The first major exhibition of the year prepares to open at the Royal Academy of Arts tomorrow – but what have critics made of Painting the Modern Garden? 

The Guardian: ***** Jonathan Jones wrote: “this exhibition goes out of its way to escape the real world.”

Evening Standard: ***** Matthew Collings said: “The show is a tremendous success anyway, presumably because gardening and painting, on some level, really are profoundly continuous.”

City A.M: ***** Olivia McEwan commented that: “an exhibition infinitely richer and more rewarding than a simple collection of pretty pictures.”

The Upcoming: **** Edward Till found that: “the exhibition does exemplary justice to several different aesthetic movements during the selected period.”

The Telegraph: **** Mark Hudson wrote: “If you love gardens and gardening, you’ll love this exhibition.”

Love London Love Culture:”it celebrates the wonder of nature and will certainly offer visitors a way of escaping the pressures of everyday life – even if it is just for a few moments.”

Time Out:***** “The Royal Academy has embraced the theme with gusto.”

The Londonist: *** Tabish Khan thought: “Here is one of the most inconsistent exhibitions we’ve seen — moments of brilliance and mediocrity in equal measure.”

Overall Verdict: critics seem impressed with this latest exhibition devoted mainly to the work of Monet – but would have been nice to see many other artists equally represented. 

Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse is on at the Royal Academy of Arts until the 20th April. To book tickets visit: UK Tickets.co.uk .