Last chance: ABBA | Super Troupers

ABBA: Super Troupers at Southbank Centre (until 29 April), charts the rise and legacy of the iconic Swedish pop group, whose upbeat music offered much needed escape and optimism during the strikes and financial turmoil of 1970s Britain.

The exhibition, narrated by Jarvis Cocker, takes a close look at some of ABBA’s original costumes, personal photographs and sketches, handwritten notes, album artworks and musical instruments.

ABBA were well known for their garish stage outfits, however they were not just influenced by the sequined needs of being a dancing queen; it recently came to light that the design of their clothes was also a form of tax evasion.

According to a new book by Björn Ulvaeus, "the band's style was influenced in part by laws that allowed the cost of outfits to be deducted against tax - so long as the costumes were so outrageous they could not possibly be worn on the street."

ABBA: Bright colours, prints and metallics

ABBA: Sequins

ABBA: Black glam

At Alfies we discovered lots of eye-catching pieces that would not look out of place on Agnetha & Anni-Frid at an ABBA concert...

Metallic silver platforms, available from Tin Tin Collectables

Silver crochest dress, available from Tin Tin Collectables

Celia Birtwell for Ossie Clark blouse, available from Tin Tin Collectables

Star and Moon vintage clip-on earrings, available from Gloria Sinclair

Jean Muir metallic gold jacket, paired with a gold crochet camisole, available from June Victor

1970s designer red dress, available from June Victor

Sequin Moschino blazer, available from June Victor

Embellished corset, available from June Victor

Abba: Super Troupers at the Southbank Centre, London SE1, will until 29 April 2018.

Depictions of Spring in Painting

The Spring landscape has always been an inspiration for artists throughout history, from Renoir through to Monet and Van Gogh. This particular time of year has informed some incredibly famous pieces of art, still being a widely referenced subject matter in the modern world. The vibrancy of colours and ever changing light during this season are characteristics often focused on within painting and since it's a time where the land is changing and developing, allows for a huge variety of interpretations by artists.

It’s quite clear that nature continues to be a huge source of inspiration and so with this in mind, along with the recent emergence of sunshine, we thought we would look for some of our own Spring inspired artwork here at Alfies.

Oil on board Impressionist style painting, late 20th Century. Signed Bere. Offered by John Cserny Fine Arts

Oil on board, 1960s. Signed Alan Hudson. Offered by i Fine & Contemporary Art

Old Haycock vegetable garden, oil on canvas, 1950s. Signed Christopher Sanders. Offered by Robert McKoy Fine Arts

English watercolour painting, early 20th Century. Signed E. Mould. Offered by John Cserny Fine Arts

Oil on canvas, 1950s. Signed D. Bereny. Offered by John Cserny Fine Arts

Garden Flowers, oil on board, 1970s. Signed India Duncan. Offered by i Fine & Contemporary Arts

Daniel Raphael: New Gallery Opens on Church Street

The Daniel Raphael Art Gallery is a new addition to the Church Street family at No. 26 across the road from Alfies. The gallery opened last week, Friday 10 March, with their launch exhibition featuring works from six contemporary artists.

Daniel is the youngest trader on Church Street, having recently graduated from the University of Bristol with a view to pursuing a dream in the art world. One of the main aims of the gallery space, is to provide a platform for interactive, thought provoking and original exhibitions. The space will display both the works of well-established  and emerging artists, helping new artists establish themselves in the art world.

The location at number 26 is also comprised of several studio spaces, which are available to rent on a monthly basis - the gallery boasts WiFi and an outdoor garden/patio area, as well as all the usual amenities such as kitchen and bathroom. This combination of studio and gallery space provides artists with the unique opportunity to work and exhibit in the same environment. 

Below are some examples of work you will find on display in the exhibition, all from up and coming artists.

 The Girls, by Audrey Dangoor.

Black Water Reservoir, 2017. By Victoria Young Jamieson.

Hampstead Pond Early Spring. By Simon Hatchard Parr. 50 x 60 inches.

Blackwater Reservoir, by Madeleine Gardiner. 100 x 100cm.

Daniel Raphael Art Gallery
26 Church Street, London, NW8 8EP
www.danielraphael.co.uk

Facebook/Instagram: @danielraphaelart

Women Of The World

The 2017 edition of the Women of the World festival is due to begin next week at London's Southbank Centre and coincides with International Women's Day, which falls annually on 8th March. The event runs from Tuesday 7 - Sunday 12 March and tickets can be purchased here.

The Festival was set up in 2010 with the aim of celebrating women from many cultures and backgrounds across the globe, looking at obstacles they face and championing achievements, in the hope of inspiring future generations of young women.

The festival is set up to be diverse; showcasing a range of performers and holding workshops and mentoring sessions. Influential speakers are also an important part of the festival and in the past have included names such as Annie Lennox, Vivienne Westwood, Julie Walters and Grayson Perry.

Being home to a diverse range of stock, Alfies of course has a number of items depicting women across the world. Here are a few of our favourites.

Chinese reverse glass painting, late 19th Century. Offered by Hongman Yang

Namji fertility doll from Ghana, early 20th Century. Offered by Diplomat Treasures International

Art Nouveau alabaster maiden sculpture, 19th Century Italian. Offered by Diplomat Treasures International

Portrait of a Hindu lady by Archibald Zigler, oil on canvas, 20th Century. Offered by Robert McKoy Fine Arts

English wood carving of a Tribal African woman, 1950s. Offered by Andrew Martin at stand F046-49/F057-58

Headshots of famous American actresses, 20th Century. Offered by i Fine and Contemporary Art

Pencil drawing of a woman signed by P J Hopkins, late 20th century. Offered by John Cserny Fine Arts

Austrian painted terracotta tribeswoman, 1950s. Offered by Andrew Martin at stand F046-49/F057-58

Design at Alfies

A key event in the design calendar, Clerkenwell Design Week is now in its seventh year and consists of exhibitions, street spectacles, talks and workshops, showcasing the best in all things creative. London’s Clerkenwell has become home to a plethora of design and architectural practices and now boasts more than 80 design showrooms, including world leaders Moroso, Vitra, Arper, Poltrona Frau, Carl Hansen & Søn and Knoll. 

This three day festival started on 24 May 2016, with venues including the the House of Detention, Spa Fields, Fabric nightclub, St James Church. Today is the last day of the event, if you can't make it do not fret! There is no shortage of design pieces on offer at Alfies.  

Orefors Cased Vase, designed by Nils Landberg. Dusk range, 1955, offered by Robinson Antiques

Sculptural Sciolari Flush Mount Pendant, offered by The Moderns

Venetian Sommerso glass perfume bottles, Italian, offered by Sambataro

1950's Set of Five Italian Occasional Tables, offered by Vincenzo Caffarella

Abo Randers for LYFA Denmark brass floor light c1960, offerd by Thirteen Interiors

Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse

A major exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts 'Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse' will examine how gardens were depicted by Monet and his contemporaries.

Floral masterpieces by renowned artists such as Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse are abundant, however a quarter of the space is devoted to Monet’s work. It will include Monet's Agapanthus Triptych, the 42ft long piece he worked on from 1915 until his death aged 86 in 1926.

This exhibition positions him as the most important painter of gardens in the Modern period. Monet once wrote: ‘I owe it to flowers that I became a painter’.

Monet's Agapanthus Triptych

At Alfies, our dealers have a sublime collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist floral art. Below is just a small selection of what they have on offer.

Bueno, oil on canvas, Barcelona, offered by Diplomat Treasures International 

Impressionist flowers, oil on board, by Lucy Kemp-Welch, 1869-1958, offered by Robert McKoy Fine Arts

Still life by Janet Pritchard, oil on board, offered by Diplomat Treasures International 

Signed watercolour, early 20th century, offered by Thomas Fine Art 

Still life flowers, oil & pastel, signed Nigel Lyyton, offered by Nadine Okker

Flowers in a vase watercolour, English school, late 19th century, offered by Thomas Fine Art 

'Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse'  will be at the Royal Academy, London, from 30 January until 20 April.

A World of Pop Art

The Tate Modern is currently hosting 'The EY Exhibition: The World Goes Pop', which, finishing Sunday 24th January, is in its last few days.

The exhibition tries to veer away from Western Pop Art, and takes a look at the movement through the lens of the rest of the world. From Latin America to Asia, and from Europe to the Middle East, art from all over the world during the 1960s and 1970s is showcased, displaying how different cultures and countries responded to Pop Art during this period.

Delving into this colourful movement, you can see that Pop Art was about more than just Western consumer culture - it was also often used to remonstrate against many issues, including politics, the body and consumption. The unmistakable style is, in this exhibition, shown across an array of mediums, including prints and painting, sculpture and moving pictures.

To celebrate the last few days of this spectacular show at the Tate Modern, we've collected together our favourite Pop Art themed pieces from Alfies:

David Bowie, by Pure Evil. From Diplomat Treasures International.

Pop Art Tears, by Amy Preston. Available as a set of four colours. From Diplomat Treasures International.

Audrey Hepburn, by Pure Evil. From Diplomat Treasures International.

Table and Six Chairs by Ringo Starr and Robin Cruickshank. From Angela Ball.

Set of three 'Orbit' plates in ironstone, from Burleigh Ware. From Robinson Antiques.

British Museum - Faith after the Pharaohs

Egypt: Faith after the Pharaohs, explores religious history in Egypt over 12 centuries, as the land was transformed by the practices of Jews, Christians and Muslims. This exhibition of around 200 objects will tell the story of the transition from a traditional society largely worshipping many gods to a society devoted to One God.

This transition has shaped the modern world, and the journey Egypt took in this period continues to influence the country and wider region today.

Some of the most notable treasures from this exhibition, include one of the world’s oldest surviving Bibles, a pair of 6 - 7th century door curtains, and over 200,000 texts from Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo.

The oldest bible and one of the most important books in the world, Codex Sinaiticus

One of pair of curtains, decorated with Christian imagery and classical imagery, 6th–7th century AD

Rare surviving texts from Ben Ezra Synagogue which reveal daily lives in medieval Cairo 

Below we have selected a few Egyptian inspired items in homage to this magical and mysterious land.

Egyptian inspired Art Nouveau necklace, offered by Carole Collier

1970s celluloid and brass studded scarab brooch, offered by Tony Durante

Neiger Egyptian revival brooch with red bead glass, offered by April Antiques

Art Deco Egyptian Revival necklace, offered by April Antiques

Egypt: Faith after the Pharaohs at the British Museum will run until 7 February, 2016.