The best art in mid-October

The Spanish Line: Drawings from Ribera to Picasso, at the Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2 from 13 Oct 2011 to 15 Jan 2012. www.courtauld.ac.uk

The Queen: Art and Image – exhibition to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, which is being shown in Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London, bringing together remarkable images of The Queen, spanning 60 years of her reign, some on public display for the first time. At National Museums, Belfast, Northern Ireland from 14 Oct to 15 Jan 2012

Eleanor Fein – Magical Landscapes
, new paintings at Bohun Gallery, 15 Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames from 11-29 Oct. www.bohungallery.co.uk

Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition
A range of subjects from historical to contemporary shipping, yachting, racing, coast and harbours as well as wild-life. From 12 to 23 October at Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, SW1. www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers
Over 600 contemporary paintings and sculptures for sale and a unique opportunity to see a loan collection of Royal Portrait Miniatures dating from Elizabeth 1 to the present Queen. From 11 to 23 October at Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, SW1. www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Through the Garden Gate
– works by David Pearce at Cadogan Contemporary, 87 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 from Oct 11 to Nov 5. www.cadogancontemporary.com

Family Matters: The Family in British Art, including works by David Hockney, Anthony van Dyck, William Hogarth and Tracey Emin, at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich from 15 Oct to 8 Jan 2012. www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/exhibitions

Ahmed Alsoudani at Haunch of Venison
, 6 Haunch of Venison Yard, Mayfair, London from 14 Oct to 29 Nov. www.haunchofvenison.com

Tacita Dean at Tate Modern
, Turbine Hall, Bankside, London SE1 until 11 Mar 2012. www.tate.org.uk

Alexander Creswell – new works alongside their sketches and maquettes in G F Watts’s Great Studio (which has not been used by a painter since his death in 1904) at Limnerslease, Compton, Surrey, beside the Watts Gallery, which was re-opened to the public in May 2011. The paintings include the new Venice Redentore Firewords commission, the largest watercolour of its type ever painted. From 12 to 23 Oct. www.alexandercreswell.com

George Bain: Master of Modern Celtic Art, demonstrating the artist’s great versatility, with some 55 items, including watercolours, drawings, sculptures and jewellery, as well as archival material and objects made to Bain’s designs. At Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, Edinburgh from 15 Oct to 13 Feb 2012. www.nationalgalleries.org

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Irrational Marks: Bacon Rembrandt – showing some rarely seen Francis Bacon self-portraits to illustrate the concept, as well as the Rembrandt from Aix that so fascinated Bacon. At Ordovas, 25 Savile Row, London W1 until 16 Dec. www.ordovasart.com

Giorgio Morandi from 12 Oct to 29 Nov and Wim Delvoye from 12 Oct to 16 Dec. both at Robilant + Voena, first floor, 38 Dover Street, London W1 www.robilantvoena.com

Clouet to Claude – French Master Drawings at Christ Church Picture Gallery, Oxford until 23 Dec. www.chch.ox.ac.uk/gallery

Watercolour Show – a selection of works by Welsh artists including Gareth Thomas, Naomi Tydeman, Jan Gregson, Karen Pearce and Bryan Whitfield- at Pure Art, 6 Vanguard House, Milford Marina, Milford Haven until 29 Oct. www.artpure.co.uk

Andrew Gifford – Spring: Amman – large scale panoramas of the Jordanian city at John Martin Gallery, 38 Albemarle Street, London W1 from 12 Oct to 5 Nov. www.jmlondon.com

Buchanan Works on Water – new collection by the Glasgow artist Stuart Buchanan at Modern Artists Gallery, High Street, Whitchurch on Thames from 15 Oct to 19 Nov. www.modernartistsgallery.com

Quentin Blake – As large as life – over 60 works by the best loved illustrator and first Children’s Laureate, commissioned by hospitals in the UK and abroad to have a theraputic effect on their residents, including pictures on a circus theme for Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow; drawings of everyday life for Vincent Square Eating Disorder Clinic; and illustrations for the Maternity hospital in Angers, France. At Compton Verney from 15 Oct to 11 Dec. www.comptonverney.org.uk

