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Dr. Bendor Grosvenor 
@arthistorynews
Evangelist for Old Masters & Scotland. Columnist, . "Excitable nerd", New York Times.
Dr. Bendor Grosvenor 🇺🇦’s posts
I've voted for, worked for, been a member of, and even a historian of, the Conservative Party. It is time now to destroy it, to smash it utterly, so that people like Rees-Mogg and Bridgen can never be near power again.
The Home Secretary taking to Twitter to claim she is waiving visa rules for Ukrainians, but linking to the Home Office website which proves she isn’t, really is outstanding.
So, the Scottish Parliament could vote to enter the Union (in 1707, by 110 largely bought votes to 67), but cannot vote to leave it.
Terrible news that Nottingham Castle Trust, home to Nottingham's impressive art collection, is to close. Just one year after a £30m renovation. We're now at a serious crisis point for the UK's regional museums.
In case you find it as frustrating as I do that the same names keep popping up on Covid, despite being so provably wrong.
I keep thinking about the Conservative frontbench laughing at the idea of working class women going to the opera.
Four more weeks of this. The worst episode of political dereliction in modern British history.
Conservative losses now 482 seats. A proper disaster. The projections used by this morning, which helped set the tone for the rest of day - 'bad but not that bad' for Johnson - were less than 250 losses. 1/2
I am confused. The Protocol represents such a threat to the stability of the UK that it is legal to breach the international treaty which created it, yet the threat is not serious enough to trigger the clause within the treaty specifically to deal with such a threat, Article 16?
Brexit still on course for a united Ireland and an independent Scotland by the decade's end.
Now, why can't Scotland have the same 'best of both worlds' deal as Northern Ireland? We both voted to Remain. (And I'm looking for answers that don't boil down to 'Scotland hasn't been violent enough'.)
I was going to say spending £98bn on a new train to save 29 minutes from Birmingham to London only for it to end up outside London and take longer than the old train because we've run out of money was a reflection of post-Brexit decline. Then I remembered who's been in charge.
I loved this photo of the Queen. I think, given the news this afternoon, that it says almost everything about her.
Kwarteng coming in, sacking the Permanent Secretary, and launching the most reckless Budget in modern history is I'm afraid a reflection of the sort of I-know-best arrogance you learn too easily in a British public school.
Germany cancels Nordstream2, the UK places trivial sanctions on three people and some banks. What a joke we’ve become.
For months the Met said there was nothing to investigate. To then pivot to, “it’s so serious you can’t even know about it” is just impossible to believe.
"What is civilisation? I don’t know. I can’t define it in abstract terms. But I think I can recognise it when I see it. And I’m looking at it now."
Kenneth Clark
I see we’ve reached the point where the libertarians who refused to wear masks because ‘freedom’ now want to stop the rest of us wearing them.
Tony Blair on setting out a better Covid strategy in five minutes than the current PM has in weeks.
Good piece in The Times from on why London museums are still 30-40% down on visitors but Paris museums are not. Despite London’s being free. Yes, it’s Brexit.
The BBC reporting that last year No.10 overruled the Home Secretary to keep the Met Commissioner in her job. One for historians of Johnson's fall to ponder.
"But there's a war on" is risible. The French are choosing a head of state.
Wow, the scale of Labour’s defeat. England will be Tory for generations. The urgency for Scotland to choose its own way becomes fiercer.
It’s kind of wondrous how few Tory MPs realise they’re staring at another 1997.
I’ve watched every Grand Prix there’s ever been since I was six. That’s it though. It’s not a sport anymore. Cheating and politics from the race director. Gutted for , forever the greatest of all time. #AbuDhabiGP
Government minister Victoria Atkins asked on , “Why have you inflated numbers of PPE items by counting each individual surgical glove?”
Answer, “We’ve been guided by the science...”
🙄
The BBC has this carved onto its own wall, right outside the front door. And yet...
Sam Coates on Sky talking of 40-odd Tories prepared to vote with Labour. Paul Goodman on ConHome discussing a Sunak/Mordaunt pact. It's beginning to look as if anything could happen.
3 days on and the BBC news headlines still say refugees will be sent to Rwanda 'for processing'. No, the processing happens here. Then they're deported.
