Art

Napoleon’s Plunder and the Theft of Veronese’s Feast/Cynthia Salzman

This is an account by Cynthia Salzman of the appropriation of Paolo Veronese’s Wedding Feat of Cana in 1796 by Napoleon. The painting hung on the refectory wall of the Santa Maggiore church in Venice commissioned by the Benedictine Order. Napoleon , just 26, had conquered most of the Italian [...]

July 2, 2021 // 0 Comments

Fake or Fortune BBC4 – (Mondays 8 pm)

For all its irritations I was pleased to watch another series of Fake or Fortune. Philip Mould, the cool art dealer, has been upgraded to joint presenter alongside Fiona Bruce and the courteous Dr Bendor Grosvenor is back as art expert and historian. This week they considered the authenticity [...]

June 16, 2021 // 0 Comments

My art week

This week I continued to enjoy the reopening of museums with visits to the Barbican for the Dubuffet exhibition, to the Wallace Collection for the unification of the two famous Rubens landscapes and to the Pallant gallery for Degas to Picasso. The Barbican, with its architecture of bleak concrete [...]

June 12, 2021 // 0 Comments

David Hockney and Churchill and his Artistic Allies.

Yesterday I viewed two totally different exhibitions, David Hockney’s Arrival of Spring at the Royal Academy and Churchill and his Artistic Allies at Christie’s. I am rather conflicted on Hockney. On one hand I can only respect a man aged 83 who relocates in Normandy to paint the spring by a [...]

June 5, 2021 // 0 Comments

My art week

Three matters to report this week. The first was the podcast of Waldemar Janusczak and Bendor Grosvenor’s World of Art. I have already mentioned that Waldemar Janusczak’s style of presentation grates and there is a constant leitmotiv of class friction between the down to earth Janusczak and the [...]

May 26, 2021 // 0 Comments

Is ‘protest art’ art?

I certainly do not always agree with art critic Waldemar Janusczak, or the florid manner in which he expresses his views, but he is spot on in attacking the politicisation of the Turner Prize. On his website he writes: “The use of the Turner as a propaganda vehicle for ultra Londony evening [...]

May 18, 2021 // 0 Comments

An Elephant in Rome & my art week

I had no idea that TV chef and pasta sauce entrepreneur Loyd Grossman was an erudite art historian who had studied art at Magdalene College Cambridge. He has written a well-researched account of the baroque sculptor and painter Bernini whose works have so enhanced Rome. Bernini was patronised by [...]

May 7, 2021 // 0 Comments

An art day

Yesterday I had one of those unexpectedly enjoyable days that start with a disappointment. Polly, Bob Tickler’s P/A was coming down for the day and we were going to meet for a coffee and walk. She felt unwell and could not travel so I had to rearrange my day. I listened to the latest episode in [...]

May 4, 2021 // 0 Comments

American native art

Yesterday our course on views on art from the overseas perspective covered American and Caribbean art. Unfortunately I had an issue with scaffolding to be erected outside my home and I had to leave the course to take a lengthy call from an advisor. Nonetheless I learned enough to appreciate that [...]

April 30, 2021 // 0 Comments

My art week

I always enjoy the weekly podcast on art presented by Waldemar Janesczak and Bendor Grosvenor. In this week’s episode Bendor Grosvenor interviewed chef and pasta sauce maker cum-entrepreneur Loyd Grossman on his book about the 16th century sculptor Bernini (1598-1680). I had of course more than [...]

April 24, 2021 // 0 Comments

1 2 3 … 19 »

IAN THOMSON RIP

August 5, 2021 // 0 Comments

There must be something in the Sussex air that inspires longevity as in 2018 five our of the last six surviving Test players wore the six martlet sweater of Sussex CCC: Don [...]
Thinking the unthinkable

August 5, 2021 // 0 Comments

Last week brought media reports of a new study undertaken by Professor Willie Stewart at the University of Glasgow which apparently demonstrates that professional footballers [...]
Write around the world/BBC4

August 4, 2021 // 0 Comments

I was attracted to this programme presented by actor Richard E Grant for several reasons. Firstly, I had seen his programme on the art of The French Riviera and enjoyed it. [...]
Olympic coverage

August 3, 2021 // 0 Comments

Like my colleagues on the Rust I find the back drop of empty seats in the stadiums a distinct turn off. In the week of track and field I miss the winning athlete draped in [...]
It’s about everything – and nothing …

August 3, 2021 // 0 Comments

As I begin my post today, reflecting upon some of the issues thrown up by the Olympics currently belatedly taking place in Tokyo, I’m conscious that I’m sailing gingerly [...]