Be quick on these draws

What a year it's been for long-forgotten British artists: those genteel landscapists, still-life painters and portraitists of yesteryear that modernism largely bypassed. Who would have thought that, dusted off and given their own 'blockbuster' shows, their works would ever look as bright again?

At Tate Britain (Tel: 020 7887 8888), we have a joint show of Gwen and Augustus John (ends Sunday). They were siblings, yet had radically different styles. Augustus was very much the celebrity artist of his day, while Gwen was content to work away from the limelight.

Now it's big sis who gets all the critical acclaim. Once you've seen Gwen's quietly beguiling portraits, it's no surprise they triumph over her brother's altogether flashier murals.

Dubbed England's Michelangelo, the Victorian portrait painter GF Watts was also something of a celebrity in his day. Forget the silly Michelangelo tag, and just delight until Sunday in his seductive portraits of tumble-haired, creamy-complexioned beauties at the National Portrait Gallery (Tel: 020 7306 0055).

But the real treasure among these rediscovered Brits is the painter and printmaker William Nicholson at the Royal Academy (Tel: 020 7300 8000), ending January 23. His still-lifes, with their fascination for lustrous surfaces and shimmering reflections, suggest an artist who simply loved to convey pleasure in paint and now seem fresher than the radical modernism of his son Ben.

Will our own Brit artists be similarly consigned to history? At any rate, it's your last chance to see some of the present icons of Britart, including Hirst's Shark, Emin's bed and Mueck's Dead Dad, at the Saatchi Gallery (ends Jan 16). The gallery (Tel: 020 7928 8195) is being overhauled in time for a big painting show (re-opens Jan 26) and they won't be brought out again until 2007.

Before we get too carried away with the Brits, however, this year's real highlight still belongs to the wonderful Raphael exhibition (ends Jan 16) at the National Gallery (Tel: 020 7306 0055). The Renaissance master is shown alongside those who influenced him, including Michelangelo and Leonardo.

And while you're there, don't forget the National Gallery's Degas exhibition (ends Jan 16). This small but impressive show examines the evolution of 12 paintings by the French Impressionist using X-rays and infrared photography.

Finally, Tate Modern's (Tel: 020 7887 8888) sprawling exhibition of Robert Frank (ends Jan 23) is still worth a visit, despite proving a disappointment for many. After all, Frank remains the most influential photographer to document 20thcentury America, in all its harsh, mundane beauty.