8 March - 8 June
Cranach
The Sackler Wing of Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London (020 7300 8000; royalacademy.org.uk)

This is the first major exhibition in Britain devoted to Lucas Cranach the Elder (c1472-1553). A collaboration between the Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main and the Royal Academy, the exhibition will bring together some 70 of his works, including this oil painting (left), St Helena with the True Cross, 1525. As the leading member of a German family of artists, Cranach was one of the most versatile artists of the Renaissance, court artist to the Saxon electors, a staunch supporter of the Reformation, and a close friend of Martin Luther. Cranach created striking portraits and expressive devotional works, propaganda for the Protestant cause, and inventive treatments of biblical, mythological and classical subjects.
10am-6pm; until 10pm on Fridays. Adults £8; concessions £7; students £6; 12-18s £4; 8-11s £3; under 7s free.

14 March - 8 June
Coming of Age: American Art 1850s - 1950s
Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London (020 8693 5254; dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk)

Over the course of the one hundred years from the 1850s to the 1950s, American art and culture came of age, evolving from the provincial to the international. This exhibition will feature paintings by artists including Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Eastman Johnson, John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, Jackson Pollock and Edward Hopper.
Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm; weekends 11am-5pm. Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays 11am-5pm. Adults £8; seniors £7; other concessions £4; unlimited free entry for children and Friends.

15 March - 1 June
Alberto Giacommetti
Compton Verney, Warks (01926 645500; comptonverney.org.uk)

In 1945 Alberto Giacometti (above) returned to Paris from Geneva and developed a sculptural language that marks a major achievement in 20th-century art. This exhibition of the artist’s sculptures, paintings and drawings focuses on works created from 1946-1957, a significant period, which shows Giacometti working towards a new perception of reality governed by the figure in space. The sculptures on display present a powerful distillation of his ideas at this time.
Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm. Adults £7; concessions £5.

21 March - 30 October
The Age of Elizabeth
Burghley, Stamford, Lincolnshire (01780 752451; burghley.co.uk)

Burghley was built for Queen Elizabeth I’s most trusted adviser and secret intelligence chief William Cecil, the first Lord Burghley, and so it’s no surprise that the house is full of Elizabethan treasures. The exhibition will feature rarely seen Tudor items, among them this beautiful Spanish gold and enamel horse pendant (above), set with rubies on one side, emeralds on the other, and hung with pearls.
11am-5pm. Closed Fridays. Adults £10.90; 5-15s £5.40; retired visitors/students £9.50; family (two adults and two children) £28.

21 March - 2 November
Stanley Spencer: Prophet of Love and Work
The Stanley Spencer Gallery, The Kings Hall, High Street, Cookham, Berkshire(01628 471885; stanleyspencer.org.uk)

Taking as its theme ‘Love and Work’, the gallery will show works by Spencer, including The Garage (left) commissioned in 1929 by the Empire Marketing Board to highlight industry and peace. On loan from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Art Foundation, this painting shows Spencer as a master of the realist movement in modern Britain. Also on display will be major pieces from the permanent collection such as The Last Supper and Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta, along with many other significant works.
10.30am-5.30pm. Adults £3; concessions £2; under 16s free.

16 April - 15 June
Paper Trail: Prints from the Merlini Collection
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, 39a Canonbury Square, London (020 7704 9522; estorickcollection.com)

This striking selection of works from the collection of Dr Vito Merlini was amassed over 60 years and is an extensive and highly personal survey of 20th-century Italian printmaking. The exhibition will include works on paper in a variety of printmaking techniques by artists such as Carrà, de Chirico, Guttuso, Marini and Emilio Vvedova. This etching and aquatint by Giacomo Manzù is entitled Couple in Love, 1970 (left).
Wednesday-Saturday 11am-6pm; Sunday 12 noon-5pm. Adults £3.50; concessions £2.50; children and students with NUS ID card free.

