News & Blog

Ben Weaver, Art Historian/Presenter; James Nicholls, Host/Presenter; Dr Alison Smith, Curator/Presenter; and Sam Hockley, Producer. We are delighted to announce that filming begins this week exploring one of the most extraordinary works of visual storytelling ever created. From 1066 to the Future, timed to coincide with the extraordinary return of the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain and its exhibition at the The British Museum. Nearly 1,000 years after the events of 1066, the Baye

YAYOI KUSAMA — FOREVER INFINITE, James Nicholls presenting her outstanding ehhibiion at Tate Modern The artist brought dazzling light to the art world. I had the great pleasure of presenting her extraordinary Infinity Mirror Rooms at Tate Modern, an exhibition that captured the imagination of audiences who queued to step inside Kusama’s extraordinary world of reflection, light and infinity. Her life and career were remarkable. Through adversity, she developed a visual languag

Jams Nicholls introducing Frida: Making of An Icon at the Tate Modern With London experiencing one of the hottest weeks of the summer, there could hardly be a more appropriate moment to visit one of the capital's hottest exhibitions. FRIDA: The Making of an Icon at Tate Modern explores not only the extraordinary art of Frida Kahlo, but the remarkable woman behind an image that has become recognised around the world. Her life was marked by extraordinary adversity. Diagnosed wi

Royal Artist Miriam Escofet discyusses her portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II 👑 ROYAL ARTISTS Series: One of the great privileges of presenting The Art Review is the opportunity to speak with some of today's leading portrait artists about the stories behind their work. At the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, I met acclaimed artist Miriam Escofet to discuss her experience of painting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Creating a royal portrait is far more th

Throw The Lead by Dan Alva (Oil on canvas 57 x 42") The Renaissance transformed the history of art, producing some of the world's most enduring masterpieces. Yet few contemporary artists have succeeded in reinterpreting that visual language in a way that feels both authentic and unmistakably modern. Dan Alva is one of those rare exceptions. Ultimately, the highest compliment I can pay any artist is to live with their work. My wife Daniele and I are proud to have Dan Alva pai

Marc Dalessio, winner of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026. The winner of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026. Born in Los Angeles and classically trained in Florence, Marc Dalessio is based in the southwest of France, where he has returned to portrait painting after establishing an international reputation for his plein air landscapes. His award-winning portrait, Jean-Denis, captures his neighbour in a work praised by the judges for it

Interviewing Curators Nicolas Tromans and Sylvie Broussine, at National Gallery One of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year has arrived at the Royal Academy of Arts. In this Behind the Scenes edition of The Art Review, I spoke with Nicolas Tromans, exhibition curator and author, together with Sylvie Broussine, Associate Curator at the Royal Academy, to explore the remarkable life and extraordinary imagination of Richard Dadd (1817–1886). This is the first major retros

Dr Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, Curator interview with James Nicholls for The Art Review BEHIND THE SCENES at the The National Gallery, London One of the highlights of The Art Review was going behind the scenes at the National Gallery to interview Dr Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, Curator of the outstanding Zurbarán exhibition. In our conversation, Dr Whitlum-Cooper explains why Francisco de Zurbarán is regarded as one of the greatest painters of the Spanish Baroque, and why his rema

June Mendoza OBE interviewed by James Nicholls for The Art Review What was it really like to paint HM Queen Elizabeth II? Few artists knew HM Queen Elizabeth II as a sitter better than the renowned portrait painter JUNE MEDOZA, OBE. Australian-born, June became one of Britain's most celebrated portrait artists, painting Her Majesty on numerous occasions throughout her distinguished career. In this rare archive interview, which I recorded for The Art Review at the Royal Socie

It was a pleasure to interview multi-award-winning artist Frances Bell at the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026. Originally from Cambridge, her beautiful portrait of her daughter was selected for this year's exhibition. Classically trained in Florence, her prizes include The William Lock Prize, The de Laszlo Foundation Award, The First Prize Painting at Portrait Society of America. This exclusive Behind the Scenes interview for The Art Review, Frances shares

