Andrew Lambirth on Maggi Hambling’s forceful seascapes and Rose Wylie’s quirky art
Let me at once state an interest: I have just written a book with Maggi Hambling about her life and works, currently available from all good booksellers. But long and intimate knowledge of an artist’s oeuvre should not disqualify the critic from writing more; in fact, it’s to be hoped that experience may bring with it increased insight and understanding. So let me say at the outset that, in her new paintings at the Marlborough, Hambling (born 1945) has produced something remarkable — an extension of her territory as an artist and a great leap forward in terms of her mastery of paint.
As the title of this exhibition — Maggi Hambling: Portraits of People and the Sea — suggests, Hambling maintains that she paints only one kind of picture: portraits, whether of people or the sea.
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