Exhibition of the week
Jessica Rankin
This New York artist’s abstract works hover between embroidery and painting and have a seductive, lyrical beauty.
• White Cube Mason’s Yard, London, 28 January to 28 February
Also showing
Andy Warhol
The artist who defines America still captivates, even if Trump’s US doesn’t.
• Lakeside Arts, Nottingham, from 24 January to 19 April
As Long As It Takes
Intriguing exploration of how drawing can grow from performance art, or vice versa, with Carali McCall, Jaanika Peerna and others.
• Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, London, until 7 March
For John Constable
David Hockney, John Hoyland and more in a homage to the great landscape artist.
• Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, 29 January to 27 February
Mario Merz
A protective and welcoming igloo sculpture and other works by the environmentally sensitive arte povera legend.
• Sprovieri, London, until 13 March
Image of the week
Henry, 78, is one of the regulars at Barras Market in Glasgow’s East End and is always dressed sharp. “How you doing, Henry, you good?” “Better than good – I’m lucky.” His picture, taken by Stuart Edwards, is one of the winning shots in this year’s Portrait of Britain competition. See more here.
What we learned
A 67,800 year-old hand shape in an Indonesian cave may be the world’s oldest rock art
Ai Weiwei’s new book On Censorship is at its liveliest when he ponders AI
Colombian artist Beatriz González, known for potent political work, has died aged 93
A new book celebrates the golden age of crisp packet design
Tracey Emin has curated an exhibition of her heroes’ work that revels in gloom
Montez Press, champions of queer, feminist art, are reaching a global audience
Sally Tallant will be the new director of the Hayward Gallery in London
Masterpiece of the week
The Madonna of Humility With Saints Mark and John by Lorenzo Veneziano, c.1366-70
The tender look between mother and child lifts this medieval painting from gold-laden piety to human profundity. Mary is not so much humble as devoted to her baby. The infant too shows need for her. It’s a heart-wrenching moment of real life and recognisable experience. This Venetian work was painted at a time when Italian artists were pioneering a new sensitivity to gestures and expression, giving art unprecedented emotional power. The cooler, more distant and regal figures of early medieval art were giving way to psychological acuteness and passionate drama. Veneziano shares this new mentality with artists such as Giotto and Simone Martini – and writers like Dante, Boccaccio and Britain’s Geoffrey Chaucer.
• National Gallery, London
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