Took Devon out on her belated birthday trip this week to see Hercules! I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about what they did to Hades, but those Muses have completely stolen my heart. I am OBSESSED. 🎭🍿
#TheatreTrip #HerculesMusical #WestEndMagic #BirthdayAdventures #TheatreSnacks
Marietta Robusti: daughter of Tintoretto, one of the most talented female artists of the Renaissance. Courts across Europe wanted her as their painter. Her father refused to let her go. Today, almost none of her work survives under her own name.
Read the full piece here: gksihat.com/marietta-rob...
Finally managed to catch the Anna Ancher show at the Dulwich Picture Gallery this weekend! I am obsessed - she is truly a master of light. It's such a shame her art isn't on display worldwide all the time, it really should be.
It you like that, try Brassic afterwards with Joe Gilgun and Michelle Keegan. It’s got the same homely feel.
I LOVE Man Like Mobeen. Actually, anything with Guz Khan, he's brilliant.
I mean, I had time to kill, listened to your HistFest talk, and went "This is INSANE! I'm buying the book..." so you're halfway there... 🤔
Last month, we explored the science and poetry in the flower paintings of Rachel Ruysch. 🌸
This month, we’re spotlighting Judith Leyster who blended humour with moral ambiguity, yet whose work was long misattributed to her male contemporaries (sometimes deliberately).
gksihat.com/mischief-and...
A sepia-toned historical photograph of three people gathered around a seated Rosa Bonheur sketching.
A painted portrait of a young woman with pale skin and light brown hair adorned with flowers, wearing an off-the-shoulder white dress and gazing to the side.
View down a symmetrical stone staircase inside a museum, framed by rounded arches and lit by a large arched window at the far end.
A collage-style artwork showing boxers and standing figures layered over fragments of printed text and newspaper clippings.
Back at the National Portrait Gallery and once again reminded how wonderfully eclectic it is. Where else do Rabindranath Tagore, Marcus Rashford, and Rosa Bonheur all coexist? A museum full of conversations across time.
Close-up detail of a Renaissance painting showing small dark, winged figures clinging to a vertical cross above reclining human figures.
Close-up detail of a painted hand resting against rich red and gold drapery, highlighting soft shading and realistic flesh tones.
Three large classical paintings in ornate gold frames displayed side by side on a dark blue gallery wall in a museum.
A wide museum view of two large horizontal Renaissance battle scenes depicting mounted soldiers, fallen figures, and dramatic action, displayed one above the other.
The new hang at the National Gallery is such a joy. Everything feels more spacious and considered, letting familiar works breathe while quietly introducing new favourites. There’s something special about noticing fresh details in old ones you thought you knew by heart.
Close-up of a white marble sculpture of a kneeling female figure, her head bowed, reflected in the glass of the display case.
Close-up of a painted hand holding a torn sheet of paper, with textured brushwork and dramatic light and shadow.
Close-up of a painted young figure with softly lit skin and curled hair, gazing upward against a dark background.
Detail of a painting showing a seated figure in red sleeves sketching in a book, illuminated by warm, directional light.
Wright of Derby: From the Shadows at the National Gallery, on until 10 May and well worth it.
Think Caravaggio… but British.
The lighting alone is jaw-dropping. Intimate, dramatic, and beautifully installed. It's one of those shows that really stays with you long after you leave it.
A small framed pointillist-style painting of a harbour with brick pillars, boats, and shimmering water, displayed on a white gallery wall.
A painting of a woman in a long dress standing with her back to the viewer, looking out through a window into a softly lit interior.
Detail of an artwork showing two stylised female figures dancing, wearing flowing garments in warm earth tones.
An impressionist-style painting of a sunlit field with small trees and a lone figure standing near a fence, rendered in textured brushstrokes of green, yellow, and blue.
Managed to catch Radical Harmony before it closed! 😮💨
A really thoughtful look at Neo-Impressionism and how wildly different artists approached pointillism. Not always my favourite style, but this show made a strong case for its subtlety and ambition.
