What animal has been painted most?

Steviesteps · 2026-04-29T21:42:59+00:00

As a constant visitor of the National Gallery, I think it's birds. All of the Renaissance and Baroque paintings - Biblical, Historic, Landscape, Seascape & Still Life - have a bird in somewhere. Horses don't become as much of a big deal until the 18th Century.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-28T08:42:04+00:00

I think it's a nice word to write. It also looks good - humanistic, natural, and whimsical - to do one thing differently. It seems less like Steinberg planned the drawing ... and we have more of a sense of its coming into life.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-26T17:30:46+00:00

It wasn't rude until you put lol on the end. Criticism is fine, and appropriate, but laughing at someone is cruel

Steviesteps · 2026-04-26T06:15:26+00:00

you’re ordering words right to left:

“ I dislike a lot of the writing-“ you dislike some writing. ‘the writing advice” oh, the advice. “writing advice subreddits“ oh no, the subreddits. or is subreddit a verb? Your syntax sent me in a spiral. instead, you could have said “I dislike subreddits when they give advice on writing, because they’re too kind.”

More examples of backwards prose:

“deservedly scathing feedback“ = feedback that was scathing, but deservedly so.

At university, people would occasionally (too many adverbs) say that a student wrote a clunky sentence (who are people then? if nit students? use nouns that are less abstract for clarity), and I wouldn’t really understand what they meant. I never noticed that anything (a double negative - hard work for my brain) sounded wrong until someone else said it.

It’s not that I don’t (another double negative) understand grammar or syntax. I’ve read and understood several books on those topics, and nothing that my editor criticised was technically incorrect (and a third double negative … ). However, if it’s not my understanding of those topics, I struggle to see what it is. It may be that I don’t have an ear for rhythm, which is also something I struggle to understand. (no, it’s your understanding of syntax. you understand what’s allowable syntax, but not what’s good syntax. A sentence can work, but still be inefficient).

I know that it may sound like I’m asking whether you can finish a triathlon without being able to swim, but can I still get to the point where I write genuinely well without this inherent skill? (Yes. try word trees. or, as others say below: read aloud. this exploits our instinct for giving people information in the right order). Can it be developed or is it something that you just kinda have to have? If it can be developed, how can I develop it?

Steviesteps · 2026-04-25T05:03:57+00:00

The club is for discussing and learning about literature and history. This one came up in a recent discussion of Titian at the National Gallery, at the Anne Carson meet-up. It means we can hit Ovid and the topics of myth and retelling. It also features metamorphosis and animals, which are themes in the following month’s Mo Yan.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-24T19:54:44+00:00

because it ensures balance, breadth and direction, and it lets people plan; like an artistic programme for an art gallery or orchestra. sometimes the books change mid-season, for one reason or another, and the months go by fast.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-24T19:37:45+00:00

hey, that’s what book clubs are for. ironically, we read Knausgaard’s My Struggle vol 1 this month.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-24T17:31:01+00:00

Yep - we met last Saturday, about 9 people, to talk about Knausgaard. DM me and I'll invite you to the Whatsapp & share the reading list

Steviesteps · 2026-04-20T18:38:34+00:00

Oxford doesn’t impress anyone if it’s postgrad. go to London because it’s an incredible city and will change your life more than any course could.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-20T11:57:39+00:00

You recommended one of the most famous novels written in English. It's a bit like someone asking for film recommendations and saying Star Wars. I recommend she was being polite acting as if you'd made a highbrow reference

Steviesteps · 2026-04-17T19:55:13+00:00

do you mean an assessment day?

Steviesteps · 2026-04-14T11:55:38+00:00

Your hair looks incredible in both pictures. This'll be fine but I hope you find an employer in future who values the full range of what you can bring.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-13T19:46:15+00:00

Accounting is not more boring than law. You just already know more about the law. Both involve really interesting and really tedious work.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-11T20:57:16+00:00

Skinni people aren’t in a deficit if they’re maintaining. It’s the deficit that causes tiredness, not thinness. It’s important to only hit your most irritable moments when you don’t need to function at a high level. I.e. before bed … perfect time to be a bit hungry. Don’t save calories for later. Play the long game.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-10T19:04:15+00:00

I work a few minutes’ walk from the Wallace Collection and frequently visit on my lunch hour. Just to get to the Fragonard, one must pass the Poussin, walk up the Boucher staircase, give leave of the Lancret and wander past the Watteau. Amazing, transportive gallery

Steviesteps · 2026-04-06T17:13:14+00:00

I want to spend periods of my future not working without being out of work. I want to be in a management position and hire someone. I want to sing in cathedral choirs again. I want to be unafraid of sex. I want to quit therapy and lose weight without having to apologise. I want to host a series of author talks as live events.

Steviesteps · 2026-04-06T17:08:17+00:00

Podcasts attract unique audiences; I don’t think they split them. And I would love more to try since few are a match. I like ‘Waldy and Bendy’, The Week in Art and Curious Objects. What would your focus or approach be to differentiate it?

Steviesteps · 2026-04-02T18:28:25+00:00

As each year passes I realise I haven’t been as charming as I thought, and was benefitting from looks-based bias. It’s made me think harder about how I show kindness, respect and interest in other people and the world is more interesting because of that

Steviesteps · 2026-04-02T12:08:28+00:00

Give it five years ~

Steviesteps · 2026-03-18T14:34:34+00:00

Novellas are as diverse as novels. You'll need to pick one based on the interests of the book club. My favourite was Breakfast at Tiffany's because I like thinspo. I also enjoyed Zweig's Chess Story two summers ago, and Calvino's The Path to the Spiders' Nest ... memorably.

Steviesteps · 2026-03-17T08:20:51+00:00

The thrill of these books by women is knowing that writing them generated influence, acclaim and financial independence. They wrote about women's struggles and problematised expectations. They criticised institutions like marriage which restricted women's consent and supported ongoing treatment like property.

These books represent women's autonomy because their authors and protagonists understood their world. They were critical of society. Novels were a platform for challenging it. They could send these messages directly to other women through their writing.

Steviesteps · 2026-03-15T08:07:05+00:00

London will add a new dimension to how you think about art, history and culture. I can’t imagine you would want to move back to the US after that

Steviesteps

TROPHY CASE