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…
Tag: Painting
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.…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
Continue reading ➞ An Allegory of Love and Time? Bronzino, Venus and Cupid
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.
The Mystery of the Twin Leonardos
If you’ve been to both the National Gallery in London and the Louvre in Paris, you might have noticed that Leonardo painted a twin set of paintings.
The Birth of Modern Life at Musée d’Orsay
In the nineteenth century, Paris became the city of modernity. But art, it seemed, needed to catch up - and Baudelaire's call for artists to paint modern life is truly evident at the d'Orsay.