22 April - 28 June
Bond Bound: Ian Fleming & The Art of Cover Design
The Fleming Collection, 13 Berkeley Street, London (020 7409 5730; flemingcollection.co.uk)

The centenary of the birth of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, is to be marked by a major exhibition of cover artwork from the books about the suave secret agent 007. The exhibition will feature unique and previously unseen archive material and will cover all Fleming’s books, including his first Bond novel Casino Royale (right) and the children’s story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Much of the exhibition will chart the role of artists and designers in creating and defining the Bond look.
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm. Free.

1 May - 1 June
Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers Annual Exhibition
Bankside Gallery (Next to Tate Modern), 48 Hopton Street, London (020 7928 7521; banksidegallery.com)

This exhibition provides a fantastic opportunity to discover the charm and originality of fine art prints. Traditional skills such as etching, lithography and wood engraving will be shown, and the works on display will be available to buy, including this hand-coloured print entitled Angel of the Wine by Anita Klein (right).
11am-6pm. Free.

3 May - 2 November
Chinese Whispers: Chinoiserie in Britain 1650 - 1930
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton (01273 292882; virtualmuseum.info)

This is the first major exhibition in Britain for more than 70 years to highlight the impact of chinoiserie on style, fashion, interiors and social behaviour. Spectacular displays, which include major loans from around the country, trace the history of chinoiserie in Britain from the late 17th century until the 1930s. Examples of the earliest Chinese objects exported to Britain will be on display, as well as beautiful furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles and rarely seen prints and drawings.
Tuesday 10am-7pm; Wednesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 2-5pm. Adults £5; concessions £3; 5-15s free.

8 - 11 May
Objects of Desire: The LAPADA London Fair
6 Burlington Gardens, London (020 7823 3511; lapadalondon.com)

This Fair brings fine art and antiques shopping to the heart of London’s West End. Some 70 leading dealers in furniture, sculpture, jewellery, silver, watches, clocks, glass and ceramics will exhibit, all members of LAPADA, the UK’s largest association of art dealers and antiques dealers. Modern works of art and accessories will also feature, as well as some interesting 20th-century furniture including Art Deco and Modernist pieces. The items for sale at the fair will appeal both to international collectors and those looking to invest in quality items for their homes.
Thursday 8 May 11am-8pm; Friday 9 May-Saturday 10 May 11am-7pm; Sunday 11 May 11am-6pm. £10.

10 - 11 May
National Mills Weekend
Locations across the UK (020 7456 0909; nationalmillsweekend.co.uk)

Organised each year by the Mills section of SPAB (The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings), this weekend will see more than 300 wind and watermills open their doors to the public. Many of the mills taking part will be running events, including demonstrations and the chance to buy flour and other produce made on the premises.
Opening times and admission prices vary – see the website for details.

14 May - 4 June
Patrick Lichfield Exhibition
Chris Beetles Gallery, 8 & 10 Ryder Street, London (020 7839 7551; chrisbeetles.com)

Patrick Lichfield’s photography (right) has graced the world’s media for more than 40 years and this is the first-ever selling show of his remarkable work.
Monday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm. Free.

15 May
The Decorative Living Fair
Eridge Park, Eridge Green, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent (07929 826052)

This fair, which takes place at Eridge Park amid idyllic rolling Kent parkland, combines decorative antiques and vintage pieces. More than 20 designers and makers will exhibit a wide selection of beautiful items for the home and garden, including pretty ceramics, painted furniture, chandeliers and vintage textiles.
Morning coffee and light lunches will be available. 9.30am-3pm. £4.50.

15 - 24 May
Lanterns & Taverns: Clocks for the Wall and Hall Selling Exhibition
Raffety & Walwyn, 79 Kensington Church Street, London (020 7938 1100)

Raffety & Walwyn, specialist dealers in fine antique clocks, are hosting this selling exhibition of more than 35 clocks and timepieces designed for the hall and wall, dating from the 17th century to the early 19th century. This Georgian musical dial clock (right) by John Sims of London c1775 is a very rare and elaborate example and plays a choice of four tunes.
10am-6pm. Free.

22 May - 31 August
Street & studio: An Urban History of Photography
Tate Modern, Bankside, London (020 7887 8888; tate.org.uk)

More than 350 early 19th-century photos are gathered in this intriguing exhibition, which provides a fascinating history of portraiture taken on the street or in the photographer’s studio.
10am-5pm; Friday-Saturday until 9pm. £10.

