The painters who made a great play for the stage
An understanding of theatrical culture in the 18th century is vital for understanding the most important painters of the period
The ballet that woke up post-war Britain
Oliver Messel’s rococo sets for ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ at the Royal Opera House represented a new dawn for dance
Crowd-pleasing art in 17th-century Amsterdam
Aside from the usual refreshments, the city’s taverns offered a highly engineered form of popular entertainment
What the Victorians liked to hang on their walls
Thanks to mass production (and reproduction), in the 19th-century some middle-class homes began to resemble miniature picture galleries
The English oddballs who cultivated their very own gardens of Eden
In ‘English Garden Eccentrics’, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan introduces us to a gallery of historical horticulturists, all determined to create their own private paradises
Think pink with Madame Pompadour!
An extremely close look at François Boucher’s portrait of the marquise in the Fogg Museum at Harvard homes in on the painter’s use of his signature colour
The architect whose greatest achievement was the world’s first miniature village
Wolf’s Cove, the model village in Gloucestershire designed by Charles Paget Wade, is proof of the architect’s commitment to creating ideal communities
The rococo interiors that furnished Walt Disney’s imagination
The French furniture that inspired the look of Disney’s best-loved films also came out of a studio system that required a good deal of collaboration
How every age has invented a Stonehenge to suit itself
The prehistoric monument may seem timeless, but enthusiasts have constantly reimagined the site to suit their own preoccupations
How Fabergé cornered the market in gifts for the Edwardian elite
The firm of Fabergé is synonymous with the Russian Imperial family, but its fabulous baubles soon became a must-have for elites across Europe
Louis Wain, the man who drew cats
The artist’s commercial cat illustrations were hugely popular in his lifetime, but his series of psychedelic kitties have attracted rather more serious attention
When it came to art, Hogarth had no real beef with Europe
William Hogarth liked to present himself as a bluff Englishman, but the truth was a touch more complicated
Capital gains: how Gainsborough took London by storm
When the painter finally moved to the capital, he was quick to make the most of the opportunities on offer
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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