Christopher Baker is an honorary professor at Edinburgh University. He was formerly a director at the National Galleries of Scotland.
With its combination of visual splendour and complex allegory, the marble pavement of Siena Cathedral is one of the most enticing of all Renaissance masterpieces
At Leighton House, intricate gold drawings by the Pre-Raphaelite artist reveal her great debt to Italian sources
Reuniting the surviving works from the painter’s ‘Frieze of Aeneas’ series allows us to imagine one of the great Renaissance ensembles more clearly
An exhibition in Rome recounts the complicated tale of efforts to safeguard masterpieces across the country during the Second World War
An exhibition at the Städel Museum shows that the baroque painter’s idealised figures are certainly an acquired taste
It was Sebastiano del Piombo who rediscovered the ancient art of painting on stone and inspired others to make the most of their material
The artist’s drawings of women are a testament to his private proclivities. It’s no wonder he never put them on public display
The paintings acquired by the earls of Pembroke over several generations now have the catalogue they deserve
It’s no secret that Van Dyck inspired generations of artists, but a new book paints a more nuanced picture of the painter’s reception
Portraits were used to further friendships – and as networking opportunities – in Enlightenment France
