In 1921 a French critic posed a priceless question: "By what witchcraft did [Vermeer], representing the most daily and commonplace sights, manage to give the viewer so mysterious, so grand, so exceptional an emotion?" Vermeer produced only 36 paintings before he died at 43. Yet each piece blissfully

Baroque art, Clean, Contemplative, Domestic, Serene, Tranquil

The architecture of Herzog and de Meuron resides at the intersection of fine art and efficient function. The architects maintain close ties to contemporary conceptual art movements, but they also embrace the limitations imposed on them by the requirements of use. They begin, in fact, with limitat

Clean, Geometric, Mathematical, Minimal, Modernist architecture, Spare, Surface

Lonely pregnancies, jealous sisters, fears of physicality, and loss of identity are Margaret Drabble's specialties. She spins tales of London's upper-middle-class life, and for the past 30 years England has eaten them up. Fans devour her hyper-accurate descriptions of the furniture, values, and perso

Clean, Composed, Eclectic, Post-war literature, Witty, Women's literature

When he joined the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round in 1957, Alan Ayckbourn was set on being an actor. Little did he know he would become one of England's most successful and well-respected playwrights; in fact, he would go on to become the first living playwright to be knighted since Noel Coward.

Clean, Contemporary plays, Domestic, Playful, Quirky, Witty