The meaning of Manet’s Luncheon in the Studio
There have been numerous interpretations of Manet’s Luncheon in the Studio, none of them satisfactory. The key to unlocking its meaning lies in contemporary admiration among French writers and artists for the art of William Hogarth
A newly identified portrait of Roubiliac
Andread Soldi painted several portraits of the sculptor Louis François Roubiliac at work and here is another which may also shed light on his relationship with Bouchardon
The enigma of the Detmold twins
Unexpected photographic evidence is helping to unravel a little of the enigma of the Detmold twins, while also creating some new puzzles of its own
Reuniting a Gainsborough letter
The missing part of a letter by Thomas Gainsborough reappeared at auction in 2024, bearing its date and signature. The two parts of the letter are here reunited
Marie Jane Naylor
Martin Ferguson Smith reconstructs the career of Marie Jane Naylor (1856–1940) and provides a checklist of her works
English and French reactions to the art of each country
(English) pride and (French) prejudice Cross-Channel partialities, 1802–1837 William Hauptman Cependant [les peintres] été brillans [sic] dans tous les états d’Europe, excepté en Angleterre, qui ne produisit jamais ni un peintre, ni un tableau. Pourquoi?[1] England-France – Food for thought In June 1772 the print seller Samuel Hooper […]
Helen Coombe Addenda
Since the publication of Martin Ferguson Smith’s biography of Roger Fry’s wife, Helen Coombe (1864–1937), in October 2023, three additional items of significant interest have come to his attention
Guernica’s Odyssey to Spain: 45th anniversary
Guernica’s Odyssey to Spain: 45th anniversary Lorraine Bacchus 1 Guernica by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), 1937. Oil on canvas, 349 x 776 cm. Reina Sofia Museum, Spain. Photo: Lorraine Bacchus Visitors to MOMA on Wednesday 8 September 1981 were unaware they would be the last to see Picasso’s […]
What’s in a name?
Many pastels and oil paintings by Katherine Read ( 1723–1728) have long been misattributed and this article examines some of the consequences. While evoking a specific case, it offers more general reflections on the (re)identification of artists.
In search of The Valley Farm
In search of The Valley Farm John Constable (1776–1837) and Willy Lott’s house FG Notehelfer Tracing the roots of The Valley Farm (Tate Britain, London, see Pl 63) presents us with a number of important insights into the progression of Constable’s ideas and the form that these ideas took within […]