Nicola Hicks; Aesop’s Fables
– new sculptures inspired by Aesop’s Fables. Also Simon Roberts ‘We English’ – large – format colour photos of the English at leisure taken while he travelled through England in a motorhome between August 2007 and Sep 2008. Both at Flowers, 82 Kingsland Road, London E2 from 14 Oct to 19 Nov. www.flowersgalleries.com

The Strawberry Thief – works by Tasha Amini, Edward Bawden, Edward Burra, Steve Claydon, Richard Dadd, Peter Doig, Stephen Fowler, Ed Hall, Morris & Co, Paul Noble, Chris Ofili, Nick Pankhurst, Eduardo Paolozzi, John Piper, Eric Ravilious, Walter Sickert, Christopher Wood at The Fine Art Society, 148 New Bond Street, London W1 until 28 Oct.

101 Self Portraits – the Borchard Collection. Spending only 21 guineas per painting Ruth Borchard created a collection of self portraits mostly in the 1940-1950s, including works by Michael Ayrton, Cecil Collins, Euan Uglow, Keith Vaughan and Carel Weight. On show in this her centenary year with a selling exhibition of Edgar Holloway prints, at Mascalls Gallery, Paddock Wood, Kent until 10 Dec. www.mascallsgallery.org

Frontlines: Sean Smith – photos of conflict in the 21st century by the acclaimed war photographer, at University Gallery, Northumbria University, Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne from 14 Oct to 25 Nov. www.universitygallery.co.uk

Warhol: Bardot – rarely seen portraits by Warhol of Brigitte Bardot at Gagosian Gallery, 17-19 Davies Street, London W1 until 12 Nov.  

Perfect Pairings: Painters and Potters
– an exhibition of work made by painters and potters inspired by each other at New Ashgate Gallery, Waggon Yard, Farnham, Surrey from 14 Oct to 19 Nov. www.newashgate.org.uk

Zebedee Jones – abstract canvases at Agnew’s Gallery, 35 Albemarle Street, London W1 from 12 Oct to 4 Nov. www.agnewsgallery.co.uk

Real Venice – an exhibition mounted by the Venice in Peril Fund of photographic works of Venice by 14 internationally renowned artists to raise funds to help save Venice and to create a lasting legacy of the city, at Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2 until 11 Dec. www.realvenice.org

Structure & Absence – group show that uses Chinese scholars’ rocks as an organising device to take a fresh look at contemporary abstraction, including work by Andreas Gursky, Wade Guyton, Damien Hirst, Sergei Jensen, Brice Marden, Gabriel Orozco, Sterling Ruby, Robert Ryman and Jeff Wall, at the newly opened White Cube, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 until ?.  

Good Times, Bad Times, All Times Get Over – prints by Thomas Bewick, Graham Gussin, Lutz and Guggisberg and Bedwyr Williams, an exhibition mounted as part of the International Print Biennale at Queens Hall Arts Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne until 19 Nov. www.queenshall.co.uk

Remember, remember: A history of fireworks in Britain – at Compton Verney from 15 Oct to 11 Dec. www.comptonverney.org.uk

Sounding out the Museum
-Retrospective Exhibition of Peter Vogel’s pioneering and influential sound sculptures, which are activated by movement, gestures and sound emanating from audiences as they enter the space. At University of Brighton Gallery, Grand Parade Campus, Brighton until 4 Nov. www.arts.brighton.ac.uk/tg

F C B Cadell: Scottish Colourists Series – retrospective of Cadell’s work at the Modern Art Galleries, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh from 15 Oct to 18 Mar. www.nationalgalleries.org

Robert Motherwell: Works on Paper – first UK exhibition of drawings by the artist (1915-1991) at Bernard Jacobson Gallery, 6 Cork Street, London W1 until 26 Nov. 020 7734 3277

CLOSING SOON

Australia Landscape, part of the Australia Season, Kew at the British Museum, London until 16 Oct. www.britishmuseum.org

Steve McCurry – first major London exhibition of the influential photographer, who has captured images of countries all over the world, including his famous ‘Afghan Girl’ and 35 other prints for sale. At Chris Beetles Fine Photographs, 3-5 Swallow Street, London W1 until 15 Oct. www.chrisbeetlesfinephotographs.com

