Instead, this exhibition concentrates on the parallel history of figurative art, art in which recognisable figures or objects are portrayed.
The show takes Manet as its starting point and includes his Masked Ball at the Opera. This is a fabulous picture and was sketched over a period of months.
In it he posed several of his friends - noted writers, artists and musicians and even included himself in the crowded scene.
Manet is probably the bearded blond man at the right who looks out toward the viewer. At his feet, a fallen dance card bears the painter's signature.
The exhibition is structured into broadly themed sections and soon moves on to artists such as Umberto Boccioni, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, Cindy Sherman and Jeff Wall.
It is also a very multimedia affair, comprising of a combination of painting, sculpture, photography and film.
The really interesting thing about this exhibition is comparing how the different artists portray individuals. The portraits show how the different artists use their work to express the different aspects of human figures and the relationship between the individual and society.
For some artists pictures of individuals can represent a comment on society or as harbinger of social change.
For other artists depictions of individuals are used to present a tortured or exhilarated inner life.
This exhibition is a wonderful overview of a long period of artistic history and has a bewildering number of images.
The walls are crowded and, although themed, the different mediums and images can at times be slightly overwhelming.
However this is also what makes this exhibition compulsive viewing and I would recommend leaving yourself plenty of time to take it all in.
Additional Photo captions:
* National Gallery of Art, Washington (Gift of Mrs. Horace Havemeyer in memory of mother-in-law, Louisine W. Havemeyer).
** Scottish National Photography Collection at The Scottish National Portrait Gallery. © Eve Arnold / Magnum Photos.
