Robert O’Byrne is a writer specialising in the fine and decorative arts, and an Apollo columnist. He blogs at www.theirishaesthete.com
Patricia Butler’s account of 300 years of botanical drawings from Ireland is both a history of art and a history of science
Robert O’Byrne reads between the lines of the itemised contents of great Irish houses
Piranesi may have fallen out with his Irish patron but, in modern-day Dublin, artists inspired by his example are looking to mend fences
Sixty years ago the Royal Academy announced the sale of a cartoon by Leonardo da Vinci to fund its activities, but did it make the right decision?
Exhibitions can successfully capture a cultural and social moment, but they are as much a glimpse into the mindset of the curators as they are into the art of that time
Once one of London’s most impressive private palaces, the house successfully melded a mix of architectural styles but this wasn’t enough to save it from its fate
Modern critics (and conspiracy theorists) have focused on the painter’s decadent side, but his subjects reflect the society of his day
As a young museum director, Homan Potterton transformed the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection – but he would resign suddenly, later gaining success as a writer
Desmond Guinness fought against the odds, and often against public opinion, to save Irish Georgian houses – and the nation will be forever in his debt
Would that the Buildings of Ireland series could be completed – the architectural riches of Central Leinster and Cork are well served by two new volumes
In the October 1945 issue of Apollo, readers ‘of moderate means’ were advised to invest in brown furniture – an unpopular but economical choice
John Nankivell has specialised in recording decaying historic buildings, but his work also provides some reasons for hope
An exhibition celebrating the Society of Artists in Ireland casts light on some lesser-known 18th-century figures
The Irish government has announced a grand investment package for the country’s culture sector. But is it too little, too late?
The scholar, teacher and advocate of the applied arts of 20th-century Ireland has died at the age of 69
Frederic William Burton’s sentimental watercolour scenes reflect the taste of a bygone era
Highlights in Dublin and Cork this year include exhibitions on Brian Maguire, Wolfgang Tillmans and Mary Swanzy
It’s time for leading cultural figures to work with the state to reform Irish heritage protection
The National Gallery of Ireland’s six-year-long refurbishment gives its Old Masters and Irish paintings a chance to shine
Shortly after Matisse’s death, Clive Bell called time on the artist’s rivalry with Picasso – and rightly so
The French sculptor attracted commissions and controversy in equal measure, and his reputation is constantly being reassessed
Tancred Borenius (1885–1948), one of Apollo’s earliest contributors, is remembered for his significant contribution to art history and criticism
The artistic achievements of the Mamluks rival those of the Renaissance, argued Mahonri Sharp Young in a 1981 issue of Apollo
Henri Fantin-Latour’s finest works are the flower paintings that he made in bulk – but he didn’t think so
December 2024
Emma Crichton-Miller
Apollo
Christina Makris
Christina Riggs
Rakewell
This episode explores an ancient funeral stele, Marie Antoinette’s breast bowl, and how digital technologies are helping to preserve Egyptian heritage sites
![Masterpiece [Re]discovery 2022. Photo: Ben Fisher Photography, courtesy of Masterpiece London](http://new-dev.apollo-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MPL2022_4263.jpg)
The rise and fall of Chesterfield House
Once one of London’s most impressive private palaces, the house successfully melded a mix of architectural styles but this wasn’t enough to save it from its fate