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CONTENTS  July-August 2010

Architecture - The return of classicism

ARCHITECTURE

Architecture - The return of classicism

Cast aside by Modernists for much of the 20th century, Classicism
has a comeback of sorts, with an excellent new book reappraising
architecture partnerships and a recent exhibition at one of the very
institutions that so derided the style.

Market Preview

Market Preview

A superb private collection of illuminated manuscripts and all manner of items from the Spencer Collection come to the block this summer.

Collectors' Focus

Collectors' Focus

As currently demonstrated at the Royal Academy, outdoor sculpture is enjoying its moment in the sun, with strong offerings across the UK.

Around the Galleries

Around the Galleries

A glut of stellar fairs in London and Europe offer plenty to tempt collectors this summer.

Gatsby’s Garden

Gatsby’s Garden

The elegant lawn of F. Scott Fizgerald’s fictional hero serves as a symbol for the forgotten history of Art Deco gardens, long overshadowed by the spectre of Modernism

Judith not Salome

Judith not Salome

The iconography of Titian’s early masterpiece in Rome is open to interpretation, but the inclusion of a winged cupid suggests a subtle political message for the painting’s recipient, Alfonso I d’Este

Apollo at 85

Apollo at 85

To mark Apollo’s 85th anniversary, former editors share their recollections of art-world events covered in the magazine during their tenure – and some of the challenges they faced

A Private Passion

A Private Passion

Professor Kurt Salfeld and his wife, Jutta, have loaned their collection of Meissen porcelain birds – among the rarest of all Meissen creations – to the Porzellansammlung of Dresden’s Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, marking the tercentennial of the Meissen manufactury’s foundation

Bronzino: Master Draughtsman

Bronzino: Master Draughtsman

The recent exhibition of drawings by Agnolo Bronzino at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, has yielded important conclusions about the artist’s techniques and the process by which attributions are made

Beyond the Surface

Beyond the Surface

Although they appear as abstract celebrations of colour, the paintings of British artist Howard Hodgkin have stories to tell – but don’t expect any easy explanations. On the eve of his exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, the artist is on fine form

Buildings that Speak

Buildings that Speak

The structures we inhabit can play a vital part in shaping not just our own identities but the personality of the country as a whole. Living Architecture is a new organisation that sets out to improve our experiences of contemporary houses

Sumptuous silverware

Sumptuous silverware

The rediscovery of an imperial dining service is marked by a lavish display, writes Tessa Murdoch

The Artist in his Studio

The Artist in his Studio

A thematic display shines a light on important strands in Lucian Freud’s work, writes Marco Livingstone

A consummate expressionist

A consummate expressionist

A major Kirchner retrospective shows the artist’s dazzling quality, writes Paul Bonaventura

The iceman cometh

The iceman cometh

Jonathan Lopez applauds the joy implicit in Hendrick Avercamp’s wintry landscapes

Perfecting porcelain

Perfecting porcelain

Louise Nicholson reports on two exhibitions celebrating the tercentenary of porcelain production in Europe

Off the shelf

Off the shelf

Apollo’s selection of recently published books on art, architecture and the history of collecting

Grandeur and decay

Grandeur and decay

Charles Latham’s photographs of Italian gardens in the early 20th century capture a bygone era, writes Judith B. Tankard

A neglected painter

A neglected painter

John Russell Taylor champions the little-known British artist Adrian Ryan, whose colourful life makes for a lively biography

A celebration of ceramics

A celebration of ceramics

This lavish, three-volume tribute to Du Paquier porcelain is a collaborative tour-de-force, writes Philippa Glanville

Testing the waters

Testing the waters

Artists’ portrayals of major rivers have had widespread political and social significance in the last two centuries, finds Averil King