24 - 26 May
Burghley Craft Show
Burghley, Stamford, Lincolnshire (01780 752451; craft-show.co.uk/craftshows/Burghley_Craft_Show/)

Burghley House is the prestigious venue for this craft show, which will feature more than 150 craftspeople and demonstrators, including artists, designers, jewellery makers, woodturners, glass blowers and basket makers. You can try your hand at pottery and create your own piece to take home.
10am-6pm. Adults £5; OAPS £4.50; children £2.

24 May - 1 June
Ceramic Flowers and Tiles Workshop
The Ironbridge Gorge Museums, Ironbridge, Telford, Shropshire (01952 884391; ironbridge.org.uk)

Coalport China Museum and Jackfield Tile Museum in the Ironbridge Gorge will be offering creative workshops where you’ll be able to model your favourite spring blooms in clay, decorate a mug or trinket box in colourful enamels, or embellish tiles using the Victorian tube-lining technique.
10am-5pm. Admission prices vary and the workshops carry an extra charge – see the website for details.

Until 25 May
A Touch of Dutch: Royal Fans from the House of Orange-Nassau
The Fan Museum, 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London (020 8305 1441; fan-museum.org)

See fans dating from the 18th to the 20th centuries at this exhibition, all virtuoso pieces created by Europe’s greatest fan makers, studded with jewels and made even more fascinating through their meticulously recorded provenance. Fans that have belonged to ruling monarchs, portrait miniatures and photographs will be on display, all on loan from the House of Orange-Nassau Historic Collections Trust and the Royal Collection, as well as personal loans from HM Queen Beatrix and HRH Princess Maxima. It will be the first opportunity to view this collection outside the Netherlands.
Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm; Sunday from 12 noon. Adults £4; concessions £3; under 7s free.

Until 26 May
Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913 - 2008
National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London (020 7306 0055; npg.org.uk)

This is a unique opportunity to see 95 years of iconic imagery by some of the most renowned photographers of the 20th century, including this portrait of Jean Harlow by George Hurrell (right).
10am-6pm; Thursday-Friday until 9pm. £10

27 May - 1 June
Jousting Tournament
Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent  (0870 600 8880; leeds-castle.com)

Experience the thrill of knights on horseback and men at arms at Leeds Castle this summer where the sights and sounds of a medieval jousting tournament will be recreated against the historic backdrop of the 900-year- old castle. The non-stop action features galloping horses and daredevil stunts in an authentic jousting arena complete with a royal box on the Cedar Lawn.
10.30am-5pm. Adults £15.

29 May - 1 June
Romeo and Juliet
Wilton House Gardens, Wilton, Salisbury (0845 241 9651; salisburyfestival.co.uk)

In Shakespeare’s time actors toured plays to country houses, inns and town halls all over the UK. As part of this year’s Salisbury International Arts Festival, actors from Shakespeare’s Globe are emulating their experiences and adapting Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers for the beautiful grounds of Wilton House (right).
Performances start at 6.30pm. £15.50; under 16s £10.50.

30 May - 31 August
Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern Life in Vienna 1900
Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool (0151 702 7400; tate.org.uk)

To celebrate 2008 as European Capital of Culture, Tate Liverpool presents the first comprehensive exhibition of Gustav Klimt’s work ever staged in the UK. The exhibition focuses on Klimt’s life and art and will explore his role as the founder and leader of the Viennese Secession, a progressive group of artists and artisans. The work and philosophy of the Secession embraced art, architecture, fashion, decorative objects and furniture in their search for identity; and major paintings and drawings from all stages of Klimt’s career will be shown, including Portrait of Eugenia Primavesi 1913/14 (left) alongside the work of Josef Hoffmann, the architect and designer and a close friend of the artist.
Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5.50pm. Adults £7; concessions £5.50; free for Tate members and under 12s when accompanied by an adult.

