The sentimental side of Angelica Kauffman
In the 18th century, Europe was swept by a trend for art that revealed the inner lives of its subjects – and the Swiss painter encapsulated the ideas of the age
How Henry Fuseli turned poems into paintings
Few 18th-century painters were more enthusiastic about embracing English literature than the Swiss-born artist
Images of strength – Jennifer Higgie’s ‘The Mirror and the Palette’, reviewed
This wide-ranging book explores how women artists used self-portraiture to establish themselves in a man’s world
Scandi style – Anders Zorn’s visions of Sweden
The painter, who enjoyed a glittering international career, was as fascinated by high society as he was by Sweden’s rural life
Cavalier attitudes – the complicated visual legacy of the English Civil War
From memorials to history paintings, responses to the conflict often took telling liberties
Mischief-making mistresses at the court of Charles II
How the women at the heart of the Restoration court ‘weaponised’ portraits that flaunted their influence over the king
Works in progress – the turbulent tales of William Hogarth
Things rarely turn out well for the characters in the satirist’s so-called ‘progress’ pieces – rather, they capture the chaos of 18th-century life
Peasant company – Jean-François Millet among the moderns
How the Barbizon painter’s subversive rural scenes inspired artists from Van Gogh to Salvador Dalí
Tureen dreams – an extraordinary collection of delftware comes to light
A collection of Dutch delftware on long-term loan to the Gemeentemuseum den Haag is a feast for the eyes
The freedom Gainsborough found in painting his family
The artist’s portraits of his household are more spontaneous than his commercial work
What happens when an artist wants to be anonymous?