The Rake’s progress: last week in gossip

Introducing Rakewell, Apollo’s wandering eye on the art world. Look out for regular posts taking a rakish perspective on art and museum stories.

Many were disappointed last year when Parisian authorities began removing more than a million padlocks that couples had secured to the side of the Pont des Arts as gestures of love. The sheer weight of the so-called ‘love locks’ was putting sections of the bridge at risk of collapse.

Happily, a solution has been found that will at least please art lovers nostalgic for the padlock gridlock. The bridge is being restyled as a ‘platform for the arts’ (as it was occasionally used before 1999) its inaugural exhibition a show by Daniel Hourdé. The plan is to cover the bridge with what are described as ‘immense bronze sculptures of the human body’. Given that the famous padlocks were removed for being too heavy, the Rake sincerely hopes that Hourdé’s figures aren’t too immense.

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The shock of the new is all very well, but Rakewell is always pleased to hear from his old regulars. So it is that he is delighted to announce a new project from street artist Pegasus, last seen in this column unveiling a provocative tribute to the Queen. Apparently, Mr Pegasus has chosen to depict Victoria Beckham and her husband David, basing his respective portraits on the Venus de Milo and Michelangelo’s David – with a ‘modern celebrity twist’, naturally.

‘The Beckhams are idolised and loved all over the world,’ offered Pegasus by way of explanation. ‘They are a strong power couple.’ What this has to do with poor David and Venus is anyone’s guess, though Mrs Beckham herself is said to be ‘very flattered’ by the compliment.

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It’s nearly eight years since George W Bush left the White House, yet his presidency remains a subject of much debate, with many questions still asked as to his successes and failures. Thankfully, People magazine has got round to asking about the really important stuff: to wit, what did his wife Laura make of the portrait he painted of her? ‘I didn’t think it was that good.’

Rakewell wonders whether Dubya’s other subjects – Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair et al. – would be any kinder…

Got a story for Rakewell? Get in touch at rakewell@apollomag.com or via @Rakewelltweets.