-
Possibly the most cultured woman in Europe
Trail blazers do not always come from the most likely beginnings. The daughter of middle-class, Swiss parents, Angelica Kauffman came from an unremarkable background but she was a child prodigy. In her early years, her talent for painting was matched by her singing voice and she had to make a choice between the two careers. She chose art and by the time she was nine was supporting her parents. They travelled widely, spending time in Italy and 15…
-
In the Scottish Style
Tonight, we will be celebrating Burns Night with a haggis supper, an occasion much enjoyed by Mr ITES who hails from across the border. In honour of this important date, we are sharing a few of our favourite paintings by celebrated Scottish portrait painter, Henry Raeburn. Born in 1756, Sir Henry started off as an apprentice to the goldsmith, James Gilliland of Edinburgh, before taking an interest in oil painting. He was self-taught, and Gilliland, keen to encourage…
-
John Singer Sargent and Fashion
We were very excited to hear that Tate Britain are holding an exhibition of work by John Singer Sargent, opening next month. The exhibition, which just closed at the MFA Boston, is making its way across the pond to London. We’ll definitely be getting tickets for this one. In the meantime, we thought we would share this wonderful family portrait of Essie, Ruby and Ferdinand (Children of Asher Wertheimer), which is part of the Tate’s permanent collection. Happy…
-
Lost houses of England
We were so interested to read all your comments on our post about Sutton Scarsdale. It’s clear that these derelict or lost houses of England draw passionate interest from many and have left an indelible mark on our national consciousness. Our family has connections with the lost Rushbrooke Hall in Suffolk. It was a beautiful Tudor building laid out in the shape of an E. My Grandfather once stayed there for a night whilst researching its history. The…
-
The Tulip Stairs
The sweeping Tulip Stairs are one of the original features of the Queen’s House in Greenwich. The building was designed by Inigo Jones for Anne of Denmark but was not completed until 1630, after her death. These stairs were also the first self-supporting spiral staircase designed in Britain. They must surely have been considered ground breaking at the timehttp://Queens House Greenwich