If the case for the Union was so strong, I’d have expected to hear it today. Instead of, ‘you’re not allowed to decide.’
Imagine saying to dyslexic kids already struggling at GCSE maths that they’ll never be able go to university. What a nasty policy.
Here is a page from the 1948 passenger manifest of the Empire #Windrush, held . Full of personal data. It's entirely disingenuous for to say similar records were destroyed because of 'data protection'.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C915 , @AmberRuddHR
I asked the AI art thing to make a portrait of me in the style of Van Dyck. My wife says I look like Boycie.
Almost every single unit of ‘imperial’ measurement derives from Roman, Danish, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman French. And before they get too excited, groat and shilling are German words too.
Been wearing a mask in shops for weeks, but tbh honest always felt a bit of a tit, which is what put lots of others off wearing one. Now that it's compulsory in Scotland everyone just gets on with it. England should do the same.
Which parts of the Brexit deal would we most like to unilaterally ignore in Scotland? If Northern Ireland can, why can't we?
Replying to
I don't mean to be censorius, and nor am I one to go on about 'BBC bias'. But given its ability to shape the political weather, it's worth Today reflecting on why they drew conclusions about an election based on inaccurate projections, and before so many votes were counted. 2/2
If I was director of the National Gallery and had £30m to 'heal the nation', I'd not spend it on a new front door, but on getting art out of basements in London to towns and cities across the UK. We have to stop this London-centricity.
Totemic Tory losses in Westminster and Wandsworth, from only partial results so far in England, yet the narrative on is ‘not a good night for Labour’.
Only the UK government could announce a resettlement scheme for 20,000 Afghans fearing for their lives, but ask 15,000 of them to stay in Afghanistan for at least another year.
The Companies House filing for a company owned by Rishi Sunak’s wife states ‘Country of residence - England’.
The BBC is very keen on presenter impartiality these days, but you know I think Boris Johnson is an oaf. In unrelated news, the last ever Britain’s Lost Masterpieces is on BBC4 tonight, 9pm. Thanks for watching since 2016!
"the same as when you're collecting a parcel". Nope, 14/19 forms of ID valid for the Post Office are not valid for voting.
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This morning, I spoke to BBC Radio Norfolk about how we’re securing our democracy by ensuring people have to show ID when they vote - similar to when you collect a package.
This will cut down on voter fraud and preserve the integrity of our local and national elections.
Because the distance from my house to my mum's is about the same as the journey Cummings made. In April, my wife & I both had Covid symptoms. Our daughter is 5. We never thought of leaving the house, for fear of infecting others. An anxious time indeed, but we thought of others.
Let the Colston statue's removal be a prompt for councils and museums across Britain to take action to remove similar artworks from display, *as well as* returning the thousands of cultural objects looted during the British Empire. Start now. We've waited too long.
How silly that Mary Beard was blocked from being a Trustee. In fact, I'd make her director.
Marvellous that Dyson is able to quickly produce a new ventilator. I hope that unlike every other product I’ve bought from them, it works.
I don’t think we should forget them doing this, abdicating government for three months ahead of the greatest economic crisis for decades. Not for a long time.
I'm going for a walk now to try and work out how anyone in favour of the environment, worker's rights, the EU, Scotland, Wales and 'the left' is responsible for low growth rates in the UK over the last 12 years, and not the government. I'll let you know how I get on.
By the skin of our teeth we avoided a policy which deliberately sacrificed the old for money. I cannot comprehend what a moral black hole that man was.
Mogg on my radio, Williamson in my newspaper, Musk on my Twitter, Putin everywhere. The four wankers of the apocalypse. I’m switching off.
No mention in the news headlines (on at least) that the Delta variant is both more virulent and better able to beat vaccines. Feels kinda significant to me.
There now follows a Bendor political broadcast. #GE2019
I asked the National Gallery how much money they make from image fees (the licensing cost if you want to publish works in their collection). After initially refusing to answer, they confirmed that actually they lose money. 1/3
My grandfather with the Queen in 1951, at the Royal School for Deaf Children. Strong moustache genes in my family. Tempted.
