We admit it, we are anglophiles. From Lincoln Cathedral to Sir Christopher Wren to the Young British Artists.
videos + essays
Illuminating the Psalms in Byzantium
Byzantine book illumination was at its most ambitious and innovative in the decorated psalters produced between the 9th and 11th centuries
Illuminated Gospel-books
Kathleen Maxwell describes some of the remarkable illuminated copies of the Gospels to be found in the British Library’s collections.
The English castle: dominating the landscape
A castle visit can be a haunting experience; the crumbling walls evoking thoughts of medieval warfare. But for historians who can read their messages, castles provide valuable evidence of life in the Middle Ages.
The carpet and the globe: Holbein’s The Ambassadors reframed
Everything seems so perfect... Hang on, what’s that in the foreground? And why is that lute string broken?
Ivory Panel with Archangel
His body swells beneath the cloth, but his feet hardly touch the ground. This awkward angel is part pagan, part Christian.
John Singer Sargent, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose
Singer Sargent’s evocative canvas turns a sweet, ordinary scene into a symphony of shapes and colors.
William Powell Frith, Derby Day
Everyone wanted to have a look at the cast of characters Frith created—their variety provides the modern viewer with a fascinating glimpse into Victorian life.
Gentile Bellini, Portrait of Sultan Mehmed II
Gentile Bellini's portrait of Mehmed II has been re-interpreted and understood many times since it was produced nearly 550 years ago.
Looted and revered: The Rosetta Stone
A conversation with Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker in front of the Rosetta Stone, Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, 196 B.C.E., granodiorite, 112.3 x 28.4 x 75.7 cm (The British Museum)
Ford Madox Brown, The Last of England
The Last of England is a poignant reminder of the journey made by millions of people during the 19th century.
William Holman Hunt, Isabella or the Pot of Basil
Throughout his career, Hunt stayed close to the aesthetic of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in his attention to detail and insistence on narrative content.
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