Tag Archives: Art

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JUNE 24, 2026 PREVIEW

Cover of Country Life June 24, 2026

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Red Alert’ – Why you should buy Bordeaux now…

The legacy: Edmund Halley

Kate Green celebrates the astronomical achievements of Edmond Halley, who calculated the orbits of some 24 comets

Weeding out the wildflowers

John Lewis-Stempel explores Ralph Waldo Emerson’s view of a weed as ‘a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered’

Spreads from Country Life June 24, 2026

The great escape

When wandering Ouessant ram Max goes walkabout, it makes for a testing shearing day for John Lewis-Stempel

On red alert

History suggests that Bordeaux is best in years ending in a five — and 2025 is promising to maintain the sequence, says Harry Eyres

Country Life International

Jack Watkins treads in the foot-steps of Lord Byron in Ravenna, Corinne Julius is seduced by ceramics in Puglia, Holly Kirkwood seeks out the best properties for sale, Anna Tyzack finds artistic inspiration in Mallorca and Russell Higham charts the story of the Scarlatti dynasty in Naples

Spreads from Country Life June 24, 2026

Portraits of a lady

Obsessively painting her own image helped Frida Kahlo confront the pain that blighted her life, reveals Jessica Lack

Peter Layton’s favourite painting

The artist has his head in the clouds of a van Gogh classic

Country-house treasure

John Goodall takes a shine to an exceptional example of Italian craftsmanship at Highclere Castle in Hampshire

Spreads from Country Life June 24, 2026

Wedded to the landscape

Kathryn Ferry commends the labour of love that Clough and Amabel Williams-Ellis created at Plas Brondanw in Gwynedd

Shepherd’s delight

Skies streaked with crimson hues are a spectacular sight for Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Spreads from Country Life June 24, 2026

Winging it

Mark Cocker profiles the white-tailed eagle, the apex predator of the Unloved Birds’ Club

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White eyes Egyptian jewels and Sir Quentin Blake clothing, plus a few of Corin Mellor’s favourite things

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires a restful bedroom transformation and Giles Kime celebrates the graceful ageing of verdigris

Spreads from Country Life June 24, 2026

Seasons to be cheerful

Caroline Donald applauds the invention and imagination at play in the glorious gardens of Broadwoodside, East Lothian

Travel

Jo Rodgers unearths sheltered combes and steep coastlines as she heads far from the madding crowds in south Devon

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino meets Scotland’s first warriors as a new exhibition explores the long, bloody history of conflict north of the Border

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2026

Markets Recoil in Global Sell-Off Driven by Tech Stocks

Chipmakers led the way down in South Korea, where the main index plunged 10 percent. Stocks in Europe were lower and S&P 500 futures pointed to a sharp fall.

Iran Makes Moves to Assert Control Over the Strait of Hormuz

After Iran weaponized the waterway by making it too dangerous for businesses, experts say, the country is now looking to charge fees to vessels seeking to transit the vital water.

U.S. and Iran Offer Conflicting Accounts of Nuclear Discussions

President Trump said Iran had agreed to the “highest level” inspections, hours after an Iranian official said there were “no detailed discussions on the nuclear issue.”

As Vance Leads Iran Negotiations, Trump Creates Disruptions in His Path

How NATO’s ‘Trump Whisperer’ Manages an Unpredictable President

Secretary General Mark Rutte is headed to Washington. His style has at times frustrated the very European leaders who need him to hold the alliance together.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2026

Starmer Announces Resignation as U.K. Prime Minister

Keir Starmer stepped down as leader of the Labour Party. Andy Burnham, the party’s most popular politician, said he would seek the prime minister’s job.

Andy Burnham Could Be Britain’s Next Prime Minister. Who Is He?

Vance Points to Progress After Renewed U.S.-Iran Talks

Vice President JD Vance said Iran had agreed to invite U.N. nuclear inspectors back into the country. Tehran did not immediately comment.

First Round of Talks Ends With High Hopes and Big Challenges

Oil Prices Fall After Optimistic Signals From Talks

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2026

New Round of U.S.-Iran Talks Is Set to Start in Switzerland

Vice President JD Vance was expected to meet with Iranian negotiators on Sunday. Pakistan, an intermediary in the talks, said it was sending a delegation.

What Changed After Almost 4 Months of War? Analysts Say Not Much.

