Homes & Antiques

What are you looking forward to in 2023? Here at H&A we’re making plans to travel, and our sights are set on the big European antiques fairs. Having survived two years of disruption, the largest events are returning to their regular slots on the calendar, providing an excellent excuse for a culture-filled city break. Turn to page 116 for Huon Mallalieu’s recommendations. Closer to home, Rhiannon Batten has selected six beautiful gardens that look as good in the depths of winter as they do at the height of summer (p114) - perfect for a bracing New Year’s walk. Mindful that this issue will arrive ahead of Christmas, our houses are still dressed for the season. Whatever your approach to decorations (maximalist like Edward Bulmer, whose house is on our cover,…

THE ANTIQUE Punch bowls Readers old enough to remember the 1960s and ‘70s will know that punch was often drunk at parties. It was a heady blend of rum, brandy or gin, diluted with water or soda water or cider and embellished with floating slices of citrus fruit or apples. Needless to say, the roots of punch go far back, to 17th-century India in fact, when a similar drink called ‘panch’ (meaning five) was drunk. It was a concoction comprising five elements - strong, weak, sweet, sour and spicy (think cloves and nutmeg) which we still emulate today. The punch habit spread rapidly to Europe and by the 18th century it was the height of fashion, served with a ladle from large ceramic or silver bowls into individual glasses. Punch…

The Month THE EXHIBITIONS To mark the centenary of the birth of Lucian Freud (1922-2011), in the first major survey of the artist’s paintings for 10 years, this exhibition brings together a large selection of his most important works, spanning seven decades. From his most intimate pictures to his celebrated large-scale canvases, including a portrait of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, visitors will have the opportunity to see the astonishing range of work and the remarkable artistic development of one of Britain’s finest figurative painters. ‘The Credit Suisse Exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives’ includes more than 60 loans from around the world including from The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the British Council Collection; and the Arts Council Collection. As a regular visitor and a connoisseur of European…

During the 15th century, woodcutting became a prolific art throughout Europe, mainly in the form of cheap, mass-produced decorative and devotional images. With the spread of the movable-type press in the late 15th century, woodcuts became the preferred means of illustrating books and, in 1493, the publication of the lavishly illustrated Nuremberg Chronicle set a new standard. Young Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was an apprentice at the Nuremberg workshop while this masterpiece was being produced, and possibly contributed to it. Three years later, he started working on his Great Passion cycle, becoming the first artist in history to devise, create and publish an illustrated book. This helped to raise the status of woodcuts as a powerful medium for all manner of ‘marketing’ - from religious and political propaganda to the simple…

Focusing on style over the past 250 years, this fun and engaging exhibition takes us on a journey through men’s fashion and image from the 18th century to the present day. Split into two parts - Tailored Dandy and Decorated Dandy, juxtaposing the respectable with the provocative - visitors will be greeted with a selection of pieces from Manchester’s own collections (including some that have never been seen before). From fashion to fine art, work from highly respected artists such as Gainsborough, Thomas Lawrence and Hockney will be showcased alongside photographs by David Bailey, Olivia Rose and Jason Evans and garments by visionary fashion designers including Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Ozwald Boateng. This show coincides with the launch of Manchester Art Gallery’s brand-new dedicated Fashion Gallery - a dynamic…

The Month Think of the Pre-Raphaelites and invariably one conjures up Millais, Rossetti and Holman Hunt, but in this new take on the genre, relatively unknown artists are brought to the fore. Frederick Cayley Robinson, Marianne Stokes, Thomas Cooper Gotch and Margaret Gere are amongst those in the spotlight; artists who not only revived but reinvented the romantic works of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. They took their cues from the huge leaps in technology and the new study of psychology, painting oils and watercolours filled with spirituality, symbolism, legends and folklore. This exhibition includes loans from Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum and the Tate, amongst others, and is a unique opportunity to view beautiful works from a significant period of British art. wattsgallery.org.uk…