Maggi Hambling. Wall of water

June 5, 2013 Maggi Hambling. Wall of Water exhibition was opened within the frameworks of Benjamin Britten Seasons in Russia.

Maggi Hambling (b.1945) - one of the most famous modern artists in Britain, for her achivements in art she was given a title of an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1995), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2010). Her works are included into largest British state collection - British Museum, Tate Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum.

At the age of 15 Hambling entered the Art school of Eastern England. Further the painter continued her professional education into Ipswich Art School (1962-1964), Camberwell Art College (1964-1967) and famous London Slade School of Fine Arts (1967-1969).

Sea waves have been her main characters and muses of Hambling art for 10 years, this vast cyclus includes, paintings, graphics, sculptures. The series of monotypes, dedicated to the theme of water was chosen for exhibition into the Hermitage not coincidentally: the exhibition is coincided with the first performance of The Prodical Son, a church parable, written by famous British composer Benjamin Britten in Russia, within the frameworks of celebration of composer’s centenary.

Hambling and Britten have much in common, both of them are habitants of the North Sea and the music of Britten impressed the artist when she was a child. One of her new paintings, dedicated to the waves, Maggi Hambling donated to the Hermitage.

Maggi Hambling. Wall of Water exhibition is held within the frameworks of the hermitage 20/21 project, a large-scale program on increase of the art collection of XX and XXI centuries and presentation of the modern artist works into the Hermitage.

Authors of the article - Ekaterina Lopatkina and Aleksey Lepork, researchers of East Eurpean Art Department of the State Hermitage Museum.