Category: History
The Army Museum, in a nation famed for its Neutrality
October 1, 2019
The Army Museum, Stockholm The Army Museum is well worth a visit for the insights it offers into Swedish history. It’s one of over a dozen museums in Stockholm that offer free admission. Walking towards the museum, there’s a separate entrance at the side, with a sign to ‘Artilleriet’ and a menu. […]
Up close and personal with the 17th century
September 11, 2019
The sinking of the Vasa On 10th August 1628, the royal flagship Vasa set sail in Stockholm harbour on her maiden voyage. Her Dutch designers were nervous of her seaworthiness, but the Swedish court was equally nervous of communicating this to the king. Within minutes, a gust of wind caught her sails, and the ship […]
Night at the Museum
June 14, 2019
After an interesting encounter last year with Napoleon the Strategist at the Musée de l’Armée in Paris, it seemed rude to miss an opportunity of making closer acquaintance. Talent or ambition – which is more important in the making of a genius? I wrote about it here: https://wp.me/p7AW4i-kE The museum was open free of charge […]
Hockney & Van Gogh, or ‘The Vince and Dave Show’, plus All the Rembrandts
April 30, 2019
To give the exhibition its official title: “Hockney – Van Gogh, The Joy of Nature”. It opens with David Hockney on film, talking to camera about his own work, Van Gogh, and the exhibition. “It’s a good title – better than ‘The Vince & Dave Show’,” he says with a mischievous twinkle. Wearing a […]
Sargent in Stockholm
February 8, 2019
I’ve always enjoyed grand portraits by the great artists: Van Dyck, Velazquez, Gainsborough, you know the list. I came late to John Singer Sargent. I first encountered his work at an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2015. Two years later I was enchanted by the intimacy of his watercolours at the Dulwich Picture […]
Swedish food, Part One: “what have the Swedes ever done for us?”
January 24, 2019
In her Reith Lecture in 2018, Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan said this about the Swedish people: “Think of the Swedes” “I mean we think of the Swedes now today as making expeditions to Ikea, assembling furniture quietly, not getting cross at it. We think of them going to the woods and picking berries. I mean […]
“You either see it or you don’t”. The Dennis Severs House
January 12, 2019
Where do you go as a treat for a nephew whose 11th birthday is a week before Christmas? We took him to the 18th century. On Sunday 23rd December we travelled by London Overground to Shoreditch High Street. As we walked towards our destination, we passed the strangely rather wonderful shop window of Gardner’s, […]
My round-up of 2018
December 28, 2018
2018 has been a year that required urgent distractions from the shambles that passed for political debate in Westminster. Fortunately it’s been a good year for adventures: exhibitions, travel, theatre, food & drink. Here are just a few of my personal highlights: Theatre – behind the scenes at The Bridge In February I wrote […]
Tintoretto’s 500th anniversary, and Venice today
December 7, 2018
Feasting on Tintoretto Venice is currently celebrating the 500th anniversary of the painter’s birth, in 1518 or 1519. Almost all his major works remain in his home city, spread among 29 locations. I imagined that the exhibition The Young Tintoretto at the Accademia was going to be a rerun of the one at the Musée du […]