The power of three

“EVERY NOW AND THEN, ONE PAINTS A PICTURE that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping-stone to other things.” Pablo Picasso’s comment is easily applicable to his famous oil painting The

With a strength of character that belied her fragile looks, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun pushed the boundaries of royal portraiture and, after the French Revolution, challenged the loss of female influence via every frill and fold in her work

WITH more than a hint of nerves, I slide into an empty seat in the auditorium for my first university lecture. I look down the aisle hoping to see a friendly face, but there is no-one I recognise, whi

Marie Antoinette’s passion for furniture and genius for bagatelles, however evanescent their purpose, filled the French royal palaces with beauty and charm, as Matthew Dennison reveals

This autumn, the V&A unveils a captivating exhibition dedicated to Marie Antoinette, the ill-fated French queen whose brief yet eventful life continues to bewitch audiences and fuel the creative imagination. Marie-Claire Chappet traces her enduring influence on culture and fashion

Charlotte Mullins comments on Elizabeth I when a Princess