The Finer Things
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Art saved for the nation? Not enough, it would seem
The recent publication of a report on export control of art from the UK makes depressing reading.
By Athena Published
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Good things come in small packages: The art of an excellent miniature
With so many medals to fit on the tiniest miniature she had ever worked on, limner Elizabeth Meek literally had to hold her breath when painting the portrait of Charles III, but the result is a resounding success.
By Carla Passino Published
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The perks of being wallpaper: A collection of never-before-seen William Morris designs are to go on sale
The first new Morris & Co. designs in a century were developed using archive materials discovered inside a Californian library.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Louis Wain: The Edwardian artist who was 'perhaps the best PR cats have ever had'
The artist's fascination with cats is the subject of a show at Chris Beetles Gallery which will feature 25 previously unseen works by Wain.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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'The greatest collection of Surrealism to emerge in recent history’: The contents of iconic art collector Pauline Karpidas’s London home are heading to auction
Works by Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso are included in the sale of the items in the collector's apartment which overlooks Hyde Park.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Ford Ranger PHEV: The eco-pickup for campers, builders and post-apocalyptic survivalists
The Ranger PHEV might deviate from first principles, but it remains convincingly fit for purpose — and therefore highly desirable
By Jason Barlow Published
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Maria de la Orden’s consuming passions: Dark chocolate, Hockney and the diamond accessories that remind her of her family
The Paris-based designer of sophisticated clothing gives Country Life a peek into the things she loves the most.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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From James Bond to Centre Court, how terry towelling took the world by comfort
Terry towelling — whether it be clothing babies, adorning a poolside Bond or mopping tennis players’ brows — altered domestic life forever.
By Matthew Dennison Published
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Fancy a date at the Tate? London galleries are staying open later to fuel surging Gen Z interest
Tate Modern, the home of contemporary art in London, has announced that they will open until 9pm on Friday and Saturday nights — after a recent surge in younger visitors.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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The 24 best furniture makers in Britain, as chosen by the nation's top designers and architects
Giles Kime asks members of Country Life's Top 100 for their recommendations when it comes to choosing a furniture maker.
By Giles Kime Published
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What everyone is talking about this week: This season's fashion is in an (Ivy) league of its own — just don't call it preppy
Week in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
By Will Hosie Published
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‘He’s been here and fired a gun’: How the rivalry between Turner and Constable spiced up Britain’s art scene
Tate Britain will delve into the ‘war’ between the two great landscape artists, much touted by the art critics of their time, with a late-autumn exhibition, ‘Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals’.
By Carla Passino Published
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The best art dealers in Britain, as chosen by the nation's top designers, architects and creative minds
Who are art dealers used by Britain's top interior designers and creative minds? Giles Kime asks some of the most distinguished members of Country Life's Top 100 for their recommendations.
By Giles Kime Published
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Hope blooms eternal: Tom Young paints Lebanon's beauty, without shying away from the scars of conflict
'In situations where there is conflict or displacement, or trauma, art can help in some sort of healing process. When there are barriers, it can transcend them'
By Octavia Pollock Published
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Mini Countryman John Cooper Works: Party at the front, business at the back
While a big Mini might be something of a contradiction, the Countryman is every bit as cheeky as its smaller cousin.
By James Fisher Published
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Christian Bolt won't stop until he can revive the Renaissance sculpture technique of terra secca
At his studio fringed by the mountains of Klosters, Swiss sculptor Christian Bolt is feverishly cooking up recipes to re-create terra secca, a material used in Renaissance Italy, not only to expand his own artistic horizons, but to help save the planet.
By Carla Passino Published
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‘Everyone had dodgy magazines hidden under their beds and I had interior design magazines’: James Thurstan Waterworth's consuming passions
Interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth was the European design director at Soho House before he went on to open his own studio, Thurstan. He discusses his love of Tudor history, Andrew Scott and how a portrait of a chicken changed his life.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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The teeny tiny car that you absolutely don’t need, but will absolutely want this summer — and it has an inbuilt shower
The Fiat Topolino has been reimagined by French swimwear brand Vilebrequin just in time for the summer holidays.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Small engines, big batteries: The quiet revolution of car design
More and more cars on the road are electric, and some unusual shapes and sizes glide past silently. But what does it all mean for design?
By Guy Bird Published
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You can’t always rely on the Great British summer — but you can rely on its watches
British watchmakers have excelled themselves in recent months — releasing bright and beautiful timepieces that you'll want on your wrist through summer, and beyond.
By Chris Hall Published
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No strings attached: A brief history of swimwear, from heavy skirts of linen linked to women's drownings, to the skimpy two-piece named after a nuclear weapons site
From knee-length numbers to a scandalous suit denounced by the Pope, the colourful history of swimwear has been brought to life by a glamorous London exhibition.
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Last updated