What great paintings say

Alexander Marshal–this country’s first major botanical painter–deserves to be better known, writes Tiffany Daneff, after seeing his luminous originals in the Royal Collection

Johannes Vermeer brightened his native Delft with luminous pictures of women caught in intimate moments, but the serenity of his work, of which he produced remarkably little, is at odds with a life mired in debt, as Carla Passino discovers

The best equestrian artists strike a rich chord, touching us on a deeper level than mere aesthetic appeal. Catherine Austen finds out which paintings speak to art-loving riders

I absolutely love this painting; it is so intriguing and there is so much to look at. Apart from the quality of the painting itself and the awe-inspiring brushwork, the subject matter and intensity of

I absolutely love this painting; it is so intriguing and there is so much to look at. Apart from the quality of the painting itself and the awe-inspiring brushwork, the subject matter and intensity of

Andrew Graham-Dixon tells Carla Passino why he thinks we have read Vermeer wrong all along– and who the Girl with a Pearl Earring really is