Anne Countess of Warwick’s Artistic Maids

Ourwarwickshire.org have published a new blog of mine focusing on Anne Greville (1829-1903), née Charteris, 4th Countess of Warwick’s artistic maids.

Hay Music Trust – Zoom Lecture

Picture: A screen-shot from a recent Zoom lecture delivered for The Arts Society. Thrilled to announce that I will be presenting my lecture The Queen of Instruments – The Lute in Old Master Paintings for the Hay Music Trust on 8th January 2021. This talk will focus on the history of the instrument through art……

Interview with the Warwick County Record Office

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xTf6HuzSsI My most rambling interview to date, explaining my love of the Warwick Castle Archive now held by the Warwickshire County Record Office.

Portrait of a Flute Player

Image: Portrait of a flute player, attributed to Mather Brown, oil on canvas. Image: Frick Photo Archive. Here is a painting which must have an interesting history. It depicts a young black flute player, of c.1780-90, holding his instrument and sheet music in front of him. Attributed to the Anglo-American painter Mather Brown, I found……

Podcast: Sir Fulke Greville

A new podcast detailing the life and achievements of Sir Fulke Greville (1554-1628), 1st Baron Brooke, recorded with fellow Warwick Castle historian Aaron Manning. Sir Fulke Greville was a courtier, politician, jouster, poet and playwright. He witnessed the courts of Elizabeth I and James I first-hand, and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1614-1621.……

Podcast: ‘To Hailes the picture drawers bill’

Picture: Francis Greville, 3rd Baron Brooke, by John Hayls, c.1657. Warwick Castle. The next podcast in the series created with Aaron Manning looks at the portrait of Francis Greville, 3rd Baron Brooke, painted by John Hayls which hangs in Warwick Castle. New research into the little studied account books show that Francis lived an extravagant……

Podcast: The Collector Earl of Warwick

Picture: Portrait of George Greville, later 2nd Earl of Warwick, by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Private Collection, on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Here’s the second podcast in a series made with fellow historian Aaron Manning. This recording details the life and achievements of George Greville (1746-1816), 2nd Earl of Warwick. George……

Katherine Greville Podcast

  I've recorded a new podcast with fellow Warwick Castle historian Aaron Manning. This podcast looks at the life of Katherine Greville (1617/8-1676), nee Russell, Lady Brooke. Katherine Greville played the role of Parliamentarian war of war widow after the death of her husband Robert Lord Brooke at the Siege of Lichfield in 1643. More…

The Candyman – A lost portrait revealed

Picture: Portrait of Cornelis Nuyts by Jurgen Ovens. LEFT – Formerly Warwick Castle. RIGHT – Doyle Auction House, New York. I recently decided to look into a lost portrait of an old man (above left). The picture in question used to hang at Warwick Castle and was attributed to Rembrandt in the past. Photographs show……

The Life of a Doorway from Rubens’s House

Important works of art have always been on the move. It is possible, or at least was in the past, to acquire paintings or even objects once owned by famous artists. These might have once been in their collection, or even painted for their own homes. To own a doorway once belonging to your favourite……