Grand Staircases of London #1 (The Courtauld Gallery)

Dear Reader(s),

Welcome to my first London post – we’ve finally made it here together!

After spending all this (virtual) time in Paris, I have, alas, run out of bloggable* (look at the end of this post for a definition) material about the City of Lights, and I am led to believe that moving on to talk about the Big Smoke – the city I actually do live in – might prove a beneficial change for this fledgling blog. My tagline also mentions I’m a London Tour Guide, so there’s that too …

Today I have decided to start talking about the grand or – as I like to call them – dramatic staircases of London. This will be an on-going series on the blog and I’ll be looking for suggestions from you on which places to visit next. Sound off in the comments below!

The winding staircase in the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House.

The Anatomy of a Frame: Marie-Antoinette à la Rose (Paris Part 2 + 3/4)

Dear Reader(s),

I have a confession to make: I’ve misled you! In my lastest post I promised you cake, but to your horror (or mine?) you won’t find any pâtisseries here today, I’m afraid. Another opportunity I couldn’t refuse came up. I know I’m such a disgrace, but then again, I never described myself as a reliable narrator, did I? (My blog, my rules. Remember?)

I hope you will be able to excuse this betrayal. (Or has this blog already jumped the shark?) Today I’m very luck to host the incomparable and witty Lynn Roberts, of @TheFrameBlog fame, who will tell us more about the frame used on the Marie-Antoinette painting I’ve seen at the Petit Trianon. I’m handing over the reigns to Lynn after the jump!

Marie-Antoinette, by Elisabeth Vigée LeBrun, 1783, Le Petit Trianon.