I used to open my lectures with paintings by James Dyke. His “year with MI6” series is fantastic #artofspying
January 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I used to open my lectures with paintings by James Dyke. His “year with MI6” series is fantastic #artofspying
Prompted by my interest in artwork on intelligence I submitted an FOI request for a list of paintings hanging in the HQs of UK intelligence agencies. More details to follow but just to note the painting “The Dead Mole” hanging in the HQ of MI5 is a little on the nose #ArtofSpying
March 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Prompted by my interest in artwork on intelligence I submitted an FOI request for a list of paintings hanging in the HQs of UK intelligence agencies. More details to follow but just to note the painting “The Dead Mole” hanging in the HQ of MI5 is a little on the nose #ArtofSpying
A trio of Elizabethan spymasters, William Cecil, Robert Cecil and Francis Walsingham. Part of the excellent Elizabeth I Queen & Court exhibition Philip Mould Gallery. If you’re in London it’s free and runs until 10 July. Well worth a visit. Also includes some paintings of Elizabeth I. #ArtofSpying
July 4, 2026 at 12:36 PM
A trio of Elizabethan spymasters, William Cecil, Robert Cecil and Francis Walsingham. Part of the excellent Elizabeth I Queen & Court exhibition Philip Mould Gallery. If you’re in London it’s free and runs until 10 July. Well worth a visit. Also includes some paintings of Elizabeth I. #ArtofSpying
I managed to spend a little bit of time in the library today 🧐 #ArtofSpying
November 20, 2025 at 5:33 PM
I managed to spend a little bit of time in the library today 🧐 #ArtofSpying
For the last two years I’ve been finding & sharing artworks relating to intelligence. Today I bring you “Budanov and the Magical Frog” (2024) by Ukrainian artist Yevgenia Gapchinska. It depicts Kyrylo Budanov then head of Ukrainian military intelligence #ArtofSpying #SlavaUkraini
February 24, 2026 at 8:53 AM
For the last two years I’ve been finding & sharing artworks relating to intelligence. Today I bring you “Budanov and the Magical Frog” (2024) by Ukrainian artist Yevgenia Gapchinska. It depicts Kyrylo Budanov then head of Ukrainian military intelligence #ArtofSpying #SlavaUkraini
I have a pile of reading for the new term but the last of the summer reading was Elizabeth Goldring’s gorgeous Holbein: Renaissance Master. It seems likely that Holbein, like many other court painters, carried out intelligence missions for his powerful sponsors. #ArtofSpying
September 21, 2026 at 3:05 PM
I have a pile of reading for the new term but the last of the summer reading was Elizabeth Goldring’s gorgeous Holbein: Renaissance Master. It seems likely that Holbein, like many other court painters, carried out intelligence missions for his powerful sponsors. #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week it's intelligence liaison and I've chosen Spy Booth by Banksy (2014). Inspired, as far as we know, by the Snowden leaks regarding five-eyes surveillance #ArtofSpying
April 3, 2025 at 5:42 PM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week it's intelligence liaison and I've chosen Spy Booth by Banksy (2014). Inspired, as far as we know, by the Snowden leaks regarding five-eyes surveillance #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I've selected a piece of art to accompany each topic. For this week's introductory lecture on the history of intelligence we have the rainbow portrait of Elizabeth I, a remarkable image of intelligence as state power #ArtofSpying
January 30, 2025 at 8:01 AM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I've selected a piece of art to accompany each topic. For this week's introductory lecture on the history of intelligence we have the rainbow portrait of Elizabeth I, a remarkable image of intelligence as state power #ArtofSpying
In my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I share an artwork relating to each week’s topic. This week we’re discussing counterintelligence. I’ve selected ‘The Spy’ by Alphonse de Neuville (1880). Captured spies are a common theme in art on intelligence, I find this one quite moving #ArtofSpying
November 26, 2025 at 6:59 PM
In my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I share an artwork relating to each week’s topic. This week we’re discussing counterintelligence. I’ve selected ‘The Spy’ by Alphonse de Neuville (1880). Captured spies are a common theme in art on intelligence, I find this one quite moving #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve selected an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we’re discussing definitions of intelligence. This painting of SOE/OSS member Virginia Hall by Jeffrey Bass depicts intelligence as organisation, information and activity #ArtofSpying
February 5, 2025 at 6:20 PM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve selected an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we’re discussing definitions of intelligence. This painting of SOE/OSS member Virginia Hall by Jeffrey Bass depicts intelligence as organisation, information and activity #ArtofSpying
More on art and spying, popped into Burghley House today to look at the portraits of William Cecil (the first Lord Burghley), Elizabeth I’s spymaster. Portrait in full Privy Council regalia is by Marcus Gheeraerts who also painted Elizabeth I #ArtofSpying
May 19, 2026 at 6:43 PM
More on art and spying, popped into Burghley House today to look at the portraits of William Cecil (the first Lord Burghley), Elizabeth I’s spymaster. Portrait in full Privy Council regalia is by Marcus Gheeraerts who also painted Elizabeth I #ArtofSpying
More holiday reading, I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a while - Intelligence and espionage in the English Republic 1600 - 60 by Alan Marshall, with some great cover art - The Hired Assassins by Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier, from the Wallace Collection #ArtofSpying
August 7, 2025 at 5:01 PM
More holiday reading, I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a while - Intelligence and espionage in the English Republic 1600 - 60 by Alan Marshall, with some great cover art - The Hired Assassins by Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier, from the Wallace Collection #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week it's intelligence oversight and accountability. With a nod to David Omand, I've chosen The Allegory of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1338) #ArtofSpying