Until 31 May
Contemporary Lace Exhibition
The De Morgan Centre, 38 West Hill, Wandsworth, London (020 8871 1144; demorgan.org.uk)

A group of lace makers will give an ancient craft a 21st-century edge with this exhibition of lace wall hangings, bags and sculpture (right), all demonstrating the surprising possibilities of the material, and all available to buy. Prices range from £40 to £850.
Tuesday-Wednesday 12 noon-6pm; Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm. Free.

Until 1 June
A Passion for Buildings
Fairfax House, Castlegate, York (01904 655543; fairfaxhouse.co.uk)

This exhibition of paintings, watercolours and drawings explores the amateur architect in England from 1650-1850 and features a fascinating array of designs from the likes of George III to Yorkshire giants like Lord Burlington (Assembly Rooms, York), Sir Thomas Robinson (Rokeby Park and Castle Howard – pictured ) and Thomas Worsley (Hovingham Hall).
Monday-Thursday and Saturday 11am-4.30pm; Sunday 1.30pm-4.30pm; Friday at 11am and 2pm for guided tours only and at other times by prior appointment. Adults £5; concessions £4; under 16s free when accompanied by an adult.

1 June 2008 
MSc Course - Conservation of the Historic Environment
The College of Estate Management (0800 019 9697; cem.ac.uk)

The College of Estate Management is offering an MSc/RICS Diploma in Conservation of the Historic Environment – a web-supported, distance learning course designed for those wishing to acquire the specialist skill, understanding and sensitivity needed to work with historic buildings and structures. The programme is open to those working in the heritage sector, in other fields related to the built environment and those seeking a change of career where an understanding of the historic environment is of relevance – for example, tourism.  The quality of the programme benefits from established links with the National Trust, English Heritage and the Prince's Foundation. The MSc is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as a route to membership, and the course starts on 1 June each year.  The course, awarded by the University of Reading, is built on a modular framework with selected options at Year Two and a dissertation through research in Year Three.
For further information and prices, visit the website at http://www.cem.ac.uk/courses/CHE.asp or telephone for a prospectus on 0800 019 9697.

4 - 14 June
Caroline Vernon Exhibition
James Harvey British Art, 15 Langton Street, Chelsea, London (020 7352 0015; jamesharveybritishart.com)

Enjoy a collection of watercolours by artist Caroline Vernon (1829-1868) – her paintings, which depict grand houses with opulent interiors and fashionable destinations, such as View from the Veranda (right), provide a fascinating glimpse of life in the Victorian period.
Monday-Friday 10am-6pm; Saturday 10am-4pm. All other times by appointment. Free.

4 June - 31 August
The Lure of the East: British Orientalist Painting
Linbury Galleries, Level 1, Tate Britain, Millbank, London (020 7887 8888; tate.org.uk)

This exhibition will explore the responses of British artists to the cultures and landscapes of the Near and Middle East between 1780 and 1930, offering historical and cultural perspectives on the challenging questions of the ‘Orient’ and its representation in British art. It will bring together more than 120 paintings, prints and drawings of bazaars, public baths, domestic interiors and religious sites, and all the major genres, themes and preoccupations of Orientalism in British art will be considered. Paintings on display include An Arab Interior, 1881 (left), by Arthur Melville as well as other exceptional works by John Frederick Lewis, Edward Lear, David Wilkie, Richard Dadd, Lord Leighton and William Holman Hunt.
10am-5.40pm. Fridays until 9pm. £10; concessions £8.

5 - 15 June
The Olympia International Arts & Antiques Fair
Olympia Exhibition Halls, Hammersmith Road, London (020 7370 8211; olympiaartsinternational.com)

This renowned art and antiques event attracts some of the world’s leading specialist exhibitors, who will show a range of objects from museum-quality pieces to the fascinating and unusual. The fair offers a rare opportunity to browse and buy antique furniture from almost every period and continent, including this Louis XV lacquered commode (left) attributed to Mathieu Criaerd circa 1745, as well as fine art, ceramics, sculpture, glass, books, textiles, clocks, jewellery and silver. Visit the website to find out more about the 250 exhibitors.
Opening times vary. £14 on the door; £10 in advance.

