Queen Elizabeth II stood as a pillar against the endless stream of royal scandal. Although she presented herself as a stalwart role model, she couldn’t reliably steer her own children onto a noble path. As much as we wish we could forget the screaming banner headlines in 1993 about Tampongate, it’s hard to purge the … Continue reading From Tampongate to Taxpayer Beggars: How 18th-Century Royals Invented Modern Messes
British History
London Views
Three years ago today, I was sitting in a pleasant apartment on Goodramgate in York, England, just down the street from the Old White Swan. Old White Swan, photo by RGilbert My plan had been to go watch the thoroughbreds run that afternoon at York Racecourse. But I awoke in the morning with severe back … Continue reading London Views
Sex, Scandals, and Caricatures
An embarrassment of riches was bequeathed to us from the paintbrushes of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), a founder and the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Sir Joshua Reynolds, Self-portrait c 1780© Royal Academy of Arts / Photographer: John Hammond His portraits depict every luminary who lived, loved, fought, performed, wrote, … Continue reading Sex, Scandals, and Caricatures
A Portal to the Past: Edward Matthew Ward
One of the elements that makes classical art so compelling is that it serves as a portal to the past. You can evaluate a painting from a purely aesthetic perspective, or you can scratch beneath the surface and discover an untold story. Edward Matthew Ward (1816-1879) was an artist who consciously put his masterful skills … Continue reading A Portal to the Past: Edward Matthew Ward
Art*Connections 