The Guardian’s Five Free Shows to See
The Guardian’s Five Free Shows to See
September 2026
‘Critchlow’s erotic portraits have always been marked by a palpable sense of threat. The young English painter’s coquettish, 70s soft-focus nudes locked eyes with the viewer aggressively, confrontationally, as if they were on the verge of punching your lights out or throttling you with their negligees. But in this exhibition – her first since showing at Dulwich Picture Gallery last year – you don’t have to fear for your life.
Instead, in these tiny, ultra-intimate pastels, Critchlow is luxuriating in form. These are unabashed celebrations of sensuality, nudity and eroticism. They’re still confident and confrontational figures, but you feel as if Critchlow is enjoying herself a bit more, letting things be sensual for their own sake, without being weighed down by anger and revenge. I miss the implication of violence, but they’re still really good, hyper-erotic, intimate images. They could also just be lulling you into a sense of false security – so watch your back.’
– Eddy Frankel
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