Daily catch-up: Paintings in paintings, Cameron's EU negotiations, and other clever illusions
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Your support makes all the difference.Tom Sutcliffe, my former colleague, asked: "What's the best artwork in an artwork?" I did the Top 10 Fictional Fictions once. Dan Jackson ("Northumbriana") suggested paintings in paintings, such as this, above, "View of the Salon Carré at the Louvre", c.1880, by Alexandre Brun (1853 - 1941), in the Louvre Museum, Paris. (Although on reflection those may be paintings of real paintings: see Dan's other examples for paintings of more obviously invented paintings.)
The Top 10 in The New Review, the Independent on Sunday magazine, was Sieges. This was an absurdly popular subject, with many complaints about favourites omitted. I could have compiled a Top 10 Fictional Sieges or a Top 10 Embassy Sieges on their own. I shall do a round-up of the Top 100 later this week.
• I wrote about David Cameron's flexible approach to the European question for The Independent on Sunday yesterday. He has been quite as skilful as Harold Wilson was in 1975 and, contrary to conventional wisdom, started with easy, vague demands and moved onto to harder, specific ones quite late on. Last night's meeting with Donald Tusk, EU president, followed the template of last-minute difficulties over a deal that has essentially been done.
The Wilson comparison is not one that Cameron will like. Wilson's reputation is one of an unprincipled temporiser, but he was a brilliant reader of politics and public opinion. Cameron may be disparaged as making it up as he goes along, prompted by the opinion polls, but that is how democracy is supposed to work. Too much "leadership" and a prime minister ends up like Thatcher or Blair, dumped by a party that supposes them to be an electoral liability.
My glossary of essential terms for understanding Cameron's EU renegotiation is here:
Downing Street published the menu for last night's dinner, which was quickly satirised (by Tariq Tahir): Smoked salmon non-starter, "where's the beef" fillet and pear-shaped and apple crumble.
• Quotation of the Week: “Once you’re left of Blair or right of Cameron I don’t trust you.” Michael Caine, Times Friday (pay wall).
• And finally, thanks to Glenny Rodge for this:
"Tonight Matthew, I will be making a Nicholas II of Russia Biryani" – Czars in Their Rice.
You heard.
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