Ashmolean treasures

I love this charming figure from the Cypriot collection at the Ashmolean but I was there in fact to see the Henry Moore/ Francis Bacon Exhibition. It's in its last week now so catch it while you can - the works on display are both stunning yet unsettling.

It's probably the work of Bacon that's unsettling and emotionally overwhelming, whereas that of Moore is powerful and impressive. I went with a friend and we discussed how the Moore exhibits might be useful in a Pilates class (frivolously, to annoy those in deeper conversations) - see an example here; but we (more seriously) debated and decided that you could in fact put any two artists together and find parallels, points of contrast and connection. Having said that, there's something about the way both artists treat the human form, turning it inside out in their very different ways, that really works and it is well worth getting to see the exhibition before it finishes on Sunday. Furthermore it might be a chance in a lifetime to see some of the truly monumental works that are otherwise in private collections - so get see them while you can!