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The royal christening gift that did sterling service
George II gave his god-daughter a decorative silver bowl that was later put to surprisingly practical use
The landscape that shaped Gainsborough’s view of the world
The painter’s house in Suffolk now tells a compelling story about his formative influence
Making wine in Venice is a very exclusive affair
The wines of the Veneto need no introduction, but it’s worth getting to know the ones produced inside the city itself
Rubens and an outstanding display of Roman virtue
While the painter’s designs for the Decius Mus cycle were used to create several sets of tapestries, the version now in Kilkenny Castle in Ireland is in a class of its own
‘Eggs are rarely as simple as they seem’
A new book turns the staple into a star and unscrambles its significance beyond the kitchen
The subtle details that put Paris streets ahead
Street lights, kiosks and benches are easy to ignore, but they can make all the difference to how a city look and feels
The Venetian artists who vied with the ancients
Working in an Italian city with no Roman past allowed painters and sculptors to put their own spin on classical antiquity
Sculpture from the scrapyard and Simone Leigh’s first museum survey – contemporary art highlights in 2023
Exhibitions to look forward to include some major retrospectives and shows that pick up where the Venice Biennale left off
Super-high skyscrapers and sensitive restorations – the year ahead in architecture
The prospect of more towering edifices on the horizon is hardly cheering, but there are more grounded projects to look forward to
The major art anniversaries to look out for in 2023
Joshua Reynolds, Sarah Bernhardt and Pablo Picasso are all being celebrated in anniversary events this year
The first lady of Florence: how Eleanor of Toledo made her presence felt
Marrying into the Medici family made the Spanish noblewoman one of the most important artistic patrons of her day
Through the grapevine – the secret ceremony of Château Mouton Rothschild’s artist collaborations
Last week Peter Doig was revealed as the latest artist to design a label for the chateau – a tradition that began in 1945 and remains shrouded in mystery
The most approachable avant-garde artist in Britain – a tribute to Tom Phillips (1937–2022)
The artist who effortlessly crossed genres, but stayed close to south London, was best known for ‘A Humument’, a masterpiece 50 years in the making
Acquisitions of the Month: November 2022
Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch of a grumpy woman and an elaborate art nouveau tea set once owned by Karl Lagerfeld are among this month’s highlights
Mother superior – a very proud Mary in Florence
Packed with nods to the patron for whom it was painted, the ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ is one of Domenico Ghirlandaio’s most appealing works
A mysterious Renaissance sorceress still casts her spell
The history of Dosso Dossi’s painting of the ‘sorceress’ – otherwise known as Melissa – reveals a bewitching tale of romance
Surveillance tactics – the art of spying on screen
The Cinémathèque française’s unsettling show about film-making and espionage reveals how much the two activities have in common
Mulling it over – how spiced wine became the festive drink of choice
Mulled wine may be the fuel for contemporary Christmas celebrations but drinking it is a tradition that dates back to antiquity
How did British artists respond to the AIDS crisis?
While Britain was no less affected by the disease than the United States, the response of its gay artists at the start of the crisis was provocatively distinct
An appetite for art – sampling the Tate’s Cézanne-inspired menu
A menu designed to accompany the gallery’s survey of the artist pays homage to the flavours of Provence, but doesn’t quite live up to the works on show
How Henry Fuseli turned poems into paintings
Few 18th-century painters were more enthusiastic about embracing English literature than the Swiss-born artist
The medieval Palazzo Davanzati in Florence is full of hidden wonders
Newly restored, this museum is both an architectural treasure and home to works by Masaccio’s unfairly overlooked younger brother
Acquisitions of the Month: October 2022
This month’s highlights include the 18th-century Chinese jardinière that Horace Walpole famously used as a fish bowl
Chasing the dragons – the art of ritual in ancient China
Curator Dany Chan takes a close look at an exquisite jade cup in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
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