Art History Today

Country House Update

With the focus on the collection of the Walpoles (Sir Robert, shown here) and his son Horace.

The Triumph of the Philistines.

I was reading John Brewer's book on 18th century culture for my country house course. He says that in 1761 the Bristol cleric Josiah Tucker observed that “ a pinmaker was more valuable and useful to a society than a painter like Raphael.” This philistine declaration was severely rebutted by Sir Joshua Reynolds who characterised it as the product of a “very narrow mind.” Sadly, this attitude where political economy becomes part of the discourse about the arts has prevailed and is alive and well today. With another five years of Tory dominance expect more of the same.

I am inordinately depressed.