This year marks the 625th anniversary of The Canterbury Tales author – and “father of English literature” – Geoffrey Chaucer’s death. He penned this classic, about a merry band of medieval pilgrims te

There are many reasons that an artist’s ambitions can be thwarted, including the decision to become a teacher. Later this month, an exhibition will shine a light on talent obscured by a career in the classroom

When COUNTRY LIFE’s Henry Avray Tipping spotted a 17th-century four poster languishing in a Herefordshire attic in 1911, he set off a chain of events that saw the bed leave its ancestral home and land at The Met in New York

There are many reasons to visit the magnificent 17th century West Sussex mansion Petworth House, supreme among them is its extraordinary collection of art. Petworth’s palatial state rooms offer a vast

Our round-up of the funny, fascinating and unusual stories this fortnight

THOMAS W SCHALLER IS AN INTERNATIONALLY-ACCLAIMED WATERCOLOUR ARTIST based in New York. He is the winner of numerous awards, including from the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture, the America