Neja's Art Walks

01/09/2026

I recently accidentally stumbled upon the work of Rudolph Ihlee (1883–1968), an artist I'd never come across before. A prize-winning student at London's prestigious Slade School of Fine Art, where he studied alongside Stanley Spencer (one of my favourite British artists), he later settled in Collioure in the south of France. The same small fishing town attracted artists such as Henri Matisse and André Derain, who helped launch Fauvism there in 1905. Ihlee spent decades painting its luminous Mediterranean landscapes. It's fascinating how an artist so highly regarded early in his career can almost disappear from the art historical canon.

01/09/2026

A visit to Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar — a museum of modern and contemporary art founded by Dutch collector and businessman Joop van Caldenborgh, whose collection has been built up over some six in decades. The museum opened in September 2016.

The museum itself was designed by Kraaijvanger Architects and the setting is fascinating in its own right. Voorlinden is a historic country estate whose origins go back to the 17th century. In the 18th century it was owned by the Portuguese banking family Lopes Suasso. The present manor house was commissioned in 1912 by Hugo Loudon and designed by British architect R. J. Johnston.

Unfortunately, the museum was in an installation period, so much of it was closed. Still, there was plenty to see, including Anselm Kiefer’s Jericho, two monumental concrete towers standing in the landscape, as well as works by Richard Serra, James Turrell, Jan Fabre and the Maman.

29/08/2026

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880–1938) was one of the founders of German Expressionism and the driving force behind Die Brücke ("The Bridge"), the revolutionary artists' group that rejected academic tradition in favour of raw emotion, bold colour and distorted forms.

His paintings of Berlin's bustling streets captured both the excitement and the anxiety of modern city life, while his haunting Self-Portrait as a Soldier became one of the defining images of the psychological trauma of the First World War.

Branded a "degenerate artist" by the N***s, more than 600 of his works were removed from German museums in 1937. Deeply affected by the campaign against his art, Kirchner died by su***de in Switzerland the following year.

One of his paintings is currently on display at Tate Modern. If you'd like to discover Kirchner in the wider context of modern art—and uncover the fascinating stories behind the artists who transformed the 20th century—why not join one of NEJA's Art Walks at Tate Modern? I'd love to show you around.

25/08/2026

Frida Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits, but in the final decade of her life she also painted a remarkable series of still lifes.

Far from being simple studies of fruit and flowers, these works are filled with symbolism. Watermelons, papayas, coconuts, prickly pears and other native Mexican fruits become metaphors for life, fertility, abundance and mortality. Some compositions also include birds, flowers, flags and handwritten inscriptions, inviting multiple interpretations.

Kahlo's still lifes reflect her deep appreciation of Mexican folk art and her commitment to celebrating the country's indigenous culture and traditions. They also reveal how she continued to experiment with colour, composition and symbolism, even as chronic pain increasingly limited her mobility.

As her health deteriorated in the 1940s and early 1950s, still lifes became a more frequent subject. Rather than turning away from painting, Kahlo transformed familiar objects into powerful reflections on the human condition. Her final work, Viva la Vida (Watermelons), completed just eight days before her death in 1954, is perhaps the best-known example.

If you'd like to explore these works and many others, get in touch to book a guided visit to the current Frida Kahlo exhibition at Tate Modern.

21/08/2026

This painting captures the audience at the Alhambra Theatre, one of London's most famous music halls, which stood on Leicester Square. Artist Spencer Frederick Gore (1878–1914) painted several scenes there between 1905 and 1911, fascinated by its dazzling atmosphere. A founding member of the Camden Town Group, he helped introduce Post-Impressionist ideas into British art, but died of pneumonia in 1914 at just 35, cutting short a remarkably promising career.

With its extravagant Moorish Revival façade and lavish interior, the Alhambra became renowned for spectacular musical ballets, elaborate stage sets and large ensembles of dancers. The flags in this painting suggest the audience is watching Our Flag, a patriotic ballet that premiered on 20 December 1909. The production starred Danish ballerina Britte Petersen and reflected the Edwardian appetite for grand theatrical spectacle, combining dance, music and lavish stage design.

Sadly, the Alhambra Theatre was demolished in 1936. Today, the site is occupied by the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, but Gore's painting preserves the atmosphere of one of Edwardian London's most glamorous entertainment venues just a few years before both his untimely death and the dramatic changes that transformed the city.

16/08/2026

Completed just eight days before her death, Viva la Vida (Watermelons) was the last painting Frida Kahlo created.

A vibrant still life of sliced watermelons, it bears the inscription "¡Viva la Vida!" ("Long live life"), which Kahlo added to the central slice in July 1954.

The meaning of the inscription remains open to interpretation. It may have been a straightforward affirmation of life as she approached the end of her life, or an ironic reflection on decades of physical suffering caused by childhood polio, the devastating bus accident she suffered at 18, and the many surgeries that followed.

Want to discover more? Get in touch to book a guided visit to the current Frida Kahlo exhibition at Tate Modern.

13/08/2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/arts/design/tarot-cards-morgan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5FA.wXmj.jYqm-BzorkZr&smid=nytcore-android-share

A Morgan Library & Museum exhibition explores the origins of a popular tradition that has drawn occultists and everyday people alike.

12/08/2026

Today is eclipse day, so a good excuse to look at George Grosz’s Eclipse of the Sun (1926).

This exceptionally dense painting is a harsh indictment of the political and economic realities of Weimar Germany, particularly the economic interests dominating the new regime.

At the centre sits President Paul von Hindenburg, recognisable by his moustache, military uniform and medals. He bares his teeth beneath an ironic laurel wreath. In front of him are a bloodied sword and funerary cross, referring to his role in the First World War and its human cost.

Around the table sit four headless financiers. A corpulent industrialist in a top hat, carrying miniature weapons and a train, whispers into Hindenburg’s ear — suggesting that those in power are simply acting on the interests of capital and the military.
Behind them, a city burns. A blindfolded donkey, wearing the German eagle on its blinkers, eats papers from a trough while balancing on a board tied to a skeleton — interpreted as the German people, accepting whatever is put in front of them. To the right, a prisoner peers through bars beneath one of the financiers.

And above the whole scene, the sun is eclipsed by a giant dollar sign, referring to American financial investment in Germany after the First World War.

11/08/2026

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09/08/2026

Have you ever heard of Ludwig Justi?

Yet without him, many masterpieces of modern art might never have entered museum collections.

As director of Berlin's National Gallery, Justi believed museums shouldn't just preserve the past—they should also collect the greatest art of their own time. In the 1910s and 1920s he acquired works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Max Beckmann, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso while many critics dismissed them as radical or even worthless.

When the N***s came to power in 1933, Justi was dismissed for championing modern art. Four years later, hundreds of the works he had acquired—including more than 600 by Kirchner alone—were confiscated from German museums as "Degenerate Art."

After the Second World War, Berlin's museums found themselves in the Soviet sector. The Soviet Military Administration reinstated Justi to lead the State Museums, recognising that few people were better qualified to rebuild Germany's devastated museum system. Thanks to this appointment, one of the greatest advocates of modern art was able to return to public life after twelve years of N**i persecution.

Today, the idea that museums should actively collect the best contemporary art seems obvious. A century ago, it was revolutionary—and Ludwig Justi was one of the people who made it happen.

This portrait of him was painted by Augusta von Zitzewitz in 1929.