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Simeon's Mayfair Mission

I spy, with my little eye, somewhere beginning with ‘M’. Yes, it’s Mayfair, an area full of spies! Ann Onymous, a local inhabitant, has worked at GCHQ for many years, but she disappeared following comments on Flutter about her flash cars and regular holidays to redacted locations. Rumours were not helped by the fact, as some bright spark pointed out, that even her name makes her sound like a…

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Forgotten Artists: Joan Carlile

Joan Carlile (c. 1606-79) was an English portrait painter and one of the first British women to paint professionally. Before her, most professional female painters in Britain were born in other parts of Europe, such as the Low Countries. Carlile, born Joan Palmer, was the daughter of William Palmer, an official in the Royal Parks, and his wife, Mary. She started her art career by copying works…

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The Father of American Literature

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), better known as Mark Twain, was a famous American writer celebrated as one of the greatest humorists in US history. Author William Faulkner (1897-1962) called him “the father of American literature,” and his most famous works include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)…

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Artemisia Gentileschi

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c.1656) was an Italian Baroque painter and one of the most accomplished artists of the 17th century. She began producing professional work by age 15, despite the limited opportunities for women in art. She also became the first woman to join the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence. Her paintings typically feature women from myths, allegories, and the…

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Brasil! Brasil! Lasar Segall!

The Royal Academy of Arts is displaying works of art by ten Brazilian artists from the 20th century in the exhibition Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism until 21 April 2025. Amongst these artists is Lasar Segall (1891-1957), a painter, engraver, and sculptor from Lithuania who later lived in Brazil. His artwork was influenced by impressionism, expressionism, and modernism, often highlighting…

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She-Wolf of France

Isabella of France (c. 1295-1358), commonly referred to as the She-Wolf of France, was the Queen of England through her marriage to King Edward II (1284-1327). She was involved in overthrowing her husband and is often portrayed in literature and theatre as a captivating yet ruthless and cunning “femme fatale.” Isabella, born in Paris, was the daughter of King Philip IV of France (1268-1314) and…

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Siena: The Rise of Painting

In the early 14th century in central Italy, artists like Duccio and Simone Martini, amongst others, began to redefine painting. Their work introduced emotions and vibrant narratives. Featuring over a hundred exhibits from artisans in Siena, Italy, the current exhibition, Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350, at the National Gallery presents some of Europe’s earliest and most significant…

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Christine de Pizan: First Woman of Letters

Christine de Pizan (born Cristina da Pizzano; 1364-1430) was an Italian-born writer who resided in France. She became a court writer for King Charles VI (1368-1422) and various French nobles, such as Louis I of Orleans (1372-1407) and Philip the Bold of Burgundy (1342-1404). Christine is recognised for contributing to some of the earliest feminist literature through her novels, poetry, and…

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Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-70) was a prolific English novelist, journalist, short story writer, and social critic. He created some of literature’s most famous characters and is considered one of the greatest Victorian novelists. His works were very popular during his lifetime and have remained widely read today. Dickens was born on 7th February 1812 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, the second of eight…

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Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc, or Jeanne d’Arc, a patron saint of France, is famed for her execution and role during the siege of Orléans. At roughly seventeen years old, she approached Charles VII (1403-61), claiming that visions from archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine inspired her to assist him in his struggle against the English. In 1429, Charles sent her to the siege of Orléans, where her…

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St Bridget of Sweden

Bridget of Sweden (c. 1303 –1373), born Birgitta Birgersdotter, was a Swedish Catholic mystic and the founder of the Bridgettines. Outside Sweden, she was known as the Princess of Nericia and was the mother of Catherine of Vadstena (1332-81). Bridget was recently featured in the British Library’s exhibition, Medieval Women. Bridget is one of the six patron saints of Europe, along with Benedict…

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Japanese Art History à la Takashi Murakami

Tokyo-born Takashi Murakami’s (b.1962) latest exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in Grosvenor Square, Japanese Art History à la Takashi Murakami, explores Japanese art history by adding a twist to traditional paintings. As well as focusing on traditions, Murakami highlights how Japan has changed due to Western influences since the Edo period (1603-1868). Murakami takes inspiration from older…

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Margery Kempe

Margery Kempe (c. 1373 – after 1438) was an English Catholic mystic and author of the first autobiography in English, The Book of Margery Kempe. Her book describes her domestic struggles, pilgrimages to holy sites in Europe and the Holy Land, and her mystical conversations with God. Margery Kempe was born around 1373 in Bishop’s Lynn (now King’s Lynn), Norfolk, to John Brunham, a merchant,…

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The Taddei Tondo

The Taddei Tondo, also known as The Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John, is an unfinished circular marble relief by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo (1475-1564). It features the Madonna and Child with the infant Saint John the Baptist and demonstrates Michelangelo’s ability to portray an impactful narrative through his carving technique. The artwork is part of the Royal Academy…

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Madame la Grande

Recently included in the Medieval Women exhibition at the British Library, Anne of France, or Anne de Beaujeu (1461-1522), was a French princess and regent. She was the eldest daughter of King Louis XI (1423-83) and acted as regent for her brother, Charles VIII (1470-98), from 1483 to 1491. This made her very powerful and Anne became known as “Madame la Grande.” Later, she was the de facto regent…

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The Vision of Saint Jerome

Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola (1503-40), better known as Parmigianino, meaning “the little one from Parma”, was one of the most influential Italian artists of his time. At just 23 years old, he painted his masterpiece, The Vision of Saint Jerome, during his brief period in Rome from 1524 to 1527. This work was the most significant painting of Parmigianino’s career, commissioned by Maria…

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Play Well

Lego is a popular brand of plastic construction toys made by the Lego Group, based in Billund, Denmark. The toys consist of colourful interlocking plastic bricks, mini-figures, and other parts, which can be assembled and reassembled to create various objects like vehicles, buildings, and robots. Lego is produced in Denmark, Hungary, Mexico, and China, and decorations and packaging are printed in…