The Influence of a Chinese Blue and White Vase on Aubrey Beardsley's Iconic Art
As an artist and lover of art history, I've always been fascinated by the unexpected connections between different cultures and artistic...
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Aug 27, 20236 min read
Proust and Chinese Art
In a previous blog post I discussed the influence of Japanese prints on Proust. As a specialist of Chinese art at an auction house...
Oct 23, 20224 min read
The 'Lover's Dream'
"Some will say they do not wish to dream their lives away. As if life itself were not a dream, a very real dream from which there is no...
Apr 4, 20225 min read
The Dream of Nalan Xingde’s Mansion
Since the pandemic began, I haven’t been able to travel back to China; but naturally my thoughts have returned there. There is one place...
Mar 15, 20224 min read
Playing with Ink: 'Pomo' and 'Tarashikomi' Techniques
In my studies of the Rinpa school in Japan and their techniques for my own paintings, I suddenly realised something that I didn't think...
Jan 17, 20224 min read
Dragon’s Blood Powder and Lapis Lazuli: How to Use Pigments
A major part of traditional Japanese and Chinese painting is the use of mineral pigments. Nowadays, colours and paint can be made...
Jan 13, 20225 min read
Sizing Paper
Sizing paper in the context I’m going to discuss isn’t about measuring the size, but rather applying a ‘sizing’ solution (usually some...
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