7 - 12 June
Degree Show
Buckinghamshire New University, Queen Alexandra Rd, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. (0800 0565 660; bucks.ac.uk)

Buckinghamshire's New University is holding a show in June for students finishing their degrees in Furniture, Conservation, Restoration and Decorative Arts. It will be a very versatile show with pieces from the 1700s up to the 1960s. This year’s show incorporates a major and a minor project, which have been worked on for a total of 750 hours. One student is restoring a grand piano, which had been painted white and left outside to rot for two years. Other works include a student who has concentrated solely on Mid-Century Modern pieces – an Ernest Race aluminium table and a Panton Chair to name but a few designers. The exhibits are a mix of traditional and modern pieces and demonstrate a vast range of skills including upholstery, gilding and marquetry.
Saturday 7 June 10am-2pm; Monday 9-Wednesday 11 June 10am-6pm; 10am- 2pm Thursday 12 June. Free.

12 - 18 June
The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair
Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London (020 7399 8100; grosvenorfair.co.uk)

This fair is a long-established fixture in the international art calendar and showcases a range of artefacts from furniture and paintings to silver, jewellery and watches, all of which are offered for sale by 85 dealers.
Opening times vary. £16 including a handbook.

12 June - 7 September
Boucher & Chardin: Masters of Modern Manners
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London (020 7563 9500; wallacecollection.org)

Two of the greatest French paintings of the 18th century will be coming to the Wallace Collection for a special exhibition. The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery in Glasgow and the Frick Collection in New York will lend Jean-Siméon Chardin’s Lady taking Tea and François Boucher’s A Lady on her Daybed (right) to be united with other important canvases.
Monday-Sunday 10am-5pm. Free.

13 - 20 June
London Sculpture Week
Galleries in Mayfair and St James’s, London (020 7493 0688; londonsculptureweek.com)

See and buy sculptures spanning 4,500 years from ancient Greece to Egypt, 14th-century Tibet to Renaissance Florence, and 19th-century Rome to 21st-century London. The pieces on display, including Ornamentale Plastik by Daniella Luxembourg (left), highlight the extraordinary range of expertise to be found among London dealers.
Monday-Friday 10am-6pm; Saturday 11am-5pm. Free.

Until 22 June
Thomas Hope Exhibition
Room 38, V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London (020 7942 2000; vam.ac.uk)

Thomas Hope’s influential role as a designer, design reformer and collector in the early 19th century is explored in this exhibition through examples of his sculpture, paintings, furniture, silverware, decorative objects and interior design (right).
10am-5.45; until 10pm Fridays. £5.75.

26 June - 5 October
The Courtauld Cézannes
The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London (020 7848 2526; courtauld.ac.uk)

The Courtauld Ggallery holds the finest group of works by Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) in Britain. As the culmination of The Courtauld Institute of Art’s 75th anniversary, the gallery is showing all the works together for the first time. The importance of the collection lies not only in its exceptionally high quality but also in its wide range, with seminal paintings, drawings and watercolours from the major periods of the artist’s long career. Paintings on display include this still life (left) entitled Pommes, bouteilles, dossier de chaise.
10am-6pm. Adults £5; concessions £4; under 18s, full-time UK students and unwaged free; free admission on Mondays 10am-2pm.

12 - 13 July
Fladbury Festival & Walkabout

Since its inception as a Flower Festival in the 1970’s with an ever-increasing programme of events, Fladbury villagers have proudly welcomed thousands of visitors (and locals) each year to share their “hidden treasures”.
With it’s village green and two traditional hostelries, Fladbury embraces one of the most picturesque stretches of river in the country, which can be seen to best advantage from a boat trip or by taking the wire ferry over to the mill and lock. Take a ride on the horse drawn cart or relax and enjoy the street entertainments.  There will be something to delight all ages and tastes.
Free Parking; mini-bus shuttle service.
Weekend ticket £8, Adults £5 per day, free entry for children under 15. For further information & daily programme Tel: Bill North 01386 860440, e-mail: walkabout@fladbury.com or visit: www.fladbury.com