How Britain’s first prime minister became a sitting target for satirists
Robert Walpole was a supreme political operator – but his power and personal wealth made him a splendid butt of satire, too
By royal arrangement: Queen Mary’s compulsive collecting
Many British royals have been keen on acquiring works of art, but few have been as diligent about looking after them as Queen Mary
The battle to save London’s mulberry trees
Mulberry trees are rare in the city, yet more than one is currently under threat – including the oldest tree in the East End
Bard boy – David Garrick and the cult of Shakespeare
The actor did more than anyone to revive Shakespeare’s reputation in the 18th century – and a plethora of curious wooden relics also played their part
Getting the hang of it – a look inside the home of an 18th-century collector in Paris
An illustrated inventory made for Jean de Jullienne shows us how his paintings were displayed
Fashion forward – the dashing designs of Antoine Watteau
The artist’s fashion etchings hint at the delight in transient pleasures that is so evident in his paintings
The painter who took a prudent approach to the French Revolution
Louis-Léopold Boilly was a peculiarly adaptable painter in turbulent times
The Foundling Museum brings Joseph Highmore out of the shadows
Joseph Highmore’s morality tales are just as engaging as those of his contemporary William Hogarth
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