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William Simmonds: Court Barn Museum

… exquisite animals and one astonishing angel …

wood mouse william simmonds arts and crafts

The Court Barn Museum’s current exhibition displays an array of Arts and Crafts delights from William Simmonds including a number of extraordinary wood carvings which contemporary critics likened to Japanese Netsuke: smooth, polished, small images of nature including a wren encased in a box of furled leaves, a crouching group of leverets and this dormouse (above). This very personal exhibition includes Continue reading “William Simmonds: Court Barn Museum” →

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Grayson Perry : Landscapes : Croome Court

… thought provoking cartography …

Grayson Perry map

William, the 6th Earl of Coventry, bought the finest works of art and worked closely with Capability Brown to create the gardener’s “first and most favourite” landscape park. Continuing this vision, the exhibition in the Tapestry Room and Library of Croome Court shows three tapestries and two etchings by Grayson Perry centring around the theme of landscapes and identity. Continue reading “Grayson Perry : Landscapes : Croome Court” →

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Invisible Agents : Nadine Akkerman

… pioneering archive archaeology …

seventeenth century spies agents women

With this exhilarating and meticulously researched account, Nadine leads the reader through thickets of ciphers and pages of correspondence to highlight the contribution female agents made to the field of espionage during the seventeenth century. Most of these women have been been discounted or silenced Continue reading “Invisible Agents : Nadine Akkerman” →

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Behind closed doors: Conserving Chastleton tour

… fascinating peek behind the tapestries …

tapestry Arras Fettiplace

Barbara Clutton-Brock, the last owner, often said that “poverty is a great preservative” and a previous owner when showing visitors around in the 1940s was fond of explaining the shabby appearance by saying how the family had lost all their money in the war – not the recent World War but the Civil Wars of the c17th. Continue reading “Behind closed doors: Conserving Chastleton tour” →

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Painting Childhood: From Holbein to Freud : Compton Verney

… capturing the luminosity of childhood …

Van Dyck Daughters of Charles I portrait royalty

Compton Verney excels at finding a fresh angle and by gathering a wonderful selection of art to create an absorbing, worthwhile exhibition. The spread of the show starts with a very fine Hans Holbein‘s preparatory sketch Continue reading “Painting Childhood: From Holbein to Freud : Compton Verney” →

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Elizabethan Treasures : National Portrait Gallery

… tiny fire crackers of colour & astonishing detail …

Henri iii france hilliard miniature

Tucked into a pocket or worn next of the heart, Queen Elizabeth keep them wrapped in tissue in a cabinet, the language of miniatures has always been an intimate affair. Created for love, diplomacy and remembrance these limnings of Hilliard and Oliver display exquisite details and jewel like colours. Withe their roots in illuminated manuscripts, the size of these watercolours draws you in, making you concentrate to appreciate every detail. This attention creates an intimacy not Continue reading “Elizabethan Treasures : National Portrait Gallery” →

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Three Favourites from the Gordon Russell Design Museum

… delightful, hands on wander through c20th design …

utility furniture design gordon russell

Housed in one of the original workshops, the Gordon Russell Design Museum is a hands on experience. You can pull back and admire the smooth delivery of a drawer, peek inside the dressing tables and stroke the veneer Continue reading “Three Favourites from the Gordon Russell Design Museum” →

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Essex House Press : Court Barn Museum

… jewel like illustrations  & quixotic ideals …

keats st agnes arts and craft

One of the most important private presses of the Arts and Crafts movement, the Essex House Press was part of the Guild of Handicraft from 1898 when CR Ashbee bought the Kelmscott Presses from William Morris‘ Estate Continue reading “Essex House Press : Court Barn Museum” →

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Wilding : Isabella Tree

… fascinating and thought provoking …

wilding wildlife rewilding ecology green nature

This is a fascinating and engaging account of turning a 1400 hectare West Sussex estate into a wild nature reserve.

Passionate, detailed and thought provoking, Isabella argues Continue reading “Wilding : Isabella Tree” →

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