Category Archives: Art

The Stones of Lecce

Posted on 12/01/2023 by carolinemmurray

I think it is safe to say that 2022 was not a good year for the vast majority of people worldwide. My own issues will definitely sound pathetic by comparison with those of most people, not least the entire population … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Art, History, Italy | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

William Crump and Others

Posted on 25/10/2022 by carolinemmurray

23 October 2022 was Apple Day @CUBotanicGarden, and after the glorious warm sunlight of the day before, it was a bit disconcerting to be walking down Bateman Street to the back entrance, poised to take my place with my knife … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Botany, Cambridge, Gardens, History, Natural history | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

More Palazzi

Posted on 08/10/2022 by carolinemmurray

I have remarked in the past that for a person of my advanced age and  personal taste, the chief reason for being in Venice during the Biennale d’Arte (and this applies even more to the Biennale d’Architettura) is the opportunity … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Italy, Museums and Galleries, Uncategorized, Venice | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The First King over the Water

Posted on 18/08/2022 by carolinemmurray

On 1 August 1714, Queen Anne died, and as a result of the Act of Settlement of 1701, her second cousin George, Elector of Hannover, became king of Great Britain. Some factions were already yearning for ‘The King over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Belgium, Biography, History, London, Museums and Galleries | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Two Duchesses (Part Two)

Posted on 01/07/2022 by carolinemmurray

For those who are still with me, we now go back in time to look at the life and travails of Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma (1782–1824), queen of Etruria, duchess of Parma and duchess of Lucca. Her father was Charles … Continue reading →

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Two Duchesses (In Two Parts)

Posted on 29/06/2022 by carolinemmurray

I have to say that I am getting a bit fed up with the after-effects of Covid – eight weeks after I first tested positive and had very mild symptoms, I am still feeling exhausted and completely brain-fogged, hence the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Biography, History, Italy, Museums and Galleries | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Saint Pantaleimon

Posted on 04/04/2022 by carolinemmurray

We’re recently back from a week in Venice, where the weather was glorious, and we spent a lot of time in churches, not least because some seem to be open now which never, ever, were in the last twenty years … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Italy, Museums and Galleries, Venice | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Déjà Vu All Over Again

Posted on 01/03/2022 by carolinemmurray

Sadly, the moment has arrived. Yesterday, I packed up my mug, my spoon and my jar of decaffeinated coffee and left my lovely workplace for the last time. This, as my devoted followers (I can dream, can’t I?), will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Cambridge, History, Museums and Galleries | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Brother of the More Famous Jan

Posted on 24/02/2022 by carolinemmurray

One of the treasures of the Fairhaven Bequest at the Fitzwilliam Museum is the series of twelve flower paintings, one for each month of the year, by van Huysum. Until a few days ago, I had assumed that the artist … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Bibliography, Biography, Botany, Cambridge, Gardens, History, London, Museums and Galleries, Natural history, Printing and Publishing, The Netherlands, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Graven Stones

Posted on 04/02/2022 by carolinemmurray

I had a Grand Day Out in London this week, not the least of its grandeur being my success in walking from Pimlico (where the plane trees have suffered remarkable pruning) to the Garden Museum at Lambeth, then back past … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Biography, Gardens, History, London, Museums and Galleries, Natural history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment