Dr. Ernst Vegelin Van Claerbergen
Which exhibition or event are you most looking forward to in 2015, and why?
In February we are opening Goya: The Witches and Old Women Album. We have been working on this exhibition for the past three years, and it is thrilling to see it finally come together. This will be the first time that all of the surviving drawings from one of Goya’s private albums will be reunited from collections around the world, and as such a landmark in Goya scholarship.
What do you predict will be the most significant development or biggest talking point in art in the year ahead, and why?
A major continuing concern will be the well-being of regional museums in the UK, and in particular how national and London-based organisations can help to support the vitality and ambition of these institutions which care for some of the nation’s greatest collections.
Which artist most excites you right now, and why?
We are organising an exhibition of Peter Lanyon’s gliding paintings in the autumn, and in this context I have become absolutely enthralled by the achievements of post-war British art. The 1950s especially was a golden decade with many artists in this country producing work of the very highest calibre and resonance.
Tell us about the project that you are working on/showcasing in 2015
On the 15th January we will be opening a new gallery dedicated to our great drawings collection. The first display will be Unseen, a selection drawings and watercolours that haven’t been exhibited at the Courtauld for the last 20 years. We will use the new space to present a dynamic and flexible programme of displays throughout the year.