The Finer Things
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My Favourite Painting: Nick Trend
The journalist and art historian Nick Trend chooses a striking Jan van Eyck portrait.
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The art of the storm, from Turner and Rembrandt to Rousseau and Hokusai
Extreme weather has long loomed large in the artist’s imagination. Michael Prodger celebrates the poetic beauty of Nature’s all-consuming fury.
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My Favourite Painting: Jamie Hambro
Jamie Hambro picks Low Life by Edwin Landseer.
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Curious Questions: How did they come up with the numbers for shoe sizes?
If you've ever wondered why a six is a six and a ten is a ten, so has Martin Fone. He decided to find out how we came to settle on the shoe size numbers we use today.
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My favourite painting: Felix Francis
The thriller writer Felix Francis chooses a classic image by Munnings that 'perfectly sums up the excitement of horse racing'.
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Donald John Mackay, the Hebridean tweed weaver who has changed an entire industry
Given the chance create his very own ‘estate’ Harris tweed, David Profumo knocks at the door of Donald John Mackay, the Hebridean weaver who has changed an entire industry. Photographs by Glyn Satterley.
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My favourite painting: Hugo Barclay
Hugo Barclay, director of the Affordable Art Fair, chooses an unusual Picasso.
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My favourite painting: Greg Doran
Theatre director Greg Doran chooses a domestic work by one of the great masters.
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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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My favourite painting: Sholto Kynoch
The musician Sholto Kynoch picks a Caspar David Friedrich landscape.
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Coco Chanel's enduring love affair with the English countryside
An affair with the 2nd Duke of Westminster introduced Coco Chanel to fly-fishing, Winston Churchill and the tweed clothing that shaped some of her most enduring designs, reveals Justine Picardie.
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My favourite painting: Giles Coren
Giles Coren picks 'an oil sketch gone wrong' by his school friend Jonathan Yeo.
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Curious Questions: Did English ladies really have a secret 'language of fans'?
Did ladies' fans in 18th and 19th century England carry hidden meanings? Many at the time certainly seemed to think so, and Martin Fone delves in to the history books and discovers that 'so shall each passion by the fan be seen, from noisie anger to the sullen spleen.'
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My favourite painting: Carmel Allen
Carmel Allen, managing director of Tate, chooses an unforgettable image from one of the Scottish Colourists.
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The best outfits from the 2023 Goodwood Revival, the 'best weekend of the year'
The period fashions are a huge part of the appeal for those attending the Goodwood Revival — here's a selection of some of the very best on display this year.
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My Favourite Painting: Levison Wood
The explorer Levison Wood chooses a dramatic portrait of war dating back 150 years.
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My favourite painting: Claire German
Claire German of the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, chooses an incomparable Tudor portrait of one of the great men of his time: Holbein's portrait of Thomas Cromwell.
