Alice Instone's impression of Anne Boleyn

Rising star of the art world Alice Instone’s latest exhibition opened last night to an enthusiastic crowd. The House of Fallen Women showcases paintings of some of today’s most influential women as controversial females from the past. Some of the women include Alice Temperley as Mata Hari, Lorraine Candy as Lucrezia Borgia and India Knight as Catherine de Medici. Lorraine Candy described the experience of sitting as a “huge honour and a privilege.”

The exhibition is held at Quintessentially Soho, the first not-for-profit members’ club and event space. The building has been home to St Barnabas charity for over 100 years, which has helped many vulnerable women in London over the years. It provided a fitting home for these thought-provoking paintings. Wandering through the rooms, the paintings felt as though they had been there forever. The homely feel of the venue created an intimate experience, unlike any other exhibition I’ve ever been to.

The paintings themselves are thoughtful and have a sensual feel to them. My favourite painting was of India Knight as Catherine de Medici. The richness of the tone, the colours and the frank pose all left me wanting to look at it all night.

In addition to full-size paintings, there was also a series of miniatures adorning one wall. The detail in these was incredible and it was interesting to see an artist play with scale in this way. There was also a fantastic piece called ‘The Slag Spiral’; on coloured silk, words spiralled out from the centre. Looking closely, they were all derogtative terms used to describe women such as slag, streetwalker and prostitute. This piece was another favourite, provoking introspection about the way we speak about women.

This exhibition explores gender in a fresh and interesting way. The building itself is worth a visit and the exhibition is a perfect way to while away a wintry afternoon.

The House of Fallen Women by Alice Instone runs 4-12 November.