Mark Stevens

Any 18 year olds on here?

#TheNerve is already breaking stories

John le Carré: Tradecraft Free exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford

Would love to go to this too: a John Le Carre exhibition at the Bodleian #LeCarre #Tradecraft

visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/lecarre

If you go, I'd love to see some photos (there's nothing on the website). And yes, literary maps are useful—and fun. Also very collectable, I've learned.

A photograph of a worn, historical room features a deteriorating ornate plaster ceiling with visible lath and peeling paint, suggesting long-term neglect. Below the ceiling, a large, vividly colored painting hangs above an intricately carved white fireplace. The artwork depicts a stylized figure on horseback, sounding a horn, surrounded by several red foxes in motion against a dark green background. The room’s plaster walls are chipped and water-stained, adding to the overall sense of decay. To the left, a white wooden door marked “219” stands slightly ajar, its paint chipped and handle rusted, enhancing the atmosphere of faded grandeur.

A close-up of a stylized painting shows a whimsical scene of a man riding a pale horse, blowing a hunting horn while dressed in a cream-colored coat, red-striped trousers, and black boots. The rider has exaggerated facial features, including a large nose and mustache, giving the piece a humorous tone. Surrounding the horse and rider are several animated red foxes with expressive, almost cartoon-like faces, all set against a dark green background. The flat perspective and bold colour palette give the artwork a folk art or naïve art style.

I rather like this: 'On the Hunt' by British artist Jack Penny, currently in residence at the crumbling Elveden Hall in Suffolk—formerly owned by the Guinness family. Who's hunting who? #Painting

If I was in London, I'd go to this: an exhibition of Ursula K Le Guin's mapmaking. There's book too. #LeGuin #UrsulaKLeGuin

www.aaschool.ac.uk/publicprogra...

A rare book dealer / investigative journalist + Jim Thompson paperbacks + a JJ Cale soundtrack. #TheLowdown feels like someone wrote a TV show for me

@karaswisher.bsky.social would be proud. Good luck to them!

Every solstice @david94117.bsky.social sends out 220+ artworks by mail to lucky people around the world. I'm hoping to get one, but we'll see. And, yes, they are always this good #Art #Drawing

If you need cheering up (I did)...

This image shows a neatly organized set of wooden shelves mounted on a white wall, displaying an assortment of drinking glasses and dishes in what appears to be a cozy, rustic café or bar. The bottom two shelves are packed with clear glass tumblers stacked upside-down, while the top shelf holds wine glasses, a stack of small plates, olive oil bottles, a tall wooden pepper grinder, and a horn-shaped drinking vessel. Above the shelf, two black-and-white photographs of men—one smiling in a beret and the other smoking a cigarette—are pinned to a rough beam. Multicolored string lights are draped along the ceiling, adding a festive and eclectic touch to the space.

My favourite pic from a long weekend exploring the Danish island of Bornholm. It's from a harbour-front bar in Gudhjem (God home). The large photo is of Jacques Brell, the reason for which I enjoy remaining entirely ignorant. #TimeofGifts

A black-and-white photograph captures a young woman sitting on a low concrete step in front of a wooden fence, with plants and wildflowers growing nearby. Her long hair is being blown by the wind, partially obscuring her face, which is turned to the side in a serene, contemplative expression. She wears a striped, long-sleeved mini dress and large hoop earrings, her hands resting loosely in her lap.

Listening to Linda Ronstadt on repeat all evening. She's so good

Vintage, though it's a good idea to reissue them in that classic design. I'm trying to compile a hardback set too. Harder! Only found 2 so far...

So there *is* good news! Very much looking forward to listening

Black and white photo, 1943, by Louise Dahl-Wolfe (1895-1989) of Lauren Bacall in profile, standing on a rocky beach, wearing an embroidered dress with her hands behind her while looking out to sea. A sailor with a dog on a leash is standing in the background, on watch.

