Not so much a doll’s house, more a practical guide to running a great house
Far from being a toy, the Uppark doll’s house was designed as an instruction manual in three-dimensional form
French silver shines at the Getty
An open access publication celebrates glittering works from the 17th and 18th centuries
Rococo pops as a Rosalba pastel is fittingly framed
Murals by the pastellist Nicolas Party provide a temporary backdrop for a Venetian portrait
The royal christening gift that did sterling service
George II gave his god-daughter a decorative silver bowl that was later put to surprisingly practical use
The historic estate that’s next on the demolition list
The grounds of the Shortgrove estate in Newport, Essex, have long been lovingly preserved, but a new development now threatens its future
The fantastic beast that took Alice to meet the Mock Turtle
When John Tenniel drew the grumpy Gryphon in ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, he may have had a real heraldic monster in mind
An elephant in the room, at Waddesdon Manor
Toys aren’t just for children, at least if a 250-year-old musical elephant at the grandest house in Buckinghamshire is anything to go by
The fantastically fishy business of the Raphael Cartoons
Did Raphael know a bream from a sardine? Tessa Murdoch consults her fishmonger
Rats’ nests and recusant history at Oxburgh Hall
Restoration work at the Norfolk house has uncovered fascinating evidence of its past as a Catholic stronghold – in part preserved by nesting rodents
Flights of fancy – the artists who captured Barnard Castle
The 12th-century castle and surrounding town, located some 250 miles from London, have long attracted visually attentive visitors
The Huguenot doctor who helped to fight smallpox – and worked at the British Museum
Matthew Maty, a leading advocate for inoculation, was also a librarian at the British Museum – and one of its early donors
Pontormo pays a visit to the Getty
The Florentine painter’s Visitation is at the centre of this small but spellbinding display
How Liotard’s Chocolate Girl charmed the city of Dresden
The Venetian pastellist Rosalba Carriera once described the work as ‘the most beautiful pastel ever seen’
European silver is the ideal gift for the British monarch who has everything
The work of the Continent’s finest silversmiths can be found in the Royal Collection
The Catholic chapel that cost Eton one pound
An early 20th-century copy of a baroque chapel has been restored to its former glory
Fallen women and philanthropic reformers
Charitable efforts to end prostitution in 18th-century London took many forms, and left behind some remarkable objects
The world of mosaics, from Tivoli to Tottenham Court Road
Durable, versatile and colourful, mosaics have a long history and a bright future, as the V&A will explore this weekend
A shining example of silver scholarship
One of the most important collections of 18th-century silver in Europe gets the attention it deserves in a new book
The Avignon Clock is as good as any sculpture
This spectacular French clock, designed by the best craftsman of the day, is the star of a show at the Wallace Collection
The glamorous family behind one of Sargent’s best-loved paintings
A personal history of a great painting currently on show in New York
Time regained: a lost rococo clock is found
An outstanding 18th-century clock made for a Hanoverian prince has resurfaced
12 Days
The opening of the Liang Yi Museum in Hong Kong, and key new publications and gallery displays at the V&A, will shine a spotlight on the decorative arts
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Putting a name to one of Glyn Philpot’s most mysterious faces
Who is the subject of the painter’s cryptically titled ‘Madame C d’A’? Tessa Murdoch looks for clues among his most progressive patrons