It was an evening of glamour, generosity and artistic excellence at Iconic Images Gallery in London, where guests gathered for the charity auction of San B's remarkable work, Marilyn Monroe: Immortal. A striking portrait of Marilyn, painstakingly created using thousands of SWAROVSKI crystals, with diamonds incorporated into her eyes, the work is both a tribute to one of the world's most enduring cultural icons and a remarkable demonstration of San B's exceptional craftsmanshi

One of the highlights of my visit to the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 at the National Portrait Gallery was meeting and interviewing Joel Nichols, winner of this year's Young Artist Award. At just 26 years old, Joel has already established himself as one of the most exciting emerging voices in contemporary portraiture. Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, his artistic journey has now brought him to one of the world's most prestigious portrait competitions, w

Presenting The Art Review from the National Portrait Gallery 🏆 Meet the Winner of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 One of the highlights of my visit to the National Portrait Gallery was the opportunity to interview Marc Dalessio, winner of this year's Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award, together with Tanya Bentley, Curator of the exhibition. This award continues to be one of the world's most important platforms for contemporary portraiture, b

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Co-Curator of Hepworth in Colour at The Courtauld Gallery for The Art Review. This exceptional exhibition offers a fascinating reassessment of Barbara Hepworth, exploring the vital role colour played throughout her artistic practice and challenging many long-held perceptions of her work. Through insightful curatorial research and a remarkable selection of works, visitors are invited to see one of Britain's most celebra

Outstanding exhibition and a fascinating conversationwith Carrie Kania, Creative Director of Iconic Images. Marilyn Monroe: ICON exhibition During a fascinating conversation with Carrie Kania, one thing became abundantly clear: more than six decades after her passing, Marilyn Monroe continues to captivate audiences around the world. Her image remains instantly recognisable, but perhaps her enduring appeal lies in something deeper: the intersection of celebrity, vulnera

Presenting David Hockney's The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, The Art Review with James Nicholls Looking back on David Hockney's The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, what I remember most is not simply the exhibition itself, but the sense of optimism it brought at a time when the world was beginning to reopen. In 2021, after months of lockdowns and isolation, simply walking into a gallery again felt special. There was a renewed appreciation for art, culture and the shared experience

James Nicholls at the Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts for The Art Review At the Press View of this year's Summer Exhibition, at the Ryal Academy of Arts in London, I interviewed Sinta Berry, Managing Curator, about the vision, selection process and work behind this remarkable annual showcase. More than 18,000 artists applied from around the world this year, with the judging panel selecting approximately 1,800 works for exhibition. Bringing together emerging artis

James Nicholls presenting from Royal Society of Portrait Exhibition 2026, The Mall London What makes portrait painting still so important and relevant in today’s technological age? I just presented The Art Review at from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Exhibition 2026 at the Mall Galleries, London. In a world increasingly dominated by digital images and artificial intelligence, portrait painting still possesses a unique power: the ability to stop us, move us, and make

At six years old, I watched my father paint Disney murals across our bedroom walls in a small town in New Zealand. Those paintings weren’t worth anything financially. But they changed how we felt, every single day. That’s where art begins. Years later, my wife Danièle Ryman, trained at the Beaux-Arts in Paris and I built our collection on one simple rule: If we didn’t both love it, we didn’t buy it. No exceptions. Here’s what truly drives art investment: Strong artists Pr

Artnet refer to her as ' The greatest artistic rediscovery of the century.' Like all the press there, I arrived at this exhibition not knowing Michaelina Wautier — and left questioning how she had been overlooked for so long. At the Royal Academy of Arts for The Art Review , I encountered a remarkable artist working in 17th-century Brussels, who challenged the limits placed on women by painting across portraiture, still life, and monumental history scenes — a scale rarely af