Peter Doig Becomes First Living Artist to Solo at Courtauld Gallery

Peter Doig is the first living artist to receive a solo exhibition at London's Courtauld Gallery since its 2021 refurbishment. The show features 11 canvases created before and after his recent move from Trinidad back to London. The works explore time, place, memory, and mood, with paintings such as Night Bathers (2011–19) depicting Maracas Bay under moonlight, and Music Shop (2019–23) portraying Trinidadian singer Shadow in a skeleton costume. Other pieces include Painting on an Island (Carrera) (2019), set at a Caribbean penal colony, and Bather (2019–23), based on actor Robert Mitchum. Canal (2023) returns to London, showing the artist's son on a towpath. The standout work, Alpinist (2019–22), features a skier in harlequin attire ascending a mountain, referencing Caspar David Friedrich and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The exhibition runs through 29 May.