Veronese - National Gallery

Paolo Veronese, Perseus and Andromeda, 1575-80

Veronese: Magnificence in Renaissance Venice is at the National Gallery until 15 June.
Veronese was "one of the greatest painters who have ever lived", is the bold claim of Xavier Salomon, curator of this exhibition; Nicholas Penny, director of the National Gallery is reported to agree with Salomon that The Martyrdom of St George (c.1565, see below) is 'arguably the world's greatest painting'.
I simply haven't seen enough Veronese (yet) to know if this is overwrought hyperbole or sound judgement. But just on the basis of reproductions of paintings such as Perseus and Adndromeda (above) I am ready to be seduced. Reviews, too, have been pretty positive:
"The show of a lifetime. This is the first – and quite likely the last – chance we will have to see his soaringly beautiful art at full stretch in this country." (Laura Cumming)
Veronese (1528-88), born Paolo Caliari in Verona (hence 'Veronese') became one of the leading artists of Venice alongside Titian (c.1490-1576), the sculptor Sansovino (1486-1570) and architect Andrea Palladio (1508-80). He was notable for large scale paintings of mythological and biblical subjects. 
In 1573 Veronese was summoned before the Inquisition to explain the inclusion of inappropriate figures in his painting of the Last Supper: "Did some person order you to paint Germans, buffoons, and other similar figures in this picture?", Veronese responded:  "When I have some space left over in a picture, I adorn it with figures of my own invention… ". Ordered to remove the offending figures 'at his own expense', Veronese simply retitled the painting Feast at the House of Levi (see below - NB not included in exhibition).
Read reviews by Laura Cumming, Waldemar Januszczak,  Richard Dorment; watch a short video of Nicholas Penny talking about the Adoration of the Kings. Click on images to enarge.

Paolo Veronese,The Martyrdom of St George, c.1565

Paolo Veronese, Lucretia, 1580s

Paolo Veronese, Portrait of a Lady, known as the "Bella Nani", c.1560-5

Paolo Veronese, The Adoration of the Kings, 1573

Paolo Veronese, The Conversion of Mary Magdalene, c1548

Paolo Veronese, Mars and Venus United by Love, 1570s

Paolo Veronese, The Feast at the House of Levi, 1573

Martin Creed - Hayward Gallery (and in the lift at Ikon)

Martin Creed, Work No. 845: Things, 2007

Martin Creed: What's the point of it? is at the Hayward Gallery until 27 April.
On a recent visit to the Ikon in Birmingham (see Jamal Penjweny and David Tremlett, below) I took the glass lift down from the top galleries (I love glass lifts) and had the bonus pleasure of experiencing Martin Creed's Work No. 409: For lift and choir of bass, alto and soprano voices. The recorded voices deepen as the lift descends. I immediately rode the lift back up with rising voices; and down again.
This reminded me that Creed's retrospective at the Hayward is on my list of must see exhibitions. I have enthused before about his Turner Prize winning piece (Work No. 160: The lights going on and off - see below) and so have high hopes that the Hayward show will be good. Reviews, have, however, been mixed. His art is one that balances on a knife edge of silliness and banality, but when it comes off it can be a delight.
Read reviews by Tim Adams, Mark Hudson, Sarah Kent and Waldemar Januszczack (he hated it!); watch a video 'preview'; read a transcript of a talk given by the artist in Birmingham in 2008; watch a video of Martin Creed and his band performing in Berlin in 2012.

Martin Creed, Work No. 79: Some Blu-Tack kneaded, rolled into a ball, and depressed against a wall, 1993

Martin Creed, Work No. 200: Half the air in a given space, 1998

Martin Creed, Work No. 1092: Mothers, 2011

Martin Creed, Work No. 264: Two protrusions from a wall, 2001

Martin Creed, Work No. 1315, 2011

Martin Creed, Work No. 88: A sheet of A4 paper crumpled into a ball, 1995

Martin Creed, Work No. 701: Nails, 2007