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'He was really the most radical artist of the 19th century': Georges Seurat at the Courtauld GalleryGeorges Seurat spent much of his short life painting the quietude of the Northern French coast, honing his rigorous technique on the play of light, sky and water.
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This Civil War coat and armour has survived four centuries in almost perfect condition — apart from the hole made by the musket ball that killed the man who wore itJohn Goodall visits Doddington Hall in Lincolnshire to discover the tale of one of its most extraordinary artefacts: the coat worn by a 17th century nobleman when he was killed during one of the key battles of the English Civil War.
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The British Museum's successful attempt to save a Tudor-era pendant with links to Henry VIII is proof that the institution is on the upAfter years of neglect and controversy, Britain's premier cultural institution seems to be finding its feet again.
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‘I don't consider myself to be a nepo baby at all’: Caroline Avedon on preserving her grandfather's legacy — and her consuming passionsCaroline initially wanted to be a lawyer, but now that she works for Richard Avedon’s foundation, she can’t imagine doing anything else, finds Lotte Brundle.
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Cybele and Juno statues finally return to Stowe's south-front porticoThe statues were originally lost after a content sale, but have been dutifully re-created as part of an ongoing restoration programme.
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A study in sculpture: 10 of the finest pieces from the Royal CollectionA new catalogue in four volumes explores the extraordinary riches of the sculpture in the Royal Collection. Its author, Sir Jonathan Marsden, selects 10 of his favourite works that reflect the diversity of this astonishing collection.
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Eileen Soper: The 'schoolgirl among the masters' with paintings in millions of homes, even yoursRenowned for illustrating the ‘Famous Five’ series, the mercurial, motorcar-obsessed Eileen Soper lived a bucolic and eccentric life.
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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.
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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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Dragonflies, flowers, dogs and lobsters: The 17th century nature brought back to life by the paintings of Alexander MarshalAlexander 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.
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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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'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’.
