Fine exhibitions are just a short hop away, writes Hugo Arnold
It may be a long time before that summer holiday comes along, yet with cheap flights and oodles of hotel space to choose from, city breaks are one fine way to see your way through to warmer weather. And apart from the shopping, what better way to justify a break than the need for a little culture? What follows is a selection of some a short flight away.
It is not always necessary to travel far for a holiday and that goes for Dublin too. A few nights in the capital can transform your view of the city, whether you live there or not. Our own National Gallery of Ireland kicks off the year with an exhibition of Paul Henry (1876-1958) called The Potato Diggers, 1912. The master of dark blues and west of Ireland atmosphere, this is billed as the largest exhibition of Henry's work to be seen in Dublin and brings together some 100 works. It is accompanied by a display of the artist's works on paper to be shown in the Print Gallery. From February 19th to May 18th, 2003.
For anyone in search of something foreign, the Guggenheim in Bilbao is winding up two exhibitions; Rubens and His Age: Treasures from the Hermitage Museum and Henri Matisse. Both finish on February 16th. The Rubens exhibition is a comprehensive take on one of the most dynamic of artists, who turned his hand to painting, drawing, printmaking, book illustration, tapestry design, sculpture and architecture. The Hermitage has dug deep into its considerable resources to reveal this most remarkable era in the history of art and culture. And lest it seems like quite a way to go for one man, the works of some of his pupils also feature; Anthony van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, as well as their contemporaries Adriaen Brouwer and David Teniers the Younger.
Apart from gazing at the building, there is also a much more modest exhibition built around three later works of Matisse. If the richness of 17th century Flanders leaves you light-headed, this is a breath of Tahiti-inspired sunshine.
Coming up is Jasper Johns to Jeff Koons: Four Decades of Art from the Broad Collections. Eli and Edythe Broad have been collecting since the 1970s and this selection of over 150 works from around 20 artists is heaven for those interested in the period. Artists include John Baldassari, Georg Baselitz, Anselm Kiefer, Roy Lichtenstein, Charles Ray, Ed Ruscha and Andy Warhol. From February 15th to September 7th.
Still in Spain, but moving even closer to the sun - and, perhaps more importantly, to more serious shopping opportunities - the Prado in Madrid is showing Vermeer and the Dutch Interior, a sumptuous collection showing just how radiant inside can be. From February 19th to May 18th.
One of the most talked-about exhibitions last year, Matisse Picasso, has been doing the rounds in Europe but heads to New York in February to show at MoMA (currently located in Queens while its home is rebuilt). While we put up with the antics of footballers and pop stars, these two greats of the 20th century carried on a dialogue that drove them both to even greater heights. The exhibition is a dynamic exploration of how two giants - despite their differences - learned from each other. A must. From February 13th to May 19th.
In London, the empire is being celebrated at Tate Britain with Constable to Delacroix: British Art and the French Romantics. This exhibition looks at the powerful influence British artists had on 19th century French and scores with works by Constable, Delacroix, Turner and Gericault. February 5th to May 11th.
Tate Modern has so far majored on huge, just-completed pieces for its turbine hall but in May swings its first look at Henry Moore into place. May 19th to August 25th.
The gallery's main exhibition in the near future is Max Beckmann (1884-1950). Although Beckmann's work is linked with Expressionism, this figurative painter engaged with modernism, adapting and innovating to produce a highly personal vision. This is the first major retrospective in the UK since 1965. February 13th to May 5th.
Meanwhile, the Victoria and Albert Museum is gearing up for a major exhibition of Art Deco, the decorative style that flourished between the two world wars. The show will have more than 300 exhibits including furniture, textiles, jewellery, paintings and photographs. For further information, click on www.vam.ac.uk. March 27th to July 20th.
While Dresden restores its galleries after the flooding of the Elbe, the Royal Academy has taken the opportunity to borrow a few canvases for Masterpieces from Dresden: Mantegna and Dürer to Rubens and Canaletto.
In Paris, the Louvre features Michel Ange 1475-1564, a chance to sample the works of one of the great Italian Renaissance painters. From March 26th to June 23rd.
Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin is showing Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism, a curious take on higher states of spiritual consciousness, for which read the secular equivalent of religious painting. In his case the target was the ubiquitous icon of the Russian home. January 18th to April 27th.