Did anyone else manage to see it in time?
Close-up of painted figures drifting through a blue sky scattered with gold stars, their translucent garments flowing as they move.
Lower section of a circular celestial painting showing dancing figures encircling a bright golden sun, surrounded by scattered gold stars.
Detail of painted figures reaching towards streams of golden stardust against a dark blue background, suggesting motion and celestial harmony.
A large circular painting showing figures floating around a radiant golden sun and moon in a deep blue, star-filled sky, framed by an ornate gilded border in a gallery.
Dawn's Early Light at the National Gallery (on free display until 15th February) is STUNNING!
Read like a clock, it captures that fragile in-between moment when night finally gives way to morning. Quiet, glowing, full of hope if you give it time. Definitely one to linger with.
A last-minute trip to Rome turns into a meditation on research, memory, and the quiet ways our minds betray us, both on the page and in life.
Read all about it here: substack.com/home/post/p-...
A bronze statue of a hooded, robed figure standing on a stone pedestal in a Roman square, with pale residential buildings in the background.
A narrow cobbled courtyard framed by an arched brick passageway, with tall, weathered buildings and shuttered windows on either side.
An old wooden door set into a pale plaster wall with stone surrounds, marked with the number 13 above the arch.
A colourful outdoor flower market stall with pots and buckets of bright flowers arranged on cobblestones, each marked with handwritten price signs.
We ended the trip in Campo de’ Fiori with a mission: find Vanozza dei Cattenei’s Locanda della Vacca.
Book research with family is SO fun! And telling them about Giordano Bruno while shopping the market was a highlight. Perfect ending to a lovely long weekend. 🌻
A sticker-covered street sign in the foreground featuring a prominent circular sticker reading “LOVE”, set against the stone exterior of the Colosseum in Rome in the background.
Those LOVE stickers around Rome look very familiar… 💕
Coming home, catching up on the world after a few tech-free days, and getting the first cold I've had in years… we could all do with more colour, more kindness, more love right now. Rome always reminds me of that.
A cappuccino on a saucer beside a sugar-coated doughnut on a café table, with wooden chairs, framed pictures, and other customers in the background.
Interior of a gelato shop with a decorative panel showing a stylised portrait of Dante Alighieri and patterned tile designs, with pastries displayed in a glass case in the foreground.
An AI-generated wall mural in a restaurant depicting a smiling Italian nonno seated with two figures inspired by the film Gladiator, resembling Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, all raising mugs of beer around a pizza above red-and-white checked tablecloths.
A plate of bruschetta topped with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, set on a red-and-white checked tablecloth, with drinks and a candle lantern behind.
Food deserves its own spotlight in Roma. 🍝
...or at least, the locations do.
I took the family to an old favourite (Nonno’s), had drinks in Piazza Navona, and then we had doughnuts. Not something you think of when it comes to Rome but it was the size of Nik’s HEAD. I’m still thinking about it.
A surreal painting of a seated artist painting at an easel in a vast, pale landscape, with distant figures and soft, cloud-like forms floating in the sky.
A surreal painting of a room opening into clouds, with figures posed inside and a large paintbrush entering the scene from the right, blending interior and sky.
Close-up of a surreal painted figure with a smooth, abstracted body and elongated arms, set against a warm-toned background.
A detailed black-ink drawing showing two nude figures entwined among tree branches, rendered with dense cross-hatching and expressive line work.
Just when you think you’ve settled into ancient Rome vibes… hello modern art curveball.
Dalí, in the middle of a Roman weekend. 🎭
A richly decorated Baroque chapel interior with a dramatic white marble sculpture illuminated by golden rays, set beneath a painted ceiling and a stained-glass window.
A symmetrical view of a grand church altar with marble columns, statues of saints, gilded ornamentation, and floral arrangements, set beneath a coffered and frescoed ceiling.