Is this right, Sunak’s wife avoids paying UK tax by maintaining she doesn’t want to live in the UK permanently, but she lives in Downing St and he wants to be Prime Minister of the UK? Because if that is right, it’s properly rotten.
It seems they all get a jacket with a badge. Is it in case they forget?
Why didn't Labour support the Lib Dem attempt to block new Voter ID laws? There are 175 Labour peers, they could have defeated the government. Inexplicable from .
Replying to
You're ignoring the moral dimension of a married President of the United States having an affair with a porn star, and then lying about it.
More than a decade after diagnosis, I've finally written about being autistic.
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Diary of an art historian | 'Autism made me an art historian. But museums must do more to welcome the disabled and neurodiverse' says Bendor Grosvenor @arthistorynews ow.ly/1jEe50DOXcY
Late to this MyHeritage thing, but I tried a portrait of my ancestor the Duke of Wellington and wow.
Please don’t let your justified view about Dominic Cummings the person overshadow the exceptional power of his testimony that the UK government catastrophically, wilfully failed us all early last year.
The Conservative Party, led by a liar, has unmoored itself from the truth. It derides everything it once stood for, the constitution, the Church, the law. It has nothing to offer but contempt. There’s an election in 16 days. Vote.
Merry Christmas dear followers! Some people are a bit down on Twitter these days, but truly the last year has been more bearable for me thanks to you all. Have a lovely day. Here's a Jordaens!
Bid on this today (unsuccessfully). No idea who painted it, but what a hunk!
French, early 19thC.
This was a moment for the PM to say something meaningful on racism in Britain. Instead he hectors us like a second rate headmaster - and has the cheek to say, 'I will not support those who flout the rules on social distancing'.
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Let us work peacefully and lawfully to defeat racism and discrimination wherever we find it, and let us continue to work together as we put Britain back on its feet.
Imagine having just weeks left of being Prime Minister, and thinking, 'right, better use up that holiday time'.
If the Bank of England has to act to prevent a 'material risk to UK financial stability' directly caused by a Chancellor, then that Chancellor should be gone by teatime.
Get him out now, no caretaking period, no resignation honours, no squatting in Number 10. Out, bag and baggage.
There’s giving a platform to anti-vaxer nonsense. Please can we stop magnifying fringe voices on such important matters just for ‘balance’?
We are particularly lucky here to have a new dog to accompany us through the crisis. Her name is Duchess, and she wishes you good morning too.
Well, (1/57)
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What's the biggest problem you have with your name?
My biggest problem?
Me: "Hi, I'm Marcus. Nice to meet you."
Business people: "Hi, Marcus. Do you go by Mark?"
Me: "No. If I did then don't you think I'd introduce myself as that?"
What a strange defence being made for Cummings on . How is it possible to simultaneously think, “I’m not well enough to look after my kid”, and “I’m well enough to drive 250 miles”?
Tell 'em Gary, and don't stop. 👍
I think about this photo a lot. It explains Britain’s place in the world right now better than any article or book.
I’ve just signed a book deal, for A New History of British Art. As Dylan Thomas said, it’s best to begin at the beginning - so let the research commence...
Isn’t this a bit odd, sending into Russian waters a frigate which just happens to have a load of journalists on board? Is that what the Navy is for now, performative provocation?
Trump's slow, narrow, total defeat is a thing of profound and wondrous beauty.
Five Tory Chancellors this century. All of them multi-millionaires.
Hell hath no fury like an academic who's just watched someone else make a TV programme about their field.
I'll settle for, not an Etonian, not a multi-millionaire, and not crazy. My expectations are that low.
Shameful weasel words from the Electoral Commission. If it looks like voter suppression, call it voter suppression.
I've written more on the National Trust's new strategy for . The cuts at curator level are worse than I feared.
ALL specialist curators are to go - books, furniture, paintings, sculpture, etc. (Thread, 1/)
theartnewspaper.com/comment/nation
Replying to
In other words, the need for art historians to have to pay excessive fees for images, to further knowledge of *publicly owned* non-copyright art is utterly pointless, a waste of money and time in which everyone - academics, the public, and even museums - loses. 3/3
