Aestheticism

The next big art exhibition at the V&A will open on 2 April: The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860 – 1900 (title link). This will be the first major exploration of Victorian Aestheticism, including the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the Arts and Crafts Movement. Organised with the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the exhibition will bring together many great masterpieces of painting, sculpture, design, fashion, furniture, architecture and literature. Alfred Gilbert's bronze statue of Icarus (1884) - commissioned by Frederic Leighton - will be on loan from the National Museum of Wales. Leighton's own Pavonia (Italian for peacock) will come from a private collection. Shame the cost of tickets is OTT: £12 adults, £9 silver surfers, £31 families, all plus £1 if you book in advance. CLICK for a 1024x768 graphic showing 3 views of Icarus.