A richly painted chapel interior with frescoed walls and ceiling, focused on a crucifix painting framed by columns above the altar.
An ornate chapel interior covered in frescoes and gilded decoration, centred on an altarpiece framed by columns beneath a painted barrel vault.
“What’s that?” Ro asked.
“A church,” I replied. “There are over 900 in Rome…”
“Oh, cool. Can we go in?”
I nearly cried. Normally I get told off for dragging people into churches but he wanted to go into ALL of them! ⛪️
We limited it to three.
Have I mentioned I like this nephew of mine?
Close-up detail of a Baroque painting showing a bearded man guiding another man’s finger into a wound on his chest, illuminated by strong directional light.
A smiling person takes a selfie in a museum gallery, standing in front of a framed Baroque painting on a red wall, separated by a rope barrier.
Angled view of a Baroque painting in a gilded frame, with several figures leaning in towards a central action, partially obscured by reflections on the glass.
A framed Baroque painting displayed in a museum gallery against a deep red wall, showing four figures gathered closely in dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, cordoned off with a rope barrier.
Seeing a Caravaggio I was fully expecting to see in Germany… in Rome… was the HIGHLIGHT of the trip.
This man. This genius. I am obsessed.
My life goal is to see every Caravaggio on public display before 45 - here’s another one ticked off! ✔️
A detailed Renaissance fresco showing a crowded historical scene beneath an ornate blue-and-gold ceiling, with figures gathered around a triumphal arch in a landscaped setting.
A richly decorated Renaissance wall with geometric marble-style panels, painted medallions, and gilded architectural details, displayed behind a low barrier in a museum space.
An elaborately painted Renaissance room with patterned walls and ceiling, featuring a small classical statue placed in a doorway alcove on a tiled floor.
Angled view of a vaulted ceiling covered in intricate frescoes, gilded patterns, and painted figures, framed by decorative mouldings and small windows.
Honestly, I could happily live in the Borgia Apartments. Just lock me in and throw away the key. ✨
Close-up of a classical marble sculpture showing two muscular male figures in dramatic poses, with detailed anatomy and expressive faces.
A large Renaissance fresco painting displayed in a museum gallery, showing several robed figures in an ornate architectural interior, cordoned off for viewing.
Upward view of a circular ceiling with decorative mouldings surrounding an octagonal glass skylight, softly lit from within.
View through an open window onto tiled rooftops and umbrella pine trees, with painted interior wall panels framing the scene under a cloudy sky.
We went into the Vatican Museums with clear missions:
1️⃣ Make sure Ranj sees Raphael’s School of Athens;
2️⃣ Take photos of Melozzo da Forlì’s library fresco for Barry;
3️⃣ Double check the layout of the Borgia Apartments for my book; and
4️⃣ Survive the Sistine Chapel!
All missions: SUCCESS 💪
A daytime view towards the Roman Forum, with crowds walking along a path past ancient brick ruins and standing columns under a pale, overcast sky.
Night-time view of the Colosseum partially framed by dark trees, with its upper arches lit in golden light.
The Colosseum in Rome illuminated at night, its arches glowing warm yellow against a dark sky, with a cobbled path and small figures in the foreground.
The Arch of Constantine in Rome seen in daylight, showing its carved reliefs and three arches, with visitors standing nearby and grassy areas around the monument.
Last year I promised my nephews I’d take them to the Colosseum. We didn’t quite make it inside this time - it was a long, tech-free, slow weekend - but we did see a LOT of Ancient Rome from the outside. 🏛️
Looks like we’ll just have to come back…
Veronica Franco wielded words as sharply as her beauty and charm. In Renaissance Venice, she debated men who underestimated her and wrote verses that refused to be ignored. She was admired, desired, condemned...
Read all about her here: substack.com/home/post/p-...
A person lying on a bed indoors, smiling warmly at the camera while wrapped in a rust-coloured knitted jumper, with soft lighting and patterned wall panels behind.
