In Pursuit of the Perfect House

A villa by architect Andrea Palladio was a place where the owners could feel happy, secure and content, which is after all, what most of us still require and aspire to, a place where one can cultivate the head, heart, body and the soul.

The City of Bath in the Age of Pleasure

It was not until the fifteenth century when King Henry V111 came to see Bath for himself that the therapeutic value of the waters became, once again, well known and people came to be cured. However it would only become a centre for fashionable people following the arrival of Richard ‘Beau’ Nash in 1702.

Women of Influence: Marquise de Pompadour

French painter François Boucher (1703-1770) produced many of the images that we have of the enigmatic Jeanne Antoinette, Marquise de Pompadour, Maîtresse-en-titre, or the official Mistress of Louis XV of France.

Women of Influence: Diane de Poitiers

The mistresses and consorts of the Kings of France have a strong history of helping others with extraordinary talent to achieve their highest potential through patronage, of changing standards of moral or social behaviour and of dictating the design and disposition of domestic architecture and gardens

Aaaachoo…collecting Chinese Snuff Containers

Until the early 1900s the volume of snuff produced in China far exceeded that of tobacco for smoking or chewing. Everyone took it – from the poet Alexander Pope to naturalist Charles Darwin, actress Sarah Siddons and the Duke of Wellington. Lord Nelson took large quantities to sea with him, while Napoleon sniffed over seven pounds a month. Physicians made great claims for it, prescribing snuff for headaches, insomnia, toothache, coughs and colds and recommending it as a measure against contagion.

0240SNBOT1Today snuff bottles remain eminently collectable. The enormous variety in materials, subject matter, colour and shape provides a fascinating trail for the dedicated collector.

Online Video Course
Evolution of Art, Design & Style – CIVILIZATION 1
Day 1 Defining Civilization Part 2

The great strength of Egyptian culture was that religion and life were interchangeable as well as interdependent in their approach to, and understanding of, their existence.

Art, Design & Style – A Window to the World

Starting on April 21 at the Culture Concept Circle we will be releasing Defining Civilization, the first two part session of our acclaimed arts appreciation course of study the Evolution of Art, Design & Style. Presented with sumptuous imagery and beautiful music, in an exciting new On Line Video format, we aim to open a window on a whole new world.

Making a Compleat Gentleman

West Wycombe Manor was set in a beautiful Park and the perfect setting for a man of means who also enjoyed the good life. Its colonaded west front is highly unusual, for a climate like England recalling perhaps many happy times spent lazing in the loggia of an Italian Palazzo. While smaller than most of his friends country houses today it is a perfect film set for eighteenth century period films because it encapsulates and reflects in architecture the society of a time when young men of privilege went in passionate pursuit of civilised life. Is it the perfect Temple to Taste of a Compleat Gentleman?

Introduction to Collecting Antiques – FREE online video presentation

Collecting antiques is a social phenomenon, often misrepresented as being the hobby of only a select few. From my experience working in the trade, perusing galleries, working at and attending fairs and auctions over a long period of time (some 30 years) collecting antiques is a pleasure indulged in by a vast number of people from very different backgrounds and all walks of life.

Portraiture: Egypt to Enlightenment

What is a portrait? Is it an actual likeness of someone? If we know the person portrayed is a General, King or Queen will it change our viewpoint? What is a portrait’s function? Is it meant to show the sitter at their most characteristic ?