N ovember’s a busy month in the art world, and Tim Marlow chooses four exceptional exhibitions to see along your travels. In London, Thomas Gainsborough’s tender portraits of his family tell the story of his rise to fame. In Maastricht, American filmmaker David Lynch, long celebrated for his enigmatic style and cult-classic movies, presents his lesser-known artworks. Some of Louise Bourgeois’s most well-known sculptures head to Shanghai in the first large-scale survey for the French-American artist in China, and in Denmark, Cecily Brown’s sexually charged paintings reveal her rich artistic influences.

Gainsborough’s Family Album
National Portrait Gallery, London
22 November 2018–3 February 2019

David Lynch: Someone is in my House
Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht
30 November 2018–28 April 2019

Louise Bourgeois: The Eternal Thread
Long Museum, Shanghai
3 November 2018–24 February 2019

Cecily Brown: Where, When, How Often and with Whom
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek
8 November 2018–10 March 2019