As the U.S. and Iran have reached a somewhat vague agreement to end the war, skeptics are baffled over what exactly has transformed.

Israel Directs Its Military to Limit Its Actions in Lebanon, Though Tensions Persist

Zohran Mamdani Burns Allies in Making a Big Bet for Congress and the Left

The strength of the mayor’s political brand will be tested on Tuesday, when his slate of leftist candidates takes aim at Democratic incumbents.

Bitter Historical Feud Threatens Ukraine-Poland Alliance

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine signed a decree honoring World War II partisan fighters that has inflamed tensions with Warsaw.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2026

Lebanon Emerges as Weak Link in U.S.-Iran Deal to End War

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, once seen as a secondary front to the war on Iran, has become one of the main obstacles to ending it.

Fighting Persists in Lebanon, Complicating Iran Peace Talks

The Israeli military said it had exchanged fire with Hezbollah overnight, hours after a new cease-fire came into effect. Clashes in Lebanon derailed U.S.-Iran peace talks planned for Friday.

Democratic Socialists Took City Hall in New York. Now They’re Aiming at Congress.

After propelling Zohran Mamdani to mayor, the Democratic Socialists of America are trying to take down incumbents in the House and the State Legislature.

Trump Called Him a ‘Radical Left Marxist.’ Can He Be Colombia’s President?

In an interview ahead of the election on Sunday, Iván Cepeda said he was not giving up in the face of a right-wing challenger and anti-leftist anger.

Britain Is Set to Test How Far Charisma Can Shift Electoral Dynamics

The governing Labour Party may oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer in favor of the more popular Andy Burnham — who will face all the same challenges.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2026

Attacks in Lebanon and Delay in Talks Test U.S.-Iran Deal

Israel said it targeted Hezbollah militants after four of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon. Switzerland said that U.S.-Iran talks previously set for today had been postponed.

After Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz, Ships Begin to Move Cautiously

Shipping companies hoping to get their stranded vessels out face complications like mines and the lack of clear coordination.

The Costs of the Iran War: Thousands of Lives and Billions of Dollars

Factoring in military spending and rising energy prices, the war’s cost for U.S. taxpayers and consumers is at least $132 billion, according to one estimate.

‘Game Changer’? Too Soon to Tell. But Ukraine Flexed in Striking Moscow.

The drone attack that sent plumes of smoke rising over Moscow intensified Ukrainian hopes of bringing the war to Russia.

Mexico’s Laws Have a New Target: Journalists

Politicians and officials in Mexico are using the country’s laws to intimidate critics and the media, forcing them into censorship and blunting scrutiny.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2026

Iran Gets Major Economic Lifeline for Minimal Concessions in Initial Deal

The agreement delays the most difficult steps for Iran for later talks, while granting it crucial benefits.

Trump’s Deal With Iran Opens New Rifts in G.O.P.

Some in the president’s party were skeptical about whether the agreement he reached included adequate concessions from Iranian officials.

A Drone Barrage on Moscow Escalates Ukraine’s Push to Take the War to Russia

The attack, which shut down the capital’s airports for several hours, appeared to be the biggest wave of strikes on the city since the start of the war.

Critics of Russia Say This Critic Isn’t Critical Enough

Warsh Wants the Fed to Send Fewer Signals. That Comes With Risks.

Investors piled on bets for higher borrowing costs after Kevin Warsh opted against providing policy guidance at his first meeting as Federal Reserve chairman.

Kevin Warsh Makes His Case With Jargon, and a Penchant for Detail

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY —- JUNE 19, 2026 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘I, Claudia’ – How Mexico’s President Became The World’s Most Popular Leftwing Leader…

Claudia Sheinbaum must be doing something right. With a consistent approval rating of around 70% since becoming Mexico’s president in 2024, the former climate scientist – and protege of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador – is the world’s most popular leftwing leader. She is also the first female leader of one of Latin America’s most macho countries.

Yet despite her soaring popularity, driven in part by major universal healthcare reforms, there is a curious tension between Sheinbaum’s disciplined, scientific approach to governing and the messy, often violent politics of modern Mexico. Her handling of the country’s ongoing crisis of disappearances, the continuing influence of organised crime and the rising presence of the army in national life are all issues she has faced criticism over.

