound and slip cased edition with 65 masterfully evocative illustrations by Paul Cox.

Ronald Searle : October 24th - 11th november 2006
A retrospective of artwork by the world’s greatest living illustrator-cartoonist. Every aspect of the great range of this genius is represented in our exhibition. From early 1940s Lilliput and St Trinian’s girls’ school horrors, to Punch cartoons from the 1950s-1970s; political reportage; theatre literary and film cartoons; and cartoons from the New Yorker demonstrating that in the 1990s he was better than ever. Included in this display of 185 pictures will be 36 illustrations from Cat O'Nine Tales, an exciting creative collaboration between the bestselling novelist Jeffrey Archer and Ronald Searle.

Mervyn Peake (1911–1968) - The Man And His Art - 4 October – 28 October 2006
A selling exhibition of 100 artworks to mark the publication of a major new book edited by G Peter Winnington, on one of the most multi-talented artists of the twentieth century. Best known for his Gormenghast trilogy of novels, Peake was an artist and writer of remarkable vision and imagination. This is the first Peake show in ten years with rare new material from the family archive including illustrations for Dickens’s classic Bleak House, thought by many Peake scholars to be his best ever work.

SNOWDON: September 19th - 14th October 2006
After half a century of documenting the rich and poor, theatre and film, high society and social change, eighty of Lord Snowdon's most iconic images will be on sale for the first time.

LOUIS WAIN & THE SUMMER CAT SHOW 2006
The annual spectacular with the world's largest display of cat artwork returns for 2006. With an opening weekend on the 12th & 13th August, the show features over 180 works by feline favourites Louis Wain, Susan Herbert, Leslie Anne Ivory, Lesley Fotherby, Anne Mortimer and many more.

The Chris Beetles Summer show 2006
The Chris Beetles Summer Show starts in the week beginning 5th June 2006 and is the gallery’s biggest and most prestigious exhibition of the year. It is accompanied by a 64 page catalogue which fully illustrates all 152 watercolours, oils and sculptures, available at £10 post free from the gallery.

rOY HAMMOND - HOME AND ABROAD
Roy Hammond has been on his travels again and does his first show at the gallery for three years. To this exhibition, Roy Hammond; Home and abroad, he additionally brings pictures from France, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia, USA, Greenland, Channel Islands, North Africa and of course his home county, Essex.

LESLEY FOTHERBY – THE TRADITIONAL AND SPONTANEOUS EYE
From snow in the landscape to energy in dance - 26 April – 12 May 2006. The Chris Beetles Gallery has been exhibiting Fotherby’s paintings for twenty years, and will be showing 100 of her finest works encompassing the entire range of her ability.

THE MICHAEL WINNER COLLECTION OF Donald McGill: 14th March - 8th April
From the 14th of March the Chris Beetles Gallery will host the world's largest collection of previously unseen Donald McGill postcard artwork. As the maestro of double entendre he has both received high acclaim and caused much scandal. Prosecuted in 1957 for obscenity, McGill's images no longer shock the enlightened audience but continue to amuse and delight.

TERRY O’NEILL IN ST JAMES’S - THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Terry O’Neill is renowned as one of the finest photographers Britain has ever produced. This selling show will be the first major photographic exhibition in St James’s, usually associated with more traditional art, and will celebrate this phenomenal artistic achievement. We will show over 65 of Terry O’Neill’s pictures, juxtaposing classic images with lesser-known, more intimate portraits and those new to the public eye.

The illustrators 2005
Our world famous Illustrators exhibition, the biggest event worldwide for cartoon and illustration collectors, begins every November and runs until January. Now in its 26th year, the Chris Beetles Annual Illustrators show opens its doors on 19th November this year. Many of the most endearing and enduring characters of our visual culture are included.

QUENTIN BLAKE, LIFE OF BIRDS & CHILDREN AND OTHER BEASTS!!!
A selling exhibition of preliminary drawings by Quentin Blake for his brand new book Life of Birds. Along side are over 130 drawings and watercolours done by Quentin for childrens’ classics such as Matilda, Revolting Rhymes, James and the Giant Peach, Arabel and Mortimer and many others.

Autumn SHOW 2005
Our first Autumn Show of 20th Century British Art runs from the 7th September to the 1st October 2005.

SUMMER SHOW 2005
Our annual Summer Show will run from the 28th of June to the 14th of August. A 32 page colour catalogue of this years show is available from the gallery £10 post-free.

A Major Exhibition of the Caricatures of Al Hirschfeld, 29th June to 27th August
We will be presenting a selling exhibition of over 100 original caricatures by Al Hirschfeld whose artwork is synonymous with the glitz and personalities of showbusiness popular.

LOUIS WAIN & THE SUMMER CAT SHOW 2005
This annual favourite exhibition of Louis Wain and other cat artists will start with a bang with our Great Opening Weekend 13th & 14th August.

The show will run until 3rd September.