In 1494, the high castle walls that had dominated the Middle Ages came tumbling down in clouds of gunpowder smoke. It was the start of a new age

The secret meaning of Vermeer’s art

The Birth of Venus is part of our visual lexicon – we have all seen her, but what do we really know about this goddess? All the medieval fantasy and symbolism of 14th century Florence are wrapped up i

The piece I’d never part with

Peter Strain T he four-stroke internal combustion engine ...

Composite figment of imaginations The writer credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey, and often regarded as one of the most important authors of all time, is to my mind the most overrated hi