Junya Ishigami – Architecure as Air; the Japanese architect redefines the aesthetics of minimalism by playing with perception, materials and scale. Here, in his first UK installation, he as conceived a new structure built in response to the distinctive Curve gallery, comprising of a single curved line of delicate 4-metre columns running the entire 80 metre length of the space, which appear to be held in place by air and atmosphere alone. At Barbican Art Gallery, The Curve, Level G, Barbican Centre, Silk St, London EC2 to 16 Oct. www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery

Rene Magritte; the Pleasure Principle, at Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool until 16 Oct. www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/

The Living Tree of Jesse – exhibition of paintings by Richard Pomeroy to coincide with the restoration of Wells Cathedral’s famous 14th century stained glass window- half of all sales will go towards the restoration fund. At The Chapter House, Wells Cathedral, Somerset from 9-17 Oct. 07850 238239

“Recent Work” by Nicholas Granger-Taylor at Jonathan Cooper Park Walk Gallery, 20 Park Walk, London, SW10 0AQ from 28 September – 13 October. www.jonathancooper.co.uk

Charles Macqueen RSW, James Hawkins and Alan Macdonald at Kilmorack Gallery, by Beauly, Invernessshire until 15 Oct. www.kilmorackgallery.co.uk

Jim Malone: new pots at Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland from 17 Sep to 15 Oct. www.modernpots.com

Autumn Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture
, with works by artists including sculptors Ben Barrell, Richard Bray, Leonie Gibbs, Rosie Musgrave, Mike Savage, Rosie Sturgis, Paul Vanstone and Dominic Welch, and artists Penny Anstice, Kate Boxer, Lottie Cole, Catherine Forshall, Deborah Gourlay, Tim Kent, Bridget Lansley, Andrew Roberts and Lucy Powell, at Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, Woodruffs Farm, Woodruffs Lane, Egdean, Petworth, West Sussex from 17 Sep to 15 Oct. www.moncrieff-bray.com

New Ceramic Sculptures by the Israeli, now Australia-based, ceramicist Avital Sheffer. At Beaux Arts Bath, 12-13 York Street, Bath to 15 Oct. www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

Ulf Greder: Nostalgie A showcase of the Swedish painters progression through some of his most cherished locations in Burgundy, Provence and on the Riviera. From 21 September until 13 October at Francis Kyle Gallery, 9 Maddox Street, London, WIS 2QE. www.franciskylegallery.com

White Sound: an urban seascape – new commission by sound artist Bill Fontana. For 3 weeks, the installation will transform the urban environment of one of London’s most polluted thoroughfares with a live sound feed from Chesil Beach in Dorset. “White Sound will create an entirely new acoustic architecture that challenges our sense of place and dissolves the physical sensation of being in the city within an experience of the tidal rhyths of the sea”. At the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 from 22 Sep to 16 Oct. www.wellcome.ac.uk

Opening exhibition of a new gallery in Bath, showing the work of six well-established artists, including Rose Hilton, Hannah Woodman and Simon Casson. Hilton Fine Art, 5 Margaret’s Buildings until 17 October. www.hiltonfineart.com Tel: 01225 311311

Jenny Franklin at Crane Kalman Gallery,
178 Brompton Road, London SW3 until 15 Oct. www.cranekalman.com

Collection of works of art from the ancient civilizations of Egypt, the near East, the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, highlighting accessibility of antiquities to the would-be collector. At Rupert Wace Ancient Art, 14 Old Bond Street, London W1 until 14 Oct. www.rupertwace.co.uk

A Selling Exhibition including pottery from Isfahan and Jaipur, kilims from India, hand painted tins, decorated boxes, rugs, furniture, artefacts and jewellery at Lordington House, Lordington, Chichester, West Sussex from 8 to 16 Oct. www.nomadstent.co.uk

Degas – Bronzes and Drawings
, a selection available for sale, at Browse & Darby, Cork Street, London W1 until Oct 15.  www.broseanddarby.co.uk