Category Archives: The Netherlands

I’ve been to Haarlem …

Posted on 31/05/2023 by carolinemmurray

Haarlem was probably the first Dutch city I was ever aware of, through the unlikely medium of a sea shanty (?) that I learned at primary school (though whether directly in class or via one of the BBC radio schools … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Biography, History, Printing and Publishing, The Netherlands | Tagged , , | 2 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

An Instance of Polyonymy

Posted on 28/07/2021 by carolinemmurray

Jan Gossart, Jan Gossaert van Mabuse, Jan Gossaert van Mauberge, Jan Gossart van Mabuse, Jan Gossart van Mauberge, Joannes Malbodius, Jan Mabuse – and indeed Jennyn van Hennegouwe – are all names of the same painter (born c. 1478, died … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Biography, Museums and Galleries, The Netherlands, Uncategorized, Venice | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Mr Kick and Mr Frankcom

Posted on 16/04/2021 by carolinemmurray

Mary Capel (1630–1715, also spelled Capell), was the daughter of Arthur Capel, first Baron Capel of Hadham, Herts. (1604–49). He was already, by inheritance, a very rich man, but by his marriage in 1627 to Elizabeth Morrison, heiress of Cassiobury, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Bibliography, Biography, Botany, Gardens, History, London, Museums and Galleries, Natural history, Printing and Publishing, The Netherlands | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ole Worm

Posted on 09/10/2020 by carolinemmurray

I was prone to nominative determinism for more than half a century before I knew what it meant. A children’s biography of Grieg in my primary school library (who now remembers this series by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Bibliography, Biography, Botany, Cambridge, History, Natural history, Printing and Publishing, The Netherlands | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Eight Wonders of the World

Posted on 16/08/2020 by carolinemmurray

One of the many ways in which my day job has changed during lockdown is that, instead of spending a lot of effort being polite to people on the phone, then slamming it down and shouting ‘Why don’t they look … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Biography, Cambridge, History, Italy, Museums and Galleries, The Netherlands, Venice | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments