Art & Exhibitions
Extensive coverage of leading artists, and the visual and decorative arts, from Old Masters and antiques to contemporary painting, sculpture and crafts.
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How the spirit of Andy Warhol lives on through Christmas
Andy 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.
By Carla Passino Published
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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.
By Carla Passino Published
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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.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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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
By Carla Passino Published
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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
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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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 Day
Sarah Langford argues that it is high time soil become fashionable.
By Sarah Langford Last updated
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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.
By Carla Passino Published
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'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.
By Matthew Dennison Published
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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 day
Taking 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.
By Carla Passino Published
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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.
By Rosie Paterson Last updated
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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.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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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.
By Carla Passino Published
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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.
By Will Hosie Published
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Five émigré artists who greatly enriched Britain's intellectual and creative scenes
Frieze 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.
By Carla Passino Last updated
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A handy five minute guide to Frieze — and the things you really don’t want to miss
The London art fair returns this week.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Nine of Britain's most beautiful and awe-inspiring painted ceilings from the Country Life archive
Our round-up of some of the Britain's prettiest painted ceilings is a good reminder to always look up.
By Melanie Bryan Published
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Tim Knox, director of the Royal Collection, charts a century of regal taste
Edward VII swept away the cobwebs of mid-Victorian style, Queen Mary had passion for all things small and the Queen Mother bought rather avant-garde art.
By Tim Knox Published
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The art fairs and exhibitions bringing colour to this autumn
Country Life details the museums and galleries that are putting on a show this season.
By Country Life Published
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Diversity in style and diversity in location: London's best art is all around us
London's hotels, pubs and restaurants show the great depth of the capital's artistic tastes.
By Will Hosie Published
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‘A stone pounding artist — who exclaims in his sleep, “Think of me standing upon a pinnacle of the Andes — or sketching a Fuegian Glacier!!!”’
When fate handed artist Conrad Martens the chance to join HMS Beagle, he captured the Patagonian flatlands, the shores of Tierra del Fuego and the peaks of the Andes with aplomb.
By Carla Passino Published
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(Space) oddities: New David Bowie centre opens at V&A East Storehouse
The museum will house and display the largest collection of the artist's costumes, musical instruments, set models, props and more.
By Carla Passino Published


