JW Waterhouse RA

Yes! That major retrospective of the brilliant art of John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) which is currently being shown at the Groninger Museum in The Netherlands (CLICK) will be on display in the Sackler Wing of the Royal Academy of Arts, London, from 27 June to 13 September 2009. Note the change of title: JW Waterhouse RA. This allows the current crop of pathetic mediocrities calling themselves Royal Academicians to bask in the reflected glory of a truly great artist. Look at this beautiful Waterhouse A Mermaid (1900). Could any of today's RAs even figure out which side of the canvas to work on? Imagine 40 paintings of this quality plus drawings and sketchbooks. This is the must-see exhibition of 2009 (title link). Note for tourists: Arts & Crafts Tours has organized a week of related events, including a private tour of the exhibition with co-curator Peter Trippi (CLICK).