Coming of Age: American Art 1850s to 1950s

A pleasantly surprising exhibition, especially for someone with an very glancing knowledge of American art. The Hopper (Manhattan Bridge Loop) and Pollock (Phosphorescence) don't disappoint, and there's an unusual Remington (Moonlight, Wolf) that seems a million miles away from paintings of the West: very dark, with striking specks that seem to glow in the night. I also liked the Winslow Homer Eight Bells, another dark picture, that captures a wild ocean and the sailors upon it. What was most enjoyable and made the trip to Dulwich worthwhile was the final room. I've always been under the impression that I don't like modern art and yet this room was a delight. It was mainly sculpture or to be more precise, constructions of various kinds, although the Pollock was hung there. Bets of all were the Moholy-Nagy Twisted Planes, a perspex and metal piece and my very favourite, Alexander Calder's Horizontal Spines, half artwork, half mobile. The gentle breeze made the various parts move in a thoroughly hypnotic manner and I found myself drawn back to it repeatedly. It's also the sort of piece that makes you smile, which has to be a good thing