The Latest

Join Philip for an exploration of the infamous Garsington Manor; where artist Gilbert Spencer met society hostess and patron of the arts Lady Ottoline Morrell.

Visitors to the old Oxfordshire manor house at Garsington were so welcomed by the owners, Ottoline and Philip Morrell, that some would stay for months on end. Artists, writers, poets and creatives such as W. J. Turner, T. S. Eliot, Aldous Huxley, Virginia Wolf, Vanessa Bell, Lytton Strachey, Duncan Grant, David Garnett, Dora Carrington, Dorothy Brett and Siegfried Sassoon frequented Ottoline's Oxfordshire home. In her memoir, Morrell described her home as 'a theatre, where week after week a travelling company would arrive and play their parts ... How much they felt and saw of the beauty of the setting I never knew.'

Both the artist and the subject of this intricately detailed, jewel-like miniature painting - bought 'unseen' during lockdown in 2020 - are exceptional discoveries. Despite Jean Decourt's high profile and status at the time, no signed portrait had been unequivocally ascribed to this highly significant court artist him. Until now…

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst was one of the most successful and fashionable British portrait painters of the early twentieth century. In today's episode, Philip invites you into his guest bedroom to examine the work of this talented artist.

Welcome back to Philip's lockdown series, Art in Isolation. In this episode, Philip invites you to marvel at the work of his favourite artist, Cedric Morris. Morris’ triumphant capability to breed poppies so successfully is evidenced in this beautiful painting which hangs in Philip’s Oxfordshire home.

We hope that these videos have offered a little relief during lockdown and look forward to returning soon with the next episode, which will explore a love story…

View our New Collectors January updates. New Collectors was launched as a platform to offer assistance in the buying and collection of works of art. Philip Mould & Company are committed to helping perceptive new collectors who may be looking to start a collection, or expand an existing collection into new realms and genres.

Thank you again for your immensely kind comments and insights. Philip will be returning with the next run of Art in Isolation shortly...

Painted in 1938, this work was completed one year before the outbreak of the second world war, which would dramatically change the British landscape. Philip explores how, in retrospect, this peaceful countryside depiction captures the essence of pre-war Britain.

Philip explores the hidden message in this 17th century portrait of a woman. What is so immediately striking about the present work is the ornate costume of the sitter; the evident focus on and detail in the dress aid in our understanding of the subject. Clearly a young woman from an affluent family, this ornate dress boasts of the lady's significant wealth and status.

Philip Mould examins this brooding still-life, which was painted at Benton End during the Second World War. Click here for a short insight into life at Benton End during the War.