Art in the United Kingdom

We admit it, we are anglophiles. From Lincoln Cathedral to Sir Christopher Wren to the Young British Artists.

videos + essays

The Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry
The Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry

Jean, duc de Berry spared no expense for this dazzling reliquary containing a thorn from the Crown of Thorns.

Ole Worm, <em>Museum Wormianum</em>
Ole Worm, Museum Wormianum

This catalog describes a very particular kind of room: a 17th-century curiosity cabinet.

William Morris, The Green Dining Room
William Morris, The Green Dining Room

The Green Dining Room's harmonious color-scheme, craftsmanship, and medieval vibe shows Morris’s design style at its finest.

<em>Standard of Ur</em> and other objects from the Royal Graves
Standard of Ur and other objects from the Royal Graves

Intentionally buried as part of an elaborate ritual, this ornate object tells us so much, but also too little.

The Chapter House of York Minster
The Chapter House of York Minster

With towering stained-glass windows and an open plan, the Chapter House of York Minster is an extraordinarily grand space.

Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral

With both Romanesque and Gothic design, the Peterborough Cathedral has a long architectural history.

Joshua ibn Gaon, a decorated Hebrew Bible (MS. Kennicott 2)
Joshua ibn Gaon, a decorated Hebrew Bible (MS. Kennicott 2)

A ritualized, mindful engagement between reader and Hebrew Bible is supported by this manuscript’s lavish decorative program.

Gothic architecture explained
Gothic architecture explained

Just how did Gothic architects support heavy stone ceilings and create the effect of heaven on earth?

Step inside Magdalena Abakanowicz’s forest of woven sculptures
Step inside Magdalena Abakanowicz’s forest of woven sculptures

Magdalena Abakanowicz's sculptures defied categorization, seeming like coats or cocoons that tempted you to crawl inside, or hairy living creatures suspended from the gallery ceiling.

Ford Madox Brown, <em>Work</em>
Ford Madox Brown, Work

Muscles, morals, and mongrels help to illustrate the stratification of social class in Victorian England.

Daniel Libeskind, Imperial War Museum North, Manchester, UK
Daniel Libeskind, Imperial War Museum North, Manchester, UK

The museum's architectural design brings the personal tragic stories of the wars of the 20th century to visitors