-
Eileen Soper: The 'schoolgirl among the masters' with paintings in millions of homes, even yours
Renowned for illustrating the ‘Famous Five’ series, the mercurial, motorcar-obsessed Eileen Soper lived a bucolic and eccentric life.
-
A mesmerising portrait in the eerie country house that inspired Charlotte Brontë to write 'Jane Eyre'
A dark episode in the family history of Norton Conyers inspired a young Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre — but the hidden attic is just one of many treasures in this grand Yorkshire house.
-
The monk strap: Where did the shoe with sole and sophistication come from?
Amie Elizabeth White charts the history of the monk strap shoe — beloved by Clark Gable, Cary Grant and James Bond.
-
Twenty momentous photographs from the last 100 years that define our history
Every photograph tells a story and none more so than these 20 unforgettable ones.
-
The 'micro mosaic' at Holkham Hall that uses a fascinating, unusual technique pioneered by the Vatican
John Goodall speaks to the Earl of Leicester about one of the most unusual and beautiful objects at Holkham Hall in Norfolk.
-
Tate-à-tête: The National Gallery’s promise to grow its modern-art collection risks reopening old wounds
The National Gallery's announcement of a new wing and more modern art promises to reignite a historic rivalry with Tate.
-
The artistic and historical treasures in Ireland that you must visit at least once in a lifetime
In our new series, Charlotte Mullins explores the visual history of the British Isles in 50 treasures, from Ice Age caves to Sutton Hoo. Her first instalment looks at the treasures to be found in Ireland.
-
Forget Bond, the understated George Smiley is fiction's greatest spy
As a new exhibition in Oxford charts John le Carré’s legacy, Emma Hughes takes a closer look at his most enduring creation, George Smiley.
-
Has the secret of Vermeer’s most enigmatic masterpiece finally been revealed? A British art historian’s controversial claim to have uncovered the true identity of 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'
Andrew Graham-Dixon talks to Carla Passino about Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' — an iconic example of Dutch Golden Age art and one of the most famous paintings in the world.
-
Dragonflies, flowers, dogs and lobsters: The 17th century nature brought back to life by the paintings of Alexander Marshal
Alexander Marshal — this country’s first major botanical painter — deserves to be better known, writes Tiffany Daneff, after seeing his luminous originals in the Royal Collection.
-
The accidental Impressionist who captures country life on canvas
Painting a local cricket match, Sherree Valentine-Daines received an invitation that changed her career and led her to become artist-in-residence at Goodwood
-
The greatest flowers make the greatest art
A search for still-life subjects led Kate Friend to some of the greatest gardens and gardeners in the country
-
Is the British Museum's attempt to save a Tudor-era pendant with links to Henry VIII proof that the institution is on the up?
After years of neglect and controversy, Britain's premier cultural institution seems to be finding its feet again.
-
'A teaspoon of living soil contains more creatures than there are people in existence': Unearthing the dirt's vital role in our future on World Soil Day
Sarah Langford argues that it is high time soil become fashionable.
-
Who won the rivalry between Turner and Constable? It was us, the public
A forthcoming exhibition at Tate Britain that revives the rivalry between these two 19th century painters sheds new light on their relationship.
-
'Love, desire, faith, passion, intimacy, God, spiritual consciousness, curiosity and adventure': The world of Stanley Spencer, a very English visionary
Stanley Spencer’s talent for seeing the spiritual in the everyday, his stirring sense for the wonder of Nature and his love for the landscapes of Berkshire and Suffolk shaped his art, as Matthew Dennison reveals.
-
A painting owned by Edward Guinness is on display next to a near identical version at Kenwood House — but which one is the real Vermeer?
A mini exhibition at Kenwood House allows viewers to ‘to practise their own connoisseurship’.
-
Hold the front page: 13 famous Frontispieces, from Deborah Mitford to Sir David and Lady Beckham
To mark the appearance of Sir David and Lady Beckham on the Country Life Frontispiece, Rosie Paterson selects 13 standout Frontispieces from the Country Life Image Archive.
-
Our never-ending interest in magic and the occult, from Elizabethan England to Donald Trump's presidency
As Haddon Hall’s rooms, complete with historic witches' marks, are transformed into exhibits that explore witchcraft and evil spirits, Lotte Brundle explores our continued fascination with the supernatural.
-
A five minute guide to Wayne Thiebaud — the artist who 'reinvented still life as a genre and found fame in the process'
The Courtauld Institute is staging the first-ever exhibition of Wayne Thiebaud's work.
-
What is everyone talking about this week: Does Britain need its own Met Gala?
Will Hosie questions what form the British Museum's upcoming fundraising gala should take.
