Art and Antiques

'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.

Paris 1924, when sport came headfirst into an intoxicating mix of art, fashion and desire

When the Olympics opened in Paris in 1924, the French capital was already gripped by a ferocious blend of art, literature, cinema, fashion and a wild desire to dance. Sport merged into this culture to become the pinnacle of an extraordinary time, as Mary Miers reveals.

Farewell to the arms: The humbling English defeat to the French that you've never heard of

A 15th-century cannon, an 18th-century flintlock belt-pistol and two swords excavated near Castillon, the site of the battle that ended Britain's rule in south-western France, featured prominently in an Olympia Auctions sale last month.

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.

'The world's most joyful museum': Young V&A in East London wins top prize

The museum scooped the prestigious Museum of the Year award, the largest in the world, pocketing £120,000 after a three-year renovation.

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.

The Titian masterpiece found in a plastic bag at a London bus stop has sold for £17.6 million

The painting that secured Titian’s reputation as 'the greatest painter of the Venetian Renaissance' is going up for sale, 30 years after it was recovered in a carrier bag in the most unlikely of spots.

'If you get 12 great photographs a year, you're doing well': Charlie Waite on the secrets of landscape photography

The world-renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite joins the Country Life Podcast.

My Favourite Painting: Rob Houchen

The actor Rob Houchen chooses a bold and challenging Egon Schiele work.

My Favourite Painting: Jeremy Clarkson

Tanks, tulips and taxidermy: The strange lives of Britain's most eccentric collectors

Five collectors of unusual things, from taxidermy to tanks, tulips to teddies, explain their passions to Country Life. Interviews by Agnes Stamp, Tiffany Daneff, Kate Green and Octavia Pollock. Photographs by Millie Pilkington, Mark Williamson and Richard Cannon.

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.

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.

Before the palazzo there was Petersfield: The Hampshire cottage where Peggy Guggenheim learned to love the art world

Humble Yew Tree Cottage stands in stark contrast to the excesses of this great art collector, but was a formative period in her life and is the subject of a new exhibition.

Celebrating the act of looking and drawing from life: New English Art Club presents latest annual exhibition

Created to counteract the 'stuffiness' of the Royal Academy, the New English Art Club nurtured and encouraged some of Britain's best artists. The group's latest exhibition begins this week, with plenty of works for sale.

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.

An exclusive chance for Country Life readers to see The George Farrow Collection before it goes under the hammer

Roseberys London and Country Life invite readers to an exclusive preview of The George Farrow Collection, which is the subject of a major sale in June.

The 12 most iconic paintings in The National Gallery, by gallery curator Dr Francesca Whitlum-Cooper

Dr Francesca Whitlum-Cooper joins the Country Life Podcast to share how she and the team at the National Gallery picked the 12 most iconic pieces from the collection to celebrate the gallery's 200th anniversary.

Whatever happened to saucy seaside postcards?

Saucy seaside postcards were once a mainstay of British life over the summer, but these days they're rarely seen. Martin Fone asks why, and discovers the history of artists such as Donald McGill who turned wry, naughty humour into a huge industry.

How a 20-year-old Leonora Carrington told off one of Surrealism's leading lights, and embarked on a career which has just seen her masterpiece go for $22 million

A densely-packed masterpiece by the brilliant Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington has just set a record at auction. We take a look at the life and emergence of the feisty young Lancastrian behind the $22 million sale of 'Les Distractions de Dagobert.