Summer Exhibition safari

Published on 19 July 2023

Cats, dogs, foxes and pangolins – there's a menagerie of creatures to discover in this year’s Summer Exhibition.

Dog II by Fernando Martin Godoy

With his piercing stare and his perfectly round nose, how could anyone say no to Fernando Martin Godoy’s Dog II? Go on, tell him he’s a good boy.

You can find the photopolymer pooch in Gallery VII, alongside other canine friends.

Fernando Martin Godoy, Dog II — Photopolymer print, edition of 50. 40 x 30 cm
Courtesy of the artist

Big Cat Power by Charlotte Farmer

Cats come in all shapes and sizes. This big cat print happens to be very small, at just 17 x 12 cm.

Longstanding visitors might recognise Charlotte Farmer’s work from previous Summer Exhibitions, including Ticked Off Tiger in last year’s yellow-walled print room.

Charlotte Farmer, Big Cat Power — Screenprint, edition of 175. 17 x 12 cm
Courtesy of the artist

The Night Patrol by Jane Lydbury

The suburban fox gets a bad name, but Jane Lydbury’s print captures the magic of seeing a semi-feral animal in a sleepy, built-up area.

Look closely and you can make out some other creatures lurking in this street scene too.

Jane Lydbury, The Night Patrol — Print, relief engraving, edition of 25. 16 x 17 x 1 cm
Courtesy of the artist

Pangolin Grotesque for New College, Oxford by David Kohn Architects

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal on the planet, with all eight species now being threatened with extinction.

This stone pangolin is one of 24 carvings of endangered species which will be installed on the outside of a redeveloped living and working space at New College, Oxford.

David Kohn Architects, Pangolin Grotesque for New College, Oxford — Stoneraise sandstone. 26 x 18 x 21 cm
Courtesy of the artist

Looking for Stubbs by Julian Hicks

The National Gallery has Whistlejacket, the 2023 Summer Exhibition has the miniature dachshund in Looking for Stubbs.

Julian Hicks’ parody of George Stubbs’ masterpiece feels at home in the grand setting of our Main Galleries.

Julian Hicks, Looking for Stubbs — Photograph, giclée print, edition of 20. 80 x 56 cm
Courtesy of the artist

Peregris by Georgina Brett Chinnery

When you visit the Summer Exhibition, don’t forget to look up.

Georgina Brett Chinnery’s multi-media sculpture of a peregrine falcon is perched on a suitably high vantage point in the Lecture Room.

Georgina Brett Chinnery, Peregris — Leather bird, clay feet, copper leaf and portland stone. 52 x 18 x 35 cm
Courtesy of the artist

Held by Alexandra Helm

Not all cats like to be picked up and held, but some will begrudgingly accept that their owners need a cuddle sometimes.

Alexandra Helm’s colourful screenprint captures the tender relationship between cat and owner.

Alexandra Helm, Held — Screenprint, edition of 30. 29 x 21 cm
Courtesy of the artist

Hello Dolly by Deirdre Nicholls

Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned, so it’s fitting that Deirdre Nicholls’ Hello Dolly is an edition of 250 pink resin sculptures.

One of the flock can be found in the Summer Exhibition, next to Shauna Richardson’s pink Bears are Boring.

Pigeon (S*itting) by Helen Ashton

Sometimes, nature calls.

Helen Ashton's pigeon is cheerfully pooing in the park next to an abandoned coffee. You've got to respect its carefree confidence.

Helen Ashton, Pigeon (Shitting) — Screenprint, edition of 100. 45 x 33 cm
Courtesy of the artist

Richard Malone, poem in the dark about sadness / filíocht faoi bhrón, as an dorchadas (detail)

Visit the Summer Exhibition

Come and celebrate art in all mediums – from prints, paintings, film and photography to sculpture, architectural works and more by leading artists, Royal Academicians and household names as well as new and emerging talent.

Book now