Painting

  • The first major British artist outside of London: Joseph Wright of Derby

    The first major British artist outside of London: Joseph Wright of Derby

    Self-Portrait, c.1780. Yale Center for British Art. I think we often think that, with the growth of culture and leisure in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, that the be-all and end-all is London (or, perhaps Bath). But, of course, this was not true. For starters, I want to share with you the first major British read more

  • Mini-Post | Charles-Antoine Coypel

    Mini-Post | Charles-Antoine Coypel

    I am obsessed with the luxury of the fabrics, bows, ruffles and utter GLOW of this piece in the Met’s collection: to me, it is so romantic, enhanced by the use of pastels. This is a Coypel portrait of Marie Elisabeth de Séré de Rieux and her husband François de Jullienne. Julienne was a collector read more

  • Magical and Marvellous Museo Cerralbo

    Magical and Marvellous Museo Cerralbo

    A few weeks ago I went to visit my beautiful treasured friend who lives in Madrid and she took us to this absolutely incredible museum that I had never heard of before – Museo Cerralbo. Located close to the Temple de Debod, you would probably walk past it without realising the treasures inside. The museum read more

  • Courbet and his Artist’s Studio

    Courbet and his Artist’s Studio

    A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to escape to Paris for a long weekend (though it’s not so much of an escape at the moment, as life in the UK City of Culture is pretty exciting!) and was lucky enough to spend a few hours at possibly my favourite art gallery, Musée d’Orsay. read more

  • How to celebrate a Royal Wedding, Stuart style…

    How to celebrate a Royal Wedding, Stuart style…

    It isn’t just in the modern era that royal weddings are so celebrated – when Princess Elizabeth Stuart married Frederick, Elector Palatine, on Valentine’s Day in 1613, it was a landmark occasion. read more

  • Charles II, the Restoration Court and an Abundance of Mistresses

    Charles II, the Restoration Court and an Abundance of Mistresses

    The Restoration is immortalised as a period of decadence and debauchery – when Charles was restored to the throne in 1660, a new libertine age commenced following the Puritan years under Oliver Cromwell. read more

  • How to Reimagine Botticelli

    How to Reimagine Botticelli

    Botticelli is an artist whose reputation has been in flux ever since his work became eclipsed by High Renaissance masters, with this exhibition, the biggest of Botticelli in Britain since 1930, aiming to show how his work has permeated popular culture. read more

  • An Afternoon in “the Sistine Chapel of Impessionism”

    An Afternoon in “the Sistine Chapel of Impessionism”

    Few places come close to the romance of Paris, and Monet’s beautiful Nymphéas, or Water Lilies, in the Musée de l’Orangerie are a must visit to see the his genius. read more

  • An Allegory of Love and Time? Bronzino, Venus and Cupid

    An Allegory of Love and Time? Bronzino, Venus and Cupid

    So as it is nearly Valentine’s Day, and I haven’t posted anything in a while, I thought I’d post something about a painting I really love – which just so happens to be about love itself. It is also in my favourite place of all time, the National Gallery, which possibly contributes to why I read more

  • Titian and the Painted Poetry for Philip II

    Titian and the Painted Poetry for Philip II

    The Museo del Prado has some beautiful Renaissance paintings, but for me, the jewel in their crown are the beautiful paintings by Titian for his Poesie series for Philip II of Spain. read more

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