Lauren Bacall #BOTD 1924
📷Louise Dahl-Wolfe, in Harper's Bazaar, 1943

#LaurenBacall #LouiseDahl-Wolfe

Love this: AI trained on AI-generated fakes to identify 'real' fakes that aren't any good

Brodsky on Venice’s nebbia (fog enclosed city):

“This is a time for reading, for burning electricity all day long, for going easy on self-deprecating thoughts or coffee, for listening to the BBC World Service, for going to bed early.”

Four paperback novels by Lawrence Durrell with red, umber, blue and green covers—all with a distinctive white handprint motive.

Picked up Mountolive today to complete the paperback set. These things make me happy #bookcollecting #lawrencedurrell

This prompted an embarrassing LOL at cafe:

“What Paradise and vacation have in common is that you have to pay for both, and the coin is your previous life.”

Brodsky, Watermark

Years ago, Louisiana Art Museum outside Copenhagen exhibited one. It smelled like a carpet warehouse and visitors treated it like those kid ball pits. Kinda fun

This image depicts a surreal, futuristic interior space designed with organic, cave-like forms and saturated neon lighting. Two people dressed in white lounge comfortably within a tunnel-like room filled with soft, sculptural seating that flows seamlessly into the walls and ceiling. The environment is bathed in vibrant hues of blue, purple, pink, red, and orange, creating a psychedelic atmosphere. The walls and structures feature rounded, fluid shapes that resemble a fantastical grotto or abstract natural formation, evoking a retro-futuristic or 1970s space-age aesthetic.

Verner Panton’s ‘Fantasy Landscape’ (1970). Odd to think this was commissioned by Bayer Pharma to outfit a Rhine excursion steamer hired as their showroom for the Cologne Furniture Fair.

Lonesome spines: buyer sought for over 150,000 books and the one-time Yorkshire Dales youth hostel in which they’re housed Richard Axe is celebrated in the bookselling trade for his vast collection of antiquarian and second-hand volumes. Since 2005, his stock has been arrayed on over a mile’s worth of shelving in a former...

All this could be yours for just 1.5 million GBP

www.worldofinteriors.com/story/richar...

A yellow book showing an image of Eric Ravilious’ famous painting depicting an empty railway carriage with blue seats looking out onto green hills

Just finished—an excellent, well-told survey of English (not British) art between the wars. Lots of ‘new-to-me’ artists + well-known figures like Paul Nash and Ben Nicholson.

#FrancisSpalding #EnglishArt

Two still life paintings side by side. The first, rendered in a realistic and classical style, shows a dark brown jug with a side spout, a clear glass of water, and three garlic bulbs resting on a wooden surface with dramatic lighting and a subdued, earthy palette. The second painting adopts a minimalist and modern aesthetic, depicting four simplified objects—a gray cylinder, a yellow bottle, a white bottle, and a round beige form—set against a flat, neutral background with muted colors and rough brushstrokes that emphasize form over detail.

Jean Siméon Chardin, Glass of Water and Coffee Pot (1760) + Georgio Morandi, Still Life (1955)

Morandi cited Chardin as a model for the quiet sobriety in his still life compositions

#SideBySide #Art #Painting #ArtHistory #Chardin #Morandi #GeorgioMorandi #StillLife

True Grit is a joy to read:

“He said he knew a woman in Sedalia Missouri who had stepped on a needle as a girl, and nine years later the needle worked out the thigh of her third child.”

#TrueGrit

The cover of For the Duration: A Lighthearted WAAF Memoir by Felicity Ashbee, edited by Cleota Reed, features a stylized illustration of a young woman in a World War II-era Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) uniform. She is depicted mid-stride, holding a bouquet of flowers and a book labeled "WAAF," while carrying a suitcase marked “ACW2.” The background has a textured, sketch-like blue and black design, with the years “1939” and “1940” written on either side of her path. The title is prominently displayed in bright yellow and purple fonts, giving the overall design a spirited, whimsical tone that matches the memoir's lighthearted theme.

