Kerry James Marshall, Untitled, 2009 is part of The Histories at the Royal Academy of Arts until 18 January 2026

Yale University Art Gallery

In the midst of Frieze week madness, with the art fairs and every gallery mounting their most important annual shows, it can be tricky to decide which art exhibitions to see. If you don’t see anything else, here are two American artists who have important shows in London this autumn: Kerry James Marshall at the Royal Academy and Bob Thompson at Maximillian William, a bold commercial gallery. Both exhibitions are essential viewing.

Bob Thompson, “Measure of My Song” at Maximillian William – until 13 December 2025

Bob Thompson, Abundance of the Four Elements, on show at Maximillian William, London

Ben Westoby

At Fitzrovia gallery, Maximillian William, are six gems of paintings, never previously shown publicly in the UK. “Measure of My Song” marks the first major European exhibition dedicated to Bob Thompson (1937–1966) and a rare chance to see these works. Despite having spent several years in Europe between 1961 and 1966, Bob Thompson’s vivid and influential body of work remains relatively under-recognized outside the United States, with no works in European public collections.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson moved to New York in the late 1950s and hung out with Beat poets and jazz musicians. Abstract Expressionism was on the wane, offering an ideal time for Thompson’s more figurative painting, defined by bold, expressive colors, to thrive. His first European journey began in London in 1961, where visits to the city’s art museums had a clear impact on his painting. Supported by a Whitney Foundation fellowship, he also traveled to and visited museums in Paris and Rome, where his early death at age 28 curtailed a rising career already recognised by major American collections. Today, while his work can be seen in major American public galleries, now is the time for a museum like Tate Modern to bring Bob Thompson’s work to an even larger audience.

Detail from Bob Thompson, Turkey Catch, 1963 on show at Maximillian William gallery, London

Joanne Shurvell

The title of the exhibition refers to a translation of a line from the final stanza of Ovid’s Metamorphoses—a work that heavily influenced Thompson. The theme of transformation in Ovid’s writing echoes both in Thompson’s subject matter and in his approach to painting. To revitalize figurative art, Thompson drew from the traditions of European painting, particularly from the 15th century, reinterpreting classical compositions through his own distinctive lens. One work in the show, a triptych, nods to religious altarpieces but replaces their solemnity with vibrant scenes of intertwined figures in ecstatic landscapes—an excellent example of how Thompson combined the sacred with the sensual. Another standout piece, “Perseus and Andromeda” (1964) on loan from the New Jersey State Museum, reimagines Titian’s painting from 1554 of the same title, itself inspired by Ovid and a highlight of London’s Wallace Collection.

The exhibition at Maximillian William is organised by Diana Tuite, the curator of the retrospective exhibition “Bob Thompson: This House Is Mine,” which toured the United States between 2021 and 2022. None of the works on show are available for sale. They have been brought together in London to raise the profile of a painter mostly overlooked in Europe.

Bob Thompson, “Measure of My Song” at Maximillian William, 47 Mortimer Street, London, W1W 8HJ

“Kerry James Marshall: The Histories” at the Royal Academy of Arts – until 18 January 2026

Kerry James Marshall, School of Beauty, School of Culture, 2012 on show at the Royal Academy of Arts until 18 January 2026

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

“Everything you need to know is in the picture” said Kerry James Marshall at the opening of his monumental new show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London last month. The most extensive European exhibition to date of this renowned American artist is simply mind blowing. This major retrospective includes over 70 works, primarily paintings, alongside selected prints, drawings and sculptures. These pieces have been gathered from both public institutions and private collections across North America and Europe. It has been 20 years since the artist’s last major UK museum show and debuts a striking new series of paintings created specifically for this exhibition. An exhibition by a contemporary American artist may have seemed like a bold move for the RA, now under the new directorship of Simon Wallis but one that already appears to be paying off, judging from the uniformly rave reviews.

Kerry James Marshall, De Style, 1993 on show at the Royal Academy of Arts until 18 January 2026

Kerry James Marshall

Kerry James Marshall is widely recognized as one of today’s leading contemporary painters engaging with history. His vast canvases explore subjects such as the Middle Passage, the Civil Rights era, and the Black Power movement. He also pays tribute to historic figures like Olaudah Equiano and Harriet Tubman, while capturing scenes of everyday Black life. Like his predecessor Bob Thompson, his canvases feature aspects of traditional history painting and in fact Bob Thompson’s name appears written on one of his canvases in this exhibition, suggesting an influence on his own work. In the tradition of typical Western history paintings that the artist has encountered in museums, his own history paintings instead have Black figures. As well as art history, Marshall’s work is cleverly informed by contemporary culture, Afrofuturism, and science fiction. He engages hard questions about the past, celebrates ordinary life and imagines a more optimistic future, resulting in the best exhibition in London this season.

“Kerry James Marshall: The Histories” at Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD Tickets: £23.50-£25.50