Capital treats to come

With artists such as Kandinsky, Vel·zquez and Holbein topping the list of must-see exhibitions last year, 2006 was quite a vintage year. The first half of 2007 is an altogether quieter affair but there are nonetheless highlights, and with a strong British flavour.

The London Art Fair (Jan 17 to 21, Business Design Centre. Tel: 0870 129 5031) is the first major event in the London art calendar. From emerging artists to big names, such as Howard Hodgkin and Grayson Perry, it's not only ideal for budding collectors, who can invest in work for as little as £50, but also for those with considerably deeper pockets.

To see London in the elegance of its Georgian heyday, head to Canaletto In England (Jan 24 to Apr 15, Dulwich Picture Gallery. Tel: 020 8693 5254). This exhibition focuses on the Venetian artist's nine years in London painting the city in all its architectural splendour.

In keeping with the high tone of that former age is Citizens And Kings: Portraits In The Age Of Revolution, 1760-1830 (Feb 3 to Apr 12, Royal Academy. Tel: 020 7300 8000). From monarchs to revolutionary heroes, this exhibition takes us from Europe to the pioneers of the New World.

With the retrospective of the 18th-century artist Hogarth (Feb 7 to Apr 29, Tate Britain. Tel: 020 7887 8888) it seems we just can't get enough of Georgian London. But with famous engravings such as Gin Lane, the exhibition also explores the city's underbelly.

Those elegantly besuited godfathers of BritArt, Gilbert And George (Feb 15 to May 7, Tate Modern. Tel: 020 7887 8888), have been at the forefront of trendsetting art since the early 1970s. This is a retrospective of the artists who made their name as living sculptures.

If you thought you knew all there was to know about Monet, The Unknown Monet: Pastels And Drawings (Mar 17 to Jun 10, Royal Academy. Tel: 020 7300 8000) might prove a revelation. It presents the Impressionist as the consummate draughtsman, a gift that Monet publicly disavowed in favour of dissolving forms and shimmering light effects.

From DalÌ's Mae West Lips sofa (pictured left) to fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli's Skeleton dresses, explore how Surrealism entered the popular imagination through design in Surreal Things: Surrealism And Design (Mar 29 to Jul 22, V&A. Tel: 020 7942 2000) - a mind-bending display of furniture, art, fashion and photography.

Fans of Antony Gormley (May 17 to Aug 27, Hayward Gallery. Tel: 020 7960 5226) should catch the 30 body casts of the artist that will be sited on rooftops across central London. The Hayward will also house a series of dramatic installations.

Finally, Dutch Portraits: The Age Of Rembrandt And Frans Hals (Jun 27 to Sep 16, National Gallery. Tel: 020 7747 2885) will show how the portrait flourished during the Dutch Golden Age, immortalising the new and aspirational middle class.