Ashbee was the daughter of the Arts and Crafts luminary CR Ashbee, spent part of her childhood in Jerusalem, and worked as an illustrator and art teacher after the war. She sounds rather wonderful

A poster, created during the Spanish Civil War, features a haunting illustration of a gaunt woman clutching a child, both wrapped in a gray cloak symbolizing suffering. Red, dagger-like shapes bearing the words “HUNGER,” “DESOLATION,” and “DISEASE” loom above them, intensifying the sense of peril. The stark text “They face FAMINE in Spain” is written across the top, drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis. At the bottom, bold red and white lettering urges viewers to “SEND MEDICAL SUPPLIES” and provides a London address for donations, emphasizing the urgent need for winter relief organized by the National Joint Committee for Spanish Relief.

Intrigued to learn this Spain Civil War poster was too political for the London Passenger Transport Board to display in the 1930s. It was created by Felicity Ashbee who was later at Bletchly Park and tracked Rudolf Hess' odd flight to Scotland in 1941. #FelicityAshbee

This image is a bold black-and-white ink portrait rendered in a minimalist, expressive style. It depicts a person with shoulder-length dark hair, strong eyebrows, and a contemplative or serious expression. The brushstrokes are loose and gestural, with large areas of black contrasting sharply against the white background, creating a stark yet evocative likeness.

A loose, expressive ink and watercolor sketch of a coastal village nestled into a steep hillside, likely inspired by Mediterranean or Italian Riviera scenery. The drawing captures a charming cluster of buildings with terraced rooftops, narrow winding paths, and abundant foliage, all rendered with quick, gestural lines. The mountain rises behind the village, dotted with more scattered houses, and descends into a calm sea that stretches across the right side of the image, where a small sailboat drifts. Washes of gray and light brown give the landscape subtle depth and atmosphere, while maintaining an airy, illustrative quality.

This black-and-white illustration depicts a seated woman reading a book, rendered in a loose, expressive ink and watercolor style. She appears relaxed and deeply focused, with one hand holding the book and the other thoughtfully touching her face. Her hair is styled in an elegant updo, and she wears a long robe or dress, shaded with soft washes of gray and accented with crosshatch textures for depth and pattern.

This whimsical illustration features six expressive cat portraits, each drawn in a loose, sketchy style with ink and watercolor washes. The cats vary in breed and mood—some have wide, curious eyes while others appear sly, sleepy, or aloof. The top left and bottom right cats resemble Siamese breeds with dark facial markings, while the upper right cat is fluffy and looks comically unimpressed. The loose, gestural lines and soft shading capture each feline's distinct personality, creating a lively and humorous collection of character studies. Scattered tufts of fur or scribbles enhance the playful, spontaneous feel of the image.

The talented Ms Highsmith could also draw: self-portrait 1940; Positano 1952; portrait of Ellen Hill 1954; and cats 1961

#PatriciaHighsmith #Sketching

This surreal black-and-white image features a crumpled sheet of paper at the center with the photographic portrait of a woman whose eyes are closed, her hair fanned out dramatically as if she is in a dreamlike or meditative state. The paper lies amidst a sparse, abstract set: to the left stands a miniature, ornate canopy bed with drawn curtains, resembling a dollhouse prop, and scattered around are charred, crumpled fragments and a small broken vessel.

This ethereal black-and-white image is a double exposure photograph combining a serene desert landscape with the profile of a woman. Her face is tilted upward, eyes closed, as if basking in sunlight or lost in a moment of peaceful introspection. The arid terrain, dotted with sparse shrubs and silhouetted mountains in the distance, merges seamlessly with her translucent figure, creating a haunting fusion of human and nature.

Intrigued to learn—though it makes sense—that Patricia Highsmith, living in Greenwich Village in the 1940s, had extensive contacts with the art world. She even modelled for photographs, including these by Rolf Tietgens. #PatriciaHighsmith #RolfTietgens

The Inigo Philbrick documentary—The Great Art Fraud—is an amusing Tom Ripleyish story. Lots insight into the contemporary art market like ‘fractional ownership’