Diary of an art historian
Diary of an art historian is a monthly blog by the British art historian, writer and broadcaster Bendor Grosvenor discussing the pressing issues facing the arts today
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Diary of an art historian is a monthly blog by the British art historian, writer and broadcaster Bendor Grosvenor discussing the pressing issues facing the arts today
A visit to Wells Cathedral, the most beautiful of Gothic cathedrals, raises questions about why the UK’s great religious edifices are not free to enter
Our intrepid diarist goes in search of the site where Joseph Wright of Derby painted a late—sublime—landscape, on the shores of Ullswater
Finishing his new book—an exploration of the untold origins of British art—took our diarist into a universe that only an author can inhabit
Labour’s pre-election arts manifesto, Creating Growth, included policies to put the arts back into education and bring museums into line with universities on open data
With the Royal Academy the only UK institution now teaching connoisseurship, too many students of art history are missing out on learning an important skill
"In England, we still like to talk about the 'dissolution' of the monasteries as if it was a gentle process. Really, it was an annihilation," says Bendor Grosvenor
"There is evidently something about Holbein that resonates strongly with modern audiences"
Activists’ attacks on artworks do not further their causes—if they did, I would throw the soup myself
Following the death of universally acclaimed Rembrandt scholar Ernst van de Wetering, attribution of the artist is in flux
Those © symbols on UK museum websites and catalogues are now redundant if the original work of art is out of copyright
Reviews of the revamped institution insist on calling its former building 'dusty', but that label should really be applied to the website, which is badly in need of an update
The coronation is a good moment to assess the direction of travel of Charles III, the most accomplished artist yet to take the throne
If ever a ticket price reflected British history it is for this royal church, where the nation’s great and good are commemorated in profusion
Only humans can make proper sense of the world, Bendor Grosvenor argues
The closure of the Sainsbury Wing ahead of a £35m refurbishment has meant that much of the museum is off limits in 2023. I hope it's worth it
Painting might be older than catalogued thanks to one particular detail
My heart-stopping research saga to find out if Dorotheum’s part-painted cartoon by a "follower" was in fact a sleeper
Opening it up through more generous loans and by easing copyright restrictions would be good for both HM and the country
Here are three big challenges they will face—and what to do about them
This Diary's predictions about NFTs, Brexit and Boris Johnson have all come true. But Britain removing image restrictions on art would be the ultimate victory
An unattributed painting in Lincolnshire's Burghley House bears a striking resemblance to the work of Hans Eworth
Since the London museum began selling digital versions of works from its collection last September, it has emitted enough carbon to power an average US home for at least 57 years
A virtual reality visit to the Sistine Chapel made me realise that museums are going to have to up their game in order to maintain visitors' interest
In giving cultural validity to meaningless reproductions of Turner and Hokusai pieces, The British Museum blurs the lines between real and fake at its peril
My trip to Munich's Alte Pinakothek was worth the multiple levels of Covid-related admin
Bendor Grosvenor selects his favourite exhibition, discovery, book and auction consignment of the year
The more than 1,700 workers who lost their jobs last year have every right to feel aggrieved as Trust weathers storm regardless of staff savings
Ernst van der Wetering's death this summer leaves a vacancy for an appointed representative of the Dutch master on earth
I've learned the new political lessons about art shipping the hard way—so you don't have to
Being told about National Trust houses' connections to slavery should not deter visitors: the complex history adds to their interest