Canaletto in Venice
Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto (1697-1768), established the definitive image of Venice with his breathtakingly convincing paintings. Fourteen of them form the core of this exhibition, but there are also 70 works on paper — the largest group of the artist’s drawings ever shown.
Queen’s Gallery, SW1, until April 23
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Beatrix Potter: Artist & Illustrator
The writer and illustrator of Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin et al created much more than she is known for. The landscapes and botanical studies in this remarkable show reveal her as a truly gifted painter. So, admittedly, do the many more characteristic illustrations of anthropomorphic animals.
Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21, until Jan 22
Midsummer: East Yorkshire 2004
The title tells you when and where these watercolours were done. The artist is David Hockney. Without the name, the work would be barely interesting, however competent, pretty and illustrative.
Gilbert Collection, Somerset House, WC2, until Feb 19
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Moonrise over Europe
Here’s a small but beautiful show, as lyrical as the title suggests, consisting of moonlit landscapes by Caspar David Friedrich, Turner, Samuel Palmer and others. The star of the show, however, is Friedrich’s close friend JC Dahl. You may not have heard of him, but, believe me, it’s worth going to Birmingham just to see his work.
Barber Institute, University of Birmingham, from Fri until April 23
Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris
The first — and still, by a long chalk, the best — of the “naive” painters, Rousseau (1844-1910) had an imagination as strangely convincing as his self-taught, meticulous style. The emphasis is on his jungle pictures, with some of the material he used for inspiration. He needed the help, as he never went further than Paris’s botanical gardens.
Tate Modern, SE1, until Feb 5
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André Derain: The London Paintings
A small but dazzling display of paintings of London by the famous fauve, who was sent to London by his dealer, Vollard, in 1906 and 1907. The Thames, its bridges and the Palace of Westminster dominate scenes that pulsate with colour and buzz with broken brushstrokes.
Courtauld Gallery, WC2, until Jan 22