-
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…
-
John Singer Sargent at the Tate
At the turn of the last century, to have one’s portrait painted by John Singer Sargent was to say that you had arrived. And now a new exhibition at the Tate has arrived, from Boston, celebrating his work alongside fabulous costumes contemporary to this era. Wealthy and successful individuals chose Singer-Sargent to portray them as they wished to be seen; self assured, attractive, and elegant . They often came from ‘new’ money, the wives and children of businessmen…
-
Entangled Pasts at the Royal Academy
They say every picture tells a story so perhaps an art exhibition is an anthology of works with the objective of looking at a subject from many and varied perspectives. This is certainly true of the new ‘Entangled Pasts’ which opened last week at the RA. It tackles the difficult and complex subject of Britain’s colonial history through art. I made the most of my lunch break yesterday, and popped in with the aim of finally seeing Dido…
-
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…
-
Skating into the New Year
How are you all feeling this morning? OK, well perhaps some fresh air will help clear away any over indulgence. Let’s get our skates on and join the Reverend Robert Walker on Duddingston Loch (our thanks to The Scottish National Gallery for this iconic Caledonian painting). Or we could head to the 17th century where throngs of people are already having fun on the ice. For many the New Year heralds a fresh start, we are hoping that…
