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Meet the willow weaving artist whose work is popular on both sides of the pond
This summer, Laura Ellen Bacon's work stars in two different exhibitions.
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A remarkable $100 million numismatic collection reappears after being buried for more than 50 years
A collector hid his treasure from the Nazis, his widow kept it secret for decades, but now Roman aurei, Greek staters and British pounds so rare that some have never been sold at public auction have resurfaced and will go under the hammer.
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The 30-carat aquamarine pendant smuggled out of Russia and recently attributed to Fabergé that sold for £35,000 — three times its estimate
The ribbon-bow surmount is synonymous with the Russian jewellery houses.
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Go Dutch: Understanding the Duke of Wellington’s passion for Dutch art and how to view his collection
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington was a terrible Prime Minister, but made up for it by being a sophisticated collector.
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A gorgeous home that offers a slice of country life in the heart of Hampstead
This idyllic Hampstead mansion has seen its price rise nine times faster than inflation — and it's not hard to see why.
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Victor Hugo, France's greatest novelist, was also a talented artist — and now his 'rarely seen' illustrations are on display at the RA
Victor Hugo dismissed his drawings as mere things made in the margins of his manuscripts Now, a Royal Academy exhibition reveals how powerfully they engage the imagination.
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Philip Treacy, Gucci and Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, take centre stage at Chatsworth's latest floral-inspired exhibition
'The Gorgeous Nothings: Flowers at Chatsworth’ traverses eras and art forms, raising questions about the environment.
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Everything you might've missed last week — including the new Aston Martin
A lot has happened in the last few few days, from an Aston Martin reveal and new Rolex flagship store opening, to a case of mistaken identify at the Wallace Collection.
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Everything you need to know about Hampstead: The real star of 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy'
From Protestant Dissenters to Dame Judi Dench, Hampstead has long been synonymous with liberal values and prosperity — which is what makes it different from other parts of London. Now, it's stealing hearts the world over in the latest Bridget Jones film.
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‘Seeing all these pictures at the same time is a rare privilege’: ‘Goya to Impressionism’ opens at The Courtauld
The Courtauld’s new exhibition marks the first time that a significant portion of one of Switzerland’s most important art collections has been shown in one go, outside of the country.
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This rare Picasso lithograph could be yours for £60,000
Picasso's 'David and Bathsheba' — printed on rare Chinese silk paper and intertwined with the artist's infamous and complicated love life — has come up for sale.
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Five of the National Trust's most outstanding paintings, as chosen by the curators who care for the charity’s world-class collection
As The National Trust celebrates its 130th anniversary, we asked five of their curators to choose a key artwork from the charity's huge collection.
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The grand master 'paintings' that are actually the most exquisite floral photographs you'll ever see
Harald Altmaier’s photographs of floral tableaux, as colossal in effort as in scale, recall 17th-century Dutch still lifes, but the inspiration behind them is far wider, as Carla Passino finds.
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The Legacy: Hans Sloane and the creation of the British Museum
A curious child who grew into a man of voracious intellectual curiosity, his life of collecting gave birth to one of the nation's great institutions.
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Lost and then found: A missing painting by Lord Leighton returns to London
Someone, somewhere, knows something about where it went.
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The Legacy: Sir Henry Tate and art for all
After making his fortune in the sugar business, Sir Henry felt he deserved to give something back to the nation. And so, the Tate gallery was born.
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The Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece that never was, thanks to an assassination, a war, an abduction and an invasion
The great master Leonardo da Vinci was on course to create an equine statue that could have rivalled his greatest pieces — until fate intervened. Carla Passino tells the tale of the da Vinci sculpture that never was.
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'But for a few twists of fate, she might well have been Queen of England': Who was the mystery woman in the Hilliard miniature?
A chance encounter with a cabinet miniature sent two art historians down a rabbit hole of Elizabethan intrigue, spycraft and courtship.
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The years when Art was part of the Olympics — and the double-gold winning painter who became its greatest champion
For decades in the early 20th century, the Olympic Games included events in art, literature and music. Only one person won more than a single gold medal in those years: Jean Jacoby, a painter from Luxembourg who remains his country's most decorated Olympian.
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'I painted my own reality': The five key moments that defined Frida Kahlo's life and work
70 years on from the death of Frida Kahlo, Carla Passino takes a look at the work and life of the trailblazing artist.
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Curious Questions: Why are there so few smiles in art?
Centuries of portraits down the ages — and vanishingly few in which the subjects smile. Carla Passino delves into the reasons why, and discovers some fascinating answers.
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Full steam ahead: The art of rail
The railway may have started its artistic life as a fire-breathing monster that devoured the countryside, but it soon became an emblem of advancing modernity, a cherished memento of the past and even, in the case of one station, the centre of the universe. Carlo Passino explains.
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One of the cleverest pictures ever made, and how it was inspired by one of the cleverest art books ever written
The rules of perspective in art were poorly understood until an 18th century draughtsman made them simple. Carla Passino tells the story of Joshua Kirby.
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Six things to know about the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition
The 2024 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is here. Country Life's Arts and Antiques Editor Carla Passino shares some trivia and tips for how to get the most out of it.
