Join us to welcome our new exhibition into Over-Seas House with an opening drinks reception.

Muse is a curated group exhibition of works discussed in art historian Ruth Millington’s new book (Muse by Ruth Millington, released 07/04/22, Vintage Publishing).

The perception of the muse is that of a passive, powerless model, at the mercy of an influential and older artist. But is this trope a romanticised myth? Far from posing silently, muses have brought emotional support, intellectual energy, career-changing creativity and practical help to artists.

Muse tells the true stories of the incredible muses who have inspired art history's masterpieces. From Leonardo da Vinci's studio to the covers of Vogue, art historian, critic and writer Ruth Millington uncovers the remarkable role of muses in some of art history's most well-known and significant works. Delving into the real-life relationships that models have held with the artists who immortalised them, it will expose the influential and active part they have played and deconstruct reductive stereotypes, reframing the muse as a momentous and empowered agent of art history.

The exhibition shows work by contemporary artists Sunil Gupta, Kim Leutwyler, Pixy Liao and Nilupa Yasmin alongside contextual work loaned from The Estate of Francis Bacon and a set of book illustrations from Dina Razin.

Muse: The Exhibition, in partnership with Square Peg, Vintage Publishing and Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Image credit 1: Muse book cover illustration by Dina Razin (2022, Vintage Publishing)

Image credit 2: Photograph of George Dyer (c. 1964), image courtesy of The Estate of Francis BaconImage Credit 3: Sunil Gupta, Untitled #13 from the series the New Pre-Raphaelites (2008), image courtesy of the artist and Hales Gallery

Image Credit 4: Kim Leutwyler, Agolley (2020), image courtesy of the artist

Please note that due to the architecture of the building, disabled access for the exhibition is limited, please contact ROSL ARTS on roslarts@rosl.org.uk or on 02074080214 x 213 for further information and to make arrangements.