The big story | Counting the cost of the war on Iran
With a peace deal expected to be signed later this week, Oliver Holmes examines the human, economic and environmental toll of a conflict that appears to have achieved nothing

Science | How the loss of wild bees impacts human health
Crops and flowers rely on them for survival, but wild bees are declining – and crucial nutrients will go missing from our diets as a result. Gloria Dickie reports

Feature | How personal taste fell out of fashion
Our favourite music, clothes and books used to be markers of individuality – but algorithms have made us all sheep. Rachel Aroesti meets the style rebels fighting back

Opinion | If Kyiv has really got Putin on the run, he won’t accept peace meekly
Don’t expect the Russian president to pursue peace, says Simon Tisdall – instead, he could continue to expand the war beyond Ukraine’s borders, with dire risks for us all

Culture | The revolutionary art of David Hockney
Guardian critic Jonathan Jones pays tribute to the artist whose work was a feast of visual pleasures

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2026

After G7 Leaders Praise U.S.-Iran Deal, Trump Threatens Iran Again

President Trump said the United States would resume bombing Iran if he did not like the preliminary agreement, hours after leaders from the Group of 7 nations called the deal a “breakthrough.”

Trump Delays Intelligence Nomination to Push Congress on Voting Bill

President Trump said that he would seek to delay the confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton, as he renewed pressure on Congress to pass a voting restrictions bill.

Their Country Revoked Their Citizenship, Then Tried to Expel Them to Iran

Amid the war with Iran, Bahrain has stripped 69 people of their citizenship, including children, accusing them of disloyalty and rendering them stateless.

Sending Fuel Trucks Up in Flames, Ukraine Tries to Cut Off Crimea

Scores of targeted attacks against supply routes, part of what Kyiv calls a “logistics lockdown,” has caused gasoline shortages.

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JUNE 17, 2026 PREVIEW

Cover of Country Life June 17, 2026, featuring Van Gogh's Irises

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Why the iris charmed Van Gogh’; How Holbein survived Henry VIII; Making super salads; Piers of the realm: the British love of the seaside…

Everything, everywhere, all at once

Irises have inspired great artists from Vincent van Gogh to Sir Cedric Morris. Michael Prodger examines the flower’s allure

Green with envy

Why not take a leaf out of Tom Parker Bowles’s book and sample the very best salad flavours from around the world?

Pier into the future

Our seaside piers are the great survivors of the Victorian age and many are thriving in the 21st century, reveals Jonathan Lee

Spread from Country Life June 17, 2026

Arts & antiques

It is 500 years since artist Hans Holbein arrived on these shores, yet we remain captivated by his portraits, finds Carla Passino

Louise Farina’s favourite painting

The perfumer senses the zest of an Italian spring morning in a still life celebrating citrus fruit

Country-house treasure

John Goodall sees High Church spirit in a handwritten Bible at Treberfydd House in Brecon

Spread from Country Life June 17, 2026

History and fantasy

In the second of two articles, John Goodall delves into the fable-meets-fact history of Warwick Castle, Warwickshire

The legacy

Octavia Pollock adds a dash of colour to the illustrious history of Winsor & Newton, supplier to the stars of the art world

The importance of being Ernst

Ernst Vegelin van Claerbergen, head of the Courtauld Gallery, is optimistic about the future of the Arts, as he tells Carla Passino

Winging it

A beauty or a beast? Mark Cocker investigates how the exotic pheasant splits opinion

Spread from Country Life June 17, 2026

Luxury

Jonathan Self explores the royal enthusiasm for amethyst and Amie Elizabeth White weaves in some summer essentials

Interiors

An open-plan makeover wows Arabella Youens, plus perfect pitchers with Amelia Thorpe

Simply perfect

A 20-year revival of the Arts-and-Crafts garden at Fonthill House in Wiltshire catches the eye of Christopher Stocks

Spread from Country Life June 17, 2026

Travel

Sophia Money-Coutts savours all the fun of Florida on a trip to the party town of Palm Beach

A new sense of purpose

Robin Hereford is calling for a revival in the fortunes of brown furniture — pieces with style and sustainability on their side

A wrinkle in time

A new generation of American collectors is being charmed by exquisite English antique furniture, discovers Patrick Monahan

Cooking up a storm

Michael Billington is blown away by the RSC’s Tempest starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, but High Society delights without dazzling