April 10, 2025 at 6:54 PM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week it's intelligence oversight and accountability. With a nod to David Omand, I've chosen The Allegory of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1338) #ArtofSpying
One for the intelligence professional, ‘Minerva Overcoming Ignorance’ (1632-1633?) by Peter Paul Rubens, painter and spy. #ArtofSpying
August 18, 2026 at 8:04 AM
One for the intelligence professional, ‘Minerva Overcoming Ignorance’ (1632-1633?) by Peter Paul Rubens, painter and spy. #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve selected an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we're talking about intelligence as organisation, lots of photos of buildings so I've selected James Hart Dyke's painting of the MI6 headquarters at Vauxhall Cross #ArtofSpying
February 12, 2025 at 7:08 PM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve selected an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we're talking about intelligence as organisation, lots of photos of buildings so I've selected James Hart Dyke's painting of the MI6 headquarters at Vauxhall Cross #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week it’s intelligence collection. I’ve selected a more abstract piece, Masks by Dan Perfect which is currently hanging in the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 #ArtofSpying
February 20, 2025 at 8:25 AM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week it’s intelligence collection. I’ve selected a more abstract piece, Masks by Dan Perfect which is currently hanging in the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 #ArtofSpying
Looking through this summer’s gallery visits. Archdukes Albert & Isabella of the Habsburg Netherlands by Frans Porbus II from the Groeninge in Bruges. Albert & particularly Isabella were the principal beneficiaries of the intelligence activities of the painter Peter Paul Rubens #ArtofSpying
September 5, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Looking through this summer’s gallery visits. Archdukes Albert & Isabella of the Habsburg Netherlands by Frans Porbus II from the Groeninge in Bruges. Albert & particularly Isabella were the principal beneficiaries of the intelligence activities of the painter Peter Paul Rubens #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we're discussing intelligence failure. I've chosen something close to home - 'The Bombardment of the Hartlepools (16 December 1914)' by James Clark, 1915 #ArtofSpying
March 12, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we're discussing intelligence failure. I've chosen something close to home - 'The Bombardment of the Hartlepools (16 December 1914)' by James Clark, 1915 #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State I’ve chosen an artwork for each week's topic. It's our final week. We'll be discussing agendas for intelligence research including diversity & inclusion. I've chosen James Hart Dyke's painting for MI6, "It's a lonely business" #ArtofSpying
May 1, 2025 at 9:18 AM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State I’ve chosen an artwork for each week's topic. It's our final week. We'll be discussing agendas for intelligence research including diversity & inclusion. I've chosen James Hart Dyke's painting for MI6, "It's a lonely business" #ArtofSpying
In my intelligence module I share an artwork relating to each week’s topic. This week it’s oversight, a relatively new process, but parliamentary committees have long been concerned with the state’s treatment of individuals. William Hogarth’s The Gaols Committee of the House of Commons. #ArtofSpying
December 10, 2025 at 5:04 PM
In my intelligence module I share an artwork relating to each week’s topic. This week it’s oversight, a relatively new process, but parliamentary committees have long been concerned with the state’s treatment of individuals. William Hogarth’s The Gaols Committee of the House of Commons. #ArtofSpying
Very much enjoyed @mlamster.bsky.social book on the secret diplomatic role of the artist Peter Paul Rubens, which guided my recent visit to Antwerp. Struck by his thought provoking conclusion. #ArtofSpying
August 25, 2026 at 10:23 AM
Very much enjoyed @mlamster.bsky.social book on the secret diplomatic role of the artist Peter Paul Rubens, which guided my recent visit to Antwerp. Struck by his thought provoking conclusion. #ArtofSpying
Each week I share with students on my intelligence module, Vigilant State, an artwork relating to that week’s topic. This week we were discussing intelligence analysis and I selected ‘Road to Baghdad’ (1996) by Elwyn Lynn from the AustralianWar Memorial art collection #ArtofSpying
October 31, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Each week I share with students on my intelligence module, Vigilant State, an artwork relating to that week’s topic. This week we were discussing intelligence analysis and I selected ‘Road to Baghdad’ (1996) by Elwyn Lynn from the AustralianWar Memorial art collection #ArtofSpying
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we're discussing covert action and I've chosen another painting from the CIA art collection, 'The First Sting' by Stuart Brown (2008) #ArtofSpying
March 20, 2025 at 4:27 PM
This year for my intelligence module, Vigilant State, I’ve chosen an artwork to accompany each topic. This week we're discussing covert action and I've chosen another painting from the CIA art collection, 'The First Sting' by Stuart Brown (2008) #ArtofSpying
Each week I share artwork with students on my intelligence module. This week's topic is intelligence failure. I've chosen Preparations for D-Day (1944) by Richard Eurich from the Imperial War Museum a reminder that intel success for one side may be failure for another #ArtofSpying
November 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Each week I share artwork with students on my intelligence module. This week's topic is intelligence failure. I've chosen Preparations for D-Day (1944) by Richard Eurich from the Imperial War Museum a reminder that intel success for one side may be failure for another #ArtofSpying
Doing some work on the representation of spying in art. Really pleased to get hold of the catalogue from James Hart Dyke’s 2011 exhibition ‘A year with MI6’. I’ve seen some of these paintings in the media but my no means all and Hart Dyke’s comments are a treat. #ArtofSpying
May 18, 2026 at 4:37 PM
Doing some work on the representation of spying in art. Really pleased to get hold of the catalogue from James Hart Dyke’s 2011 exhibition ‘A year with MI6’. I’ve seen some of these paintings in the media but my no means all and Hart Dyke’s comments are a treat. #ArtofSpying