Marcus Waithe is a Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

The Victorian bookcase that contains a whole cultural world

William Burges commissioned a singular piece of furniture with contributions from everyone who was anyone among his wide artistic acquaintance

20 Jul 2023
Study of Spray of Dead Oak Leaves (detail; 1879), John Ruskin.

How relevant is Ruskin today?

The bicentenary of the great Victorian critic’s birth is an occasion to consider how well his ideas have stood the test of time

23 Feb 2019

Gerhard Munthe – a madcap medievalist in 19th-century Norway

The artist and designer sought to craft a distinct national style, but he also had much in common with the British

14 Nov 2018
Dining room of Emery Walker's House in 2017. Courtesy The Emery Walker Trust

Emery Walker’s house is an Arts and Crafts utopia

This remarkable house in Hammersmith is a vivid museum of late Victorian cultural life

18 May 2017

A.S. Byatt on Morris and Fortuny follows all too familiar patterns

The novelist’s account of the two artists contributes little to discussion of their achievements

28 Sep 2016
Kelmscott Manor, the summer home of Victorian designer and poet William Morris, is to undergo renovation work

The ‘old house by the Thames’ that inspired William Morris

Morris found peace and happiness at Kelmscott Manor in the Cotswolds. Now, work is underway to preserve its unique character for future visitors

7 Sep 2016