John Craxton RA

Tomorrow the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge opens A World of Private Mystery: John Craxton RA (1922-2009). This is a major retrospective of a British artist largely forgotten by everyone except his fellow Royal Academicians. Over 60 of his finest paintings will be on display, covering his lifetime's work. Shown is his Reclining figure with asphodels I (1983-4). You'll find the exhibition in the Mellon Gallery, admission free (CLICK). Was he one of our most important 20th Century artists or merely another example of the decline of Royal Academicians into the inconsequential gimmick peddlers of recent years?