Thursday, March 07, 2013

The Kimbolton Cabinet

I'm not sure where I stand where art is concerned. On the one hand, I quite like learning about paintings, sculpture, etc. from a distance, i.e. in front of my computer screen. (As you may know, I'm a great fan of Khan Academy.) On the other hand, I am considerably less enthusiastic about the real thing. What could be more exhausting than standing on your feet for hours at a time inspecting a succession of bewigged buffoons in the galleries of Versailles? For this very reason, if for no other, hairdressing must be a debilitating profession.

It was, therefore, with a certain amount of trepidation that I weighed the prospect of watching The Kimbolton Cabinet on BBC 4 the other day. True, I felt equal to the task of switching on the TV but the idea of devoting 30 minutes of my time to contemplating a piece of 18th century furniture was not best calculated to fire my enthusiasm. Will you stop writing like a latter-day Jane Austen. Indeed, I probably wouldn't have bothered at all, had I not been emboldened to make the effort by someone I like and respect very much.

In the event, I was absolutely transfixed, and it just goes to show what a difference a friendly and enthusiastic guide can make. You can catch it on the BBC iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=The%20kimbolton%20cabinet

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