December 2014 – Late in the life of artist Henri Matisse, as battles with illness and a decrease in mobility set in, he turned from paintbrush to scissors. The process of cutting his abstract images from large pieces of painted paper allowed infinite possibilities of arrangement while the artist was largely confined to a wheelchair; (a single image might contain 1,000 or more pin holes resulting from multiple repositionings by students and assistants). full story
December 2014 – The London restaurant/hotel hot-spot opened among the historic (1889) London firehouse remains by hotelier Andre Balazs earlier this year. Balazs, the detail-oriented founder of New York’s Mercer and Standard hotels as well as L.A.’s Chateau Marmont, is new to the London scene but that hasn’t stopped London’s creative elite (often followed by the paparazzi) from making their way to Chiltern Firehouse. The chef, Nuno Mendes (one Michelin star), is joined by sommelier Romain Audrière. Food (elegant & simple), wine (well suggested & approachable) and space (fresh & modern with a firehouse relic here and there) do not disappoint, with the exception of a single table from which seems to sprout what must be a structurally necessary column. The difficulty of securing a reservation is apparently on the rise, so do plan well in advance. 1 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, London. Restaurant 020 7073 7676, rooms 020 7073 7653 or reservations@chilternfirehouse.com. Dinner only; enjoy!
December 2014 – Like the aforementioned Matisse exhibition, Rembrandt: The Late Works focuses on the final phase of the artist’s life. Although 17th century Dutch master Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) enjoyed fairly early fame as a portrait painter, it was the last 2 decades of the artist’s life which perhaps best defined his career; a period marked by both personal and financial struggles. full story
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