A modern bathroom with marble walls, a glass shower enclosure, a round illuminated mirror, a white basin, and an orchid plant on the counter.
View from a bed with rumpled white bedding, looking through a window towards St Peter’s Basilica framed against a bright blue sky.
I’m not usually fussed about where I stay. Safe area, good bed, hot shower, done. But wow. I’ve officially been spoilt. First Paris, now this Roman flat… I am in actual heaven! 🏡✨ Family trips are clearly levelling up my standards.
A stone fountain with sculpted figures in the foreground, set before a brick church with a tall Romanesque bell tower and arched windows.
Upper section of a historic building with pale stone walls and green shuttered windows, adjoining a curved brick rampart with a small stone balcony under a clear sky.
A surreal street sculpture of carved stone blocks balanced in a leafless tree outside a Fendi building, set against a city street with classical façades.
View of a stone bridge over the River Tiber in Rome, framed by bare tree branches, with statues lining the bridge and historic buildings along the riverbank.
That gentle night wander? Fully prepared them for the absolute CHAOS of the next day. 😌
Rome lulls you in softly… then hits you with cars, crowds, and sensory overload. I love it.
A street musician plays the violin at night on a bridge lined with lit candles, with St Peter’s Basilica glowing in the distance across the river.
Castel Sant’Angelo lit in warm yellow light at night, reflected faintly in the river below against a dark sky.
The central obelisk in St Peter’s Square at night, surrounded by curved colonnades and statues, brightly lit against a black sky.
The Pantheon in Rome illuminated at night, with its classical columns and triangular pediment facing a busy square filled with people under a deep blue sky.
I took on the role of tour guide and decided the best way to introduce my family to Roma was with a night walk. 🌙
Wandering streets, turning in the wrong direction (I don’t do lefts and rights, I’M DYSLEXIC!), glowing piazzas… there is no better orientation than getting slightly lost together.
Close-up view of a mosaic-style public artwork composed of dozens of small artworks on a building façade, next to a pale stone and ochre-coloured building with shuttered windows.
A large outdoor artwork made up of many small, colourful images displayed on the side of a building, with a stone column in the foreground and a crowd gathered below.
PROUD SISTER MOMENT! 💥
My amazeballs sister, Ranj, had not one but TWO pieces exhibited in Roma. I was already excited, but nothing prepared me for casually walking across a bridge and suddenly seeing her Homage to Frida right there in front of me. Unreal.
Aeroplane wing seen from above, flying over a vast snow-covered mountain range partially veiled by cloud.
View from an aeroplane window showing the wing and engine above a thick blanket of white cloud under a deep blue sky.
Aeroplane wing and engine flying low over flat green fields divided by tree lines, with distant buildings and a hazy horizon.
View from an aeroplane window during descent, with the wing in the foreground and patchwork green farmland stretching below under a pale blue sky.
I love flying! ✈️ I’m not great at the waiting beforehand (patience is truly not my forte), but once we’re up? Heaven.
The view, the turbulence (yes, I’m that weird), the coffee brought to your seat, the blissful permission to ignore the world with headphones in and a book open. 📖
History has a habit of hiding women in the margins, yet they were neither symbols nor spectators. They were not witnesses to history; they were its architects.
Among them stood Sardarni Sada Kaur.
Warrior. Regent. Diplomat. Kingmaker. Not a footnote, but a foundation.
An audience seated in a church hall listens to two speakers standing at a lectern, with presentation slides displayed on screens beneath a stained-glass window and a wooden cross.
A speaker reads from notes at a lectern in a church hall, addressing a seated audience, with presentation slides on screens and a circular stained-glass window above.
Exterior of a Gothic-style church at night, with tall stone towers and arched windows, warmly lit from within against a dark sky.
Kicking off the year at the Ealing Historical Association with a fascinating talk on Redefining National Belonging in Poland after the Second World War by Professor James Bjork. It felt especially poignant given that Ealing is home to London’s largest Polish community.
