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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.
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The circus performer who literally gritted her teeth to earn success and fame — and inspired one of the great Impressionist paintings of the 1880s
When Miss La La hoisted herself to the top of the circus tent by a rope clenched in her jaws, she dazzled not only crowds across France and Britain, but also Edgar Degas. Carla Passino tells the story of the artiste — and the artist.
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150 years of the Impressionists, being celebrated in Paris and London
In 1874, a group of painters rejected by the official Paris Salon staged its own show and changed the course of art. It was France’s convulsed lurch into the modern era that helped spark the Impressionist revolution.
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The history behind London's latest power-station conversion
Much like the iconic Battersea, The Powerhouse also finds it identity in its previous life as a power station that kept London's underground running.
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The art dealer who bet £500,000 on a hunch, and ended up with a long-lost Old Master worth millions
A seemingly insignificant painting sold in 2022 turned out to be a lost masterpiece — and it's now on display in Britain. Carla Passino tells the tale.
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Six of the best sculpture parks to visit around Britain
A landscape full of sculpture is always a great experience; Carla Passino picks out some of the most extraordinary sculpture parks in Britain.
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The art heist with a happy ending, 15 years later
In a heist with a happy ending, a stolen Lavery oil made its way back to Stonyhurst College, Lancashire, where it now inspires headmaster John Browne, as Carla Passino discovers.
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'The most wonderful painting in existence', once sold for £30 and considered less valuable than its frame, is back in London
Flaming June by Frederick, Lord Leighton, has seen its reputation rise, fall, and rise again in the 128 years since it first went on public display. Carla Passino charts its path.
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The man who made Mayfair
Thomas Cundy II changed the face of Mayfair with the refronting programme he launched as chief surveyor of the Grosvenor estate, but much of his work was lost in subsequent renovation, as Carla Passino discovers.
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Three floors, 6,000sq ft and the chance to live in one of London's most famous landmarks
This penthouse apartment at St Pancras Chambers, formerly the Midland Grand Hotel, occupies a privileged position in one of the world's most revered Gothic buildings.
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Coworth Park hotel review: Just another day in Paradise
From a heavenly spa to gleaming copper bathtubs and sculptures woven into Nature, Coworth Park gets everything (almost) perfect, finds Carla Passino.
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Seeing the light: The lasting legacy of Sir John Soane
For Sir John Soane, the tools of the trade included skylights, tinted glasses and mirrors, as much as classical motifs, bricks and mortar. Carla Passino retraces the life of the man who chased the poetry of architecture and left an extraordinary gift to the nation
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The most incredible drinks cabinet you'll ever see: 'Who wouldn't want to have a whisky out of a hippo?'
Not just a bronze sculpture by a modern French master, but a bronze sculpture which opens to reveal a whisky bar. Carla Passino found out more from the art dealer who fell so hopelessly in love with the piece that he was desperate to buy it himself.
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Marianne North: The intrepid Victorian who climbed mountains and paddled up rapids to create unforgettable natural art
Victorian artist Marianne North braved jungle rapids, forests and mountains to capture the blowsy beauty of tropical plants on canvas. Carla Passino paints the life of a woman who defied conventions to forge her own path.
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Hugh Grant's former South Kensington penthouse on the market with £700k price cut
I'm just a girl, standing in front of a 3,000 sq ft London penthouse, asking it to please let me in.
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Curious Questions: Why was John Nash, London's most celebrated architect, despised in his own lifetime — and for decades afterwards?
John Nash is the man responsible for London's most beautiful buildings — yet he was once as reviled as he is now revered. Carla Passino retraces his life to see how his star rose, fell and rose again.
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How Wimbledon went from a backwater of 46 houses to the capital's greenest suburb, 'as un-Londonish as if it were a hundred miles out'
Living in Wimbledon has long been a popular choice for those who want a mix of town and country life. Carla Passino takes a closer look.
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It shouldn't happen at a coronation: A brief history of crowning day disasters
Things don’t always go to plan at a coronation, from stumbling peers to muddled clergy, dripping candles and even earthquakes, reveals Carla Passino.
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To mow or not to mow? That is the question every May
Two charities are urging gardeners to stay their own hands and refrain from mowing their grass in a bid to support biodiversity.
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'Inside-out living' at this modern take on the Arts-and-Crafts house, with exotic curves, glass walls and spectacular country setting
Striking interiors meet delightful grounds and magnificent country views at Checkendon Hill House, near Streatley-on-Thames, in Berkshire.
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How Sir Giles Gilbert Scott left an indelible mark on London — and how that infuriated his critics
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s designs shaped London as we know it — but despite his famed ‘unruffled serenity’, not all of his creations were met with rapt enthusiasm. Carla Passino takes a look.
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Best country houses for sale in Kent, from townhouses and mansions to a home atop the White Cliffs of Dover
From a beautiful Tunbridge Wells townhouse to a clifftop home in a stunning location, here's our pic of some of great properties for sale in Kent.
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A ghost tour of London on foot
Many out there believe that the capital’s streets, pubs and even hospitals are home to myriad ghosts — a few friendly, some less so. On a walk through some of these supposedly haunted sites, Carla Passino tries to separate fact from fiction.
