Francis Bacon, Head VI, 1949. Arts Council Collection, South Bank Centre, London. There is nothing quite so exciting in 20th Century painting as getting close to the surface of a work by Francis Bacon – there was no one who handled paint as well, with such power, and with such variety, who had worked soContinue reading “148 – We’re all human”
Author Archives: drrichardstemp
147 – Inspiring Devotion
Marie Spartali Stillman, How the Virgin Mary Came to Brother Conrad of Offida and laid her Son in his Arms, 1892. National Trust Collections, Wightwick Manor and Gardens, Warwickshire. On Monday I will be talking about Lucy and Catherine Maddox Brown, whose work was once described as having Uncommon Power – a description which hasContinue reading “147 – Inspiring Devotion”
146 – You’ve been framed
Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of Nicolaes van Bambeeck, 1641. Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. At the end of last week’s talk I said that the Royal Collection contained some of the best portraits ever painted. I’m not going to talk about them today – I will leave that until Monday, as they are included inContinue reading “146 – You’ve been framed”
Return to the Rainbow
John Constable, Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, 1830-31. Tate Britain, London. [This is my second version of this post – you may prefer to read the latest, updated – and corrected – version, The End of the Rainbow, from December 2025!] I’ve been meaning to come back to this painting for a long time, having originallyContinue reading “Return to the Rainbow”
145 – Me, myself, and I?
Laura Knight, Laura Knight with model, Ella Louise Naper (‘Self Portrait’), 1913. National Portrait Gallery, London. Happy New Year! And as this is the first blog of the year, let us start with a woman who could count several ‘firsts’ to her name: Laura Knight. Or, if you prefer, Dame Laura Knight: in 1929 sheContinue reading “145 – Me, myself, and I?”
144 – Make a joyful noise
Geertgen tot Sint Jans, The Glorification of the Virgin, about 1490-95. Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam. I have a new favourite artist (those of you who follow me on Instagram might have noticed), although sadly a dozen of his works seem to have survived, maybe a couple more or less. This does mean that IContinue reading “144 – Make a joyful noise”
143 – A new Dürer
Albrecht Dürer, The Virgin and Child with a Flower on a grassy Bench, c.1503. Agnews, London. It’s not every day that a new drawing by a great master comes along, nor that, when it does, you have a chance to buy it. Sadly, it might just be beyond my reach, but instead I will –Continue reading ” 143 – A new Dürer”
142 – Getting carried away
Nicolas Poussin, The Ecstasy of St Paul, 1649-50. Musée du Louvre, Paris. On the whole I try not to get carried away by things, although, as I’m sure most of you know, my enthusiasm does mean that I rarely have the discipline to edit my presentations adequately – hence my now standard length of anContinue reading “142 – Getting carried away”
141 – a rose, By any other…
Allan Ramsay, Margaret Lindsay of Evelick: The Artist’s Wife, 1758-60. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh. Context is everything. You’re a very sophisticated lot, and I’m fairly sure that most of you will have completed the above quotation from Romeo and Juliet, that tale of star-crossed lovers. It comes from Act 2, scene 2: What’s in a name? That which we call a rose,By any other name would smell as sweet. ThisContinue reading “141 – a rose, By any other…”
140 – A Blog about a Dog
William Hogarth, The Painter and his Pug, 1745. Tate Britain, London. I’m not much of a dog person, but I have developed a fondness for William Hogarth’s pet pug, not least because rejoiced in the name of Trump (no relation). This portrait – if that’s what it is – features in the exhibition Hogarth andContinue reading “140 – A Blog about a Dog”
dr richard stemp 