These days, the mythological figure of Hercules—son of Zeus, slayer of hydras, cleaner of famously filthy stables—is associated with heroic demonstrations of strength. But for a good part of the past ...

Aidan 'Mouse' O'Ryan is best known for his connection with the Gordon Elliott stable, but the agent's 320,000gns (US$358,325, 1gn=US$1.1198) acquisition that headlined Day 1 of the Tattersalls Autumn ...

Maybe we can give Rembrandt a rest, and spare an exhibition or two for the Italian Old Master. Annibale Carraci, The Bean Eater (1584-85). Collection of the Galleria Colonna, Rome. Photo: ...

In the early 17th century, the Italian artist Annibale Carracci (1560-1609) was commissioned by the wealthy Spanish banker, Juan Enríquez de Herrera, to decorate his family chapel in Rome. The artist ...

Whether he was painting palace ceilings or small panels for musical instruments, Carracci had a masterful eye for scale and depth One shows a fat and ugly man hoisted up by his companions to reach ...

How respectable has butchery been as a subject for painting? Not very. In many Lombard and Netherlandish paintings, the butcher’s shop (or, more likely, market stall) is a place of near disorder, ...

The Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid has unveiled a remarkable new permanent installation: the reconstruction of the long-lost Herrera Chapel, an ambitious Baroque ensemble originally created by ...

The most versatile painting family in Italian history was the Carracci of 16th century Bologna, two brothers and a cousin who burst on the post-Renaissance scene as tireless and talented ...

Class is an issue in art, as in everywhere. But it isn't always obvious how it makes itself felt. When it comes to speech, and to an extent writing, then as the song in My Fair Lady says, "An ...