Wilting in the heat? Seek out the shade at Kew Gardens where 30 Henry Moore sculptures are summering beneath the trees. Don’t miss the spikiest Moores giving Kew’s cactus plants a run for their money in the glasshouses. Still sweltering? Cool yourself with the fogs and nocturnes of James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain. Then, seek inspiration for your holidays with Winston Churchill: The Painter at the Wallace Collection. Wherever in the world Churchill found himself — the battlefields of Flanders, on holiday in the south of France or on official business in Jerusalem — he always packed his paints. And if you’re off to Spain, get into the spirit with Zurbarán at the National Gallery, an exhibition that dazzlingly marries the holy and the worldly. Here are four of the best shows to see this month.
Zurbarán — sumptuous, deeply weird, this show is a must-see
Christ on the Cross with the Virgin, Mary Magdalene and Saint John and, right, The Crucified ChristAlamy
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery’s Zurbarán exhibition opens with a spectacular piece of stagecraft. The first room is dark as a sepulchre. Directly ahead of you is the crucified Christ. No mourners gather, no friends or followers loosen his ropes or rush to lower him. Night has fallen on Golgotha. To your right St Serapion slumps unconscious, his arms pulled back by his bonds. To your left is St Peter, pained, emaciated, crucified upside down, the blood rushing to his head. You are no longer a tourist or a ticket-holder but a witness. If you can, book a 10am slot and be first through the doors. The effect of these three painted apparitions together is enough to convert a heathen on the spot. To Aug 23, nationalgallery.org.uk
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James McNeill Whistler — up close with a witty, tricky painter
James McNeill Whistler’s Arrangement in Grey and Black No 1COURTESY OF TATE
Tate Britain, London
“This exhibition”, the opening text outside the Whistler show at Tate Britain reads, “presents James McNeill Whistler’s fearless pursuit of beauty”. Whoa. Stop right there. This is big. Beauty is back. Let Whistler be Whistler and let history be history are the guiding forces of an exhibition that seeks to transport you to the past rather than stretch the past upon a rack. The show opens not with Whistler’s birth in Massachusetts in 1834 but in Whistler’s studio on the Thames at Chelsea in the 1870s. To Sep 27, tate.org
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Winston Churchill: The Painter — I’m not snobby about the PM’s hobby
Winston Churchill’s The Beach at WalmerAmerica’s National Churchill Museum at Westminster College, Missouri. © Churchill Heritage Ltd
Wallace Collection, London
Beware the politician who is “100 per cent” committed to their constituency, their city, their country. There is much to be said for a hobby and hinterland. In the first room of the Wallace Collection’s exhibition Winston Churchill: The Painter the great man stands at his easel, mahlstick in left hand, paintbrush in right, cigar in mouth. He wears his homburg even in the studio. Over 50 years, in and out of office, and in and out of black dog glooms, Churchill produced more than 500 paintings. About 50 of them are gathered here. To Nov 29, wallacecollection.org
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Henry Moore: Monumental Nature — spectacular, this is the show of the summer
Henry Moore’s Sheep Piece at Kew GardensGuy Bell/Alamy
Kew Gardens, London
Thirty sculptures by Henry Moore and a further 90 casts, carvings, drawings and etchings have made it to Kew for Henry Moore: Monumental Nature, the largest outdoor Moore show yet. Monumental is the word. Surely this is the show of the summer? Pack a picnic, lace your boots, wear sunscreen. There will be crowds, but Kew and Moore will weather them. Kew covers 320 acres, and if you walk up to the Pagoda and as far as the river, you’ll leave the pack behind. To Jan 31, kew.org
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