Celebrate with Picasso, marvel at the ancients and enjoy photography – Art Week | Art and design

Exhibition of the week

Made in ancient Egypt
Wonders that will amaze and move all ages, in this magical exhibition that brings the ancient Egyptians to life.
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, until 12 April

also appear

Picasso Theater
There’s a party in your eyes and everyone’s invited, in a super fun poll showcasing some of Picasso’s greatest works.
Tate Modern, London, until 12 April

Marie Antoinette style
Fancy a fairy tale for Christmas? This has all the charm of one but with a very dark ending.
V&A, South Kensington, until 22 March

Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Diverse and colorful images of the natural world taken by professional and amateur photographers – if you need an extra reason to visit this enchanting museum.
Natural History Museum, London, until 12 July

Turner in January
The windswept skies, mountains, and seas in Turner’s watercolors provide a breath of fresh air for the new year.
Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, 1-31 January

Picture of the week

Christine Hazel is 88 years old, suffers from progressive memory loss, and had never practiced art until six months ago. She has since created more than 200 drawings, which have gone viral on Instagram and will be shown in four scheduled exhibitions thanks to raw, unrehearsed drawings of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren — and Kizzy the dog. Read the full story.

What we learned

Maria Balshaw is stepping down as director of the Tate Museum after nine years

This year’s LensCulture Street Photography Awards included dogs, drones and tight boxes

Artist David Gentleman offers invaluable advice

Coco Chanel provided a sunny sanctuary for the stars of art

Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center should serve as a warning to UK arts institutions

The first lady of the Croatian avant-garde used medical tools to make art

Visual artist David Shrigley has collaborated on a macabre opera about a TV cooking show

The Barbican Arts Center in London has big plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary

Taiwan has a stunning new hybrid library and museum in Taichung

Dissident artists in Hong Kong are keeping their vibrant scene going despite the crackdown

Masterpiece of the week

Birth, at Night, after Hugo van der Goes, ca. 1520-30

This is likely a copy of the lost cradle by the great 15th century Flemish painter Hugo van der Goes. It has the sweetness and intensity of his heartfelt late medieval visions of the birth of Christ, with little angels gathered in prayer around the newborn child while Mary (much larger than the angels) kneels reverently before her child, her God. Instead of shepherds and kings, this scene is attended by a pair of merchants. Behind the stable is a northern European winter’s night, with leafless trees visible in the darkness.

Winter trees and little angels are typical of Van der Goes and can also be seen in the huge Adoration of the Shepherds in the Uffizi, Florence. You can see from this rough copy and the Uffizi masterpiece how magical his birth at night was. But his artistic superiority came at a price. The heavy workload and world-wide fame put his mind under pressure: he also appears to have been plagued by religious guilt and terror of hell. He became ill and was cared for in a monastery, where the abbot reportedly tried to cure him with music. The later northern European artist, Van Gogh, was haunted by the madness of Van der Goes, who was one of the first artists whose inner suffering became famous – but who left us with images of peace and hope in the middle of winter.
National Gallery, London

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