While Katy Hessel adeptly highlights the lack of representation of female artists, she also encourages us to seek out art in unexpected places, urging us to pay attention to the abundance of great art surrounding us in London (Great art surrounds Londoners – if they bother to notice it, 24 July). She provides examples such as the impressive Boris Anrep mosaics at the National Gallery, featuring not only famous figures like Bertrand Russell and Virginia Woolf but also Ernest Rutherford and Margot Fonteyn. Additionally, Hessel brings attention to Notre Dame de France church, where Boris Anrep’s front panel for the altar, originally covered by a Jean Cocteau mural, has been beautifully restored.
In her insightful article, Hessel also directs our gaze towards the Barbara Hepworth sculpture adorning the John Lewis store on Oxford Street, reminding us to never ignore the art in our urban landscape. Not far from this location, she alerts us to other easily missed treasures. The Time Life building on New Bond Street boasts a remarkable stone screen consisting of Henry Moore sculptures. Similarly, Zimbabwe House on the Strand features striking but defaced male and female figures sculpted by Jacob Epstein. Commissioned for the British Medical Association in 1908, these figures caused a scandal, leading to their alteration in the 1930s.
Moving beyond Hessel’s observations, I would like to add that London’s churches are a trove of hidden art. From medieval to modern, these sacred spaces house a multitude of artistic wonders including stained glass, sculptures, and paintings. Joining countless churches, chapels, and meeting houses across the UK, they offer free entry, mostly remain open throughout the week, and represent an essential part of our cultural history, accessible to all (Philip Rutnam, Chair, National Churches Trust).
Shifting gears, I would like to draw attention to Martin Rowson’s poignant apology. I implore critics and fellow satirists, like Jonathan Jones, to read it with an open mind (Bite the air in Britain and you can taste the prejudices that haunt us. I’m sorry I became part of that, 26 July). In his scathing review of Grayson Perry’s exhibition, Jones made a biting remark about the British public and launched a personal attack on the artist, referring to him as “the philistine’s Blake, the idiot’s intellectual, and the artist Britain has now chosen for its own” (English self-mockery without insight or depth, 24 July). While we may engage in robust artistic critique, it is crucial to maintain a level of respect for the artists themselves (John Bailey, St Albans, Hertfordshire).
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