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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.
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Twenty momentous photographs from the last 100 years that define our historyEvery photograph tells a story and none more so than these 20 unforgettable ones.
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The 'micro mosaic' at Holkham Hall that uses a fascinating, unusual technique pioneered by the VaticanJohn Goodall speaks to the Earl of Leicester about one of the most unusual and beautiful objects at Holkham Hall in Norfolk.
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Tate-à-tête: The National Gallery’s promise to grow its modern-art collection risks reopening old woundsThe National Gallery's announcement of a new wing and more modern art promises to reignite a historic rivalry with Tate.
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The artistic and historical treasures in Ireland that you must visit at least once in a lifetimeIn 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.
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Forget Bond, the understated George Smiley is fiction's greatest spyAs a new exhibition in Oxford charts John le Carré’s legacy, Emma Hughes takes a closer look at his most enduring creation, George Smiley.
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How the spirit of Andy Warhol lives on through ChristmasAndy Warhol found Christmas a tricky time, yet threw himself into the festivities and, when he decided to illustrate his series on American myths, he had no doubt he should include the jolly old man in the bright red suit.
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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.
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The accidental Impressionist who captures country life on canvasPainting a local cricket match, Sherree Valentine-Daines received an invitation that changed her career and led her to become artist-in-residence at Goodwood
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The greatest flowers make the greatest artA search for still-life subjects led Kate Friend to some of the greatest gardens and gardeners in the country
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'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 DaySarah Langford argues that it is high time soil become fashionable.
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Who won the rivalry between Turner and Constable? It was us, the publicA forthcoming exhibition at Tate Britain that revives the rivalry between these two 19th century painters sheds new light on their relationship.
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'Love, desire, faith, passion, intimacy, God, spiritual consciousness, curiosity and adventure': The world of Stanley Spencer, a very English visionaryStanley 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.
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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’.
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'The King of Hell was fat from gorging on souls and he expelled some more from his bowels': The many guises of the Devil Antiquity to present dayTaking as many guises as his names, the Prince of Lies turned at times into a man-devouring ogre, a mutant medley of claws, horns and wings, or the brooding rebel that lit the imagination of Romantic painters.
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Hold the front page: 13 famous Frontispieces, from Deborah Mitford to Sir David and Lady BeckhamTo 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.
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Our never-ending interest in magic and the occult, from Elizabethan England to Donald Trump's presidencyAs 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.
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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.
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Five émigré artists who greatly enriched Britain's intellectual and creative scenesFrieze Masters kicks off this week and several contributing galleries are using it to shine a spotlight on the artistic contribution of émigrés past and present.
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A handy five minute guide to Frieze — and the things you really don’t want to missThe London art fair returns this week.
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Nine of Britain's most beautiful and awe-inspiring painted ceilings from the Country Life archiveOur round-up of some of the Britain's prettiest painted ceilings is a good reminder to always look up.
