Among postwar artists, Roy Lichtenstein (1923–1997) most vividly embodies the paradox of high and low culture. His name is virtually synonymous with Pop Art, a movement that sought to collapse the distance between everyday images and fine art, between the mass-produced world of comics, advertising, and consumer culture, and the sanctified walls of museums. YetContinue reading “Roy Lichtenstein: The Grammar of Pop and the Art of Quotation”
Category Archives: Aesthetics
Murano Glass: History, Houses, Authenticity & Collector’s Guide
Murano glass is more than artisan craft—it’s a living archive of Venetian science, design and family dynasties. Its history spans centuries of technical breakthroughs and stylistic revolutions. Below is an in-depth account of its origins, major firms, technique, and how to authenticate and collect. To explore further on our Amazon store front: CLICK HERE OriginsContinue reading “Murano Glass: History, Houses, Authenticity & Collector’s Guide”
In Memoriam: Dame Jilly Cooper (1937 – 2025)
It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of Dame Jilly Cooper, who died on 5 October 2025 at the age of 88 after a fall at her home. Her unexpected death has come as a shock to her family, friends, and the countless readers who adored her work. Born Jill Sallitt onContinue reading “In Memoriam: Dame Jilly Cooper (1937 – 2025)”
The History of Iconic Cocktails — And How to Make Them Perfectly
Cocktails are more than recipes—they are cultural artefacts that reflect entire eras. From Gilded Age New York to post-war Venice, from Cuban cafés to Parisian hotel bars, each glass tells a story of style, ritual, and identity. To shop via our Amazon storefront The Mint Julep: The Southern Ritual HistoryThe Mint Julep can trace itsContinue reading “The History of Iconic Cocktails — And How to Make Them Perfectly”
Hugo Toro: Redefining the Language of Hotel Interiors
At just 35, Franco-Mexican designer Hugo Toro has emerged as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary hospitality and interior design. His projects—ranging from Provençal hotels to Roman palazzos—carry a singular blend of narrative, texture, and cultural depth. For Toro, interiors are not backdrops; they are stories waiting to be told. A Designer BetweenContinue reading “Hugo Toro: Redefining the Language of Hotel Interiors”
Lee Miller at War: The Camera as Witness
When Lee Miller picked up her Rolleiflex and walked into the ruins of Europe, she left behind the world of glossy magazine covers and Surrealist salons. Her photographs of World War II — published in Vogue between 1940 and 1945 — transformed her from a society beauty into one of the most unflinching photojournalists ofContinue reading “Lee Miller at War: The Camera as Witness”
Lee Miller: Beauty, War, and the Alchemy of Reinvention
Lee Miller (1907–1977) lived many lives, each more improbable than the last. She was first a fashion model of startling beauty, then a Surrealist muse in Paris, then a groundbreaking war photographer who witnessed some of the darkest scenes of the twentieth century. By the end of her life, she had retreated into the quietContinue reading “Lee Miller: Beauty, War, and the Alchemy of Reinvention”
Missing the Summer & the Sea? Here Are Five Films That Take You Right Back
When the days shorten and the air turns crisp, nothing transports us back to sun-soaked afternoons and the languid rhythm of the Mediterranean quite like cinema. Some films capture not just water and light, but also the psychology of summer — its languor, its tensions, its beauty, and its dangers. Here are five iconic filmsContinue reading “Missing the Summer & the Sea? Here Are Five Films That Take You Right Back”
Jørgen Leth, Poet of the Ordinary, 1937–2025
Jørgen Leth, the Danish filmmaker, poet, and cultural omnivore whose quiet, incisive images revealed the beauty—and strangeness—of the everyday, has died at 88. For more than six decades, Leth moved between poetry, film, and journalism with an almost anthropological detachment. Yet his work was never cold. It shimmered with curiosity, whether trained on the ritualsContinue reading “Jørgen Leth, Poet of the Ordinary, 1937–2025”
Peter Marino: The Dark Knight of Design
In the world of architecture and interiors, few figures are as instantly recognizable — or as fiercely debated — as Peter Marino. Dressed head-to-toe in black leather, with biker boots, sculptural chains, and tattooed arms, Marino has cultivated an image as a renegade. Yet behind the theatrical armor is one of the most influential architectsContinue reading “Peter Marino: The Dark Knight of Design”
My World of Interiors 