The Art of Smoke

Andre Derain, London Bridge (1906). Oil on Canvas. Derain was a leading exponent of Fauvism, but in early 1908 he destroyed most of his work to concentrate on tightly constructed landscape paintings, which were a subtle investigation of the work of Cézanne.

There is something in the air today in London… A bitter winter is lessening its claw-like grip on this beautiful city and there is a lightening of mood. The perpetual grey of the buildings have softened to dove, pewter and pearl, the people seem to smile more and the constant wind which has been howling through the streets of the City since November is tamed for a moment. I’m not fooled into believing for a moment that this is the first day of spring – there have been too many false starts already for that to be the case - but there is definitely something stirring out there which speaks of long sunny days, warm pavements and shady parks to be enjoyed sooner rather than later.

David Bomberg, The River and Saint Paul's (1937). Oil on Millboard. Bomberg was the one of the most audacious painters of his generation at the Slade, and is predominently known for his angular, at times violent, figurative images. This painting dates to a period of his life which was a direct reaction against the mechanisation of war and his experiences in WWI, leading to a more humanising and rounded period of painting.

So maybe I’m going a little over the top. I can say though, that sitting at a little Vietnamese café on Whitecross Street yesterday afternoon, replaying some banter my +1 and I had enjoyed before he scooted back to work and soaking up the sun, I genuinely couldn’t have been happier. I’ve had a love affair with this city since I was tiny, and watching the crowds of students, be-suited bankers and tourists mingling amongst the stalls and vans selling all manner of food in a shabby chic east-end street, I felt utterly content.  

William Hogarth, Beer Lane (1750). The hubbub of humanity which so characterises this extraordinary metropolis was a favourite subject for Hogarth, who made his name capturing real people and real life rather than the idealised aristocracy that was the norm for the time...

London is a city which inspires those who really see it; there is tremendous beauty in it. Going from the graceful buildings to the landscaped gardens and parks, the small street markets and the sunsets, moments of perfection can be found everywhere. As with so much in our lives, it is through the brush or lens of artists that we can see this most clearly. They filter out what we don’t want to see and give us a shining vision of a city, airbrushed and flawless in some cases, gritty and more real in others but always true. Okay, so this may be only in the most ineffable and romantic of senses , but given my current sunny disposition I’m running with it.

CRW Nevinson, Amongst the Nerves of the World (1930). Oil on Canvas. There is a certain gritty glamour to London at times, and this image by Richard Nevinson is a perfect example of just that. The combination of architecture and futurism makes for a striking and and accurate impression of the London streets.

Some of my favourite images of London are produced by the impressionists and they definitely fit my present feelings about this city. Walking over Waterloo Bridge a few evenings ago on my way to dinner, I was mulling over Monet (as one does) and I genuinely believe that his practice of creating works of personal perception of place and our emotional responses to them, is what resounds most strongly with me when I think of this city. His images capture that fleeting, serene moment that washes over us if we take just a moment to appreciate the combination of nature and humanity which surrounds us all on a daily basis. Some of my personal favourites are sunsets and sunrises around the Thames, where there is a sense of timelessness and transience in the rising mist, burbling waters and beautiful architecture…

Claude Monet, House of Parliament, London, Sun Breaking Through the Fog (1904). Oil on Canvas.

It seems that the views of London, especially those around the river have always fascinated artists. One of my favourite all time artists is Turner – his pieces are just utterly lustworthy – and his image of the Thames (below) is one of those understated depictions which is so easy to overlook, but draws you in a holds you when you really start to look at it. So often it seems that people are enticed toward statements and showmanship, and they forget that the most beautiful of creations can be the most subtle. This image of the city would be utterly lost next to the likes of Andre Derain, but on its own, the delicate depths and faint forms emerge as they in do in reality from the mists which haunt the river banks…

JMW Turner, The Thames Above Waterloo Bridge (1830-35). Oil on Canvas.This unfinished painting takes us to the heart of the smoky commercial capital which, though a Londoner by birth and resident for most of his life, Turner usually preferred to depict from a distance. 

Coming from a sleepy, country back water (beautiful and unpopulated as it is) I love being in the heart of things and one of my favourite places for that was the West End… I fondly remember mis-spent afternoons quaffing wine in Covent Garden or wandering the streets of Soho before diving into the melee of Piccadilly Circus to be whisked off somewhere fabulous for tea. Whilst I now prefer the East End for quaffing and people watching, the West of London still holds a certain thrill for me to wander through. One of my favourite images of the area is Piccadilly Circus by L.S. Lowry; it just captures the hustle and bustle of W1 perfectly. It may not be the prettiest of places to immortalise in paint, but you cannot escape the fact that it is one of the most iconic images of London known around the world, and Lowry has captured it sympathetically, simply (as is his great skill) and somehow at the same moment utterly accurately.

L. S. Lowry, Piccadilly Circus, London (1960). Oil on Canvas.

So whilst spring may be a little way off yet, and the banking fraternity are eagerly awaiting Tit Monday, London it seems is as beautiful as ever, we all just need a moment to see it… For those who can’t though, well, that’s what these artists did best, and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind sharing it.

Frank Auerbach, Mornington Cresecent - Summer Morning (1991). Oil on Canvas. Even the most everday sights can be rendered beautiful...