Exposing a Nazi: The exhibition destroying a myth

13 June 2019

In 1941, the Nazis banned Emil Nolde from painting, for life. For the past 50 years, many Germans have viewed him as the persecuted artist but now a major exhibition in Berlin, co-curated by a Cambridge historian, has shattered this myth and sent shock waves through the country.

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Man with a Bouquet of Plastic Flowers (1976) by Bhupen Khakhar

Man with a Bouquet of Plastic Flowers

20 October 2015

Almost 40 years have passed since Bhupen Khakhar painted one of the most iconic paintings in the history of Indian modern art. Dr Devika Singh offers fresh insights into a generation of Indian artists whose work reflects the politics and social turmoil of a fascinating era.

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The “wonderful rubbish” of the Gilf Kebir desert

17 June 2014

A chance find in a site known as the Cave of Swimmers adds a colourful twist to an exhibition in Paris celebrating the work of ethnographer Leo Frobenius in raising awareness of the rock art of Africa. The discovery by Italian archaeologist Dr Giulio Lucarini, currently at Cambridge University, underlines the vital importance of safeguarding the heritage of the Gilf Kebir. 

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View of Scheveningen Sands by Hendrick van Anthonissen

Whale tale: a Dutch seascape and its lost Leviathan

04 June 2014

Earlier this year a conservator at the Hamilton Kerr Institute made a surprising discovery while working on a 17th-century painting owned by the Fitzwilliam Museum.  As Shan Kuang cleaned the surface, she revealed the beached whale that had been the intended focus of the composition. The artwork is now back on display in the Fitzwilliam's newly-refurbished gallery of Dutch Golden Age painting.  

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Five paintings by Stanley Spencer accepted in lieu of tax and allocated to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge

22 November 2013

Five works by Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) have been accepted in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. They include one of his most significant early paintings and two preliminary sketches documenting his experiences of World War I. The works were acquired through HM Government’s acceptance in lieu scheme with additional support from the Art Fund, The V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of the Fitzwilliam.

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Pier Hotel, Chelsea, 1927 (circa), Kettle's Yard, University of Cambridge

Artist in focus: Christopher Wood

09 July 2013

This summer, Kettle’s Yard reveals a unique collection of work by English artist Christopher Wood, for the third in its series of Artist in Focus exhibitions.

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The Hours of Isabella Stuart

Science illuminating art

12 October 2012

Illuminated manuscripts are revealing their secret histories thanks to the application of techniques more commonly found in scientific laboratories.

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