As writer-in-residence at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, my desk overlooks the red-bricked School of Art on Margaret Street. Typically, before I start to type, […]
Birmingham’s Sites of Surrealism
Six years ago, I moved from London to Birmingham. Since then, I have researched and written about the city’s art history, from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood […]
10 fun facts about art history for kids
From their strange habits to peculiar pets, here are 10 fun facts about art history for kids… Hands up, I admit it. I might be […]
6 Famous Artists Who Worked With Walt Disney
Since the 1930s, famous and talented artists have been behind the magic of Walt Disney’s films. In fact, Disney was a king of collaboration – […]
Elizabeth Siddal: More than a muse?
The most comprehensive exhibition of Elizabeth Siddal’s paintings and drawings for 30 years, Tate Britain’s ‘The Rossettis’ clearly aims to show this hugely important member […]
10 of the most famous Disney artists and the characters they created
Since the 1930s, talented artists have been behind the magic of Walt Disney. But, more often that not, we don’t know their names. So, here […]
Peter Doig: Illusions of Paradise
Since the 19th century, artists have mythologised the tropics, presenting them as sun-drenched sites of paradise onto which their own fantasies could be cast. All […]
18 Best Children’s Books about Famous Artists
As an art historian and former museum education officer, I’m often asked by friends to recommend the best children’s books about famous artists. I love […]
Emilie Flöge: Finding forgotten dress designer and Klimt’s muse in Vienna
I recently visited Vienna to find Gustav Klimt’s most famous painting ‘The Kiss’ and the forgotten dress designer and muse who inspired it, Emilie Flöge. […]
Rebecca Fortnum: ‘Exhuming’ 15 female sculptors who worked with Rodin
Who were the female sculptors who worked with Rodin? A moving new body of work and exhibition by Rebecca Fortnum, ‘Les Praticiennes’, shines an important […]