Antiques Magazine Archive, July 2014

Dogs have been with us for centuries – as companions, or working dogs, they really are man’s best friend. We see them everywhere in pictures, on TV, in magazines, we read about them online, and Facebook and Twitter bombard us with those ubiquitous photos of the family dog in numerous funny poses, caught in a moment of pure delight, a vaguely human facial expression, or caught in the act of doing something users think everyone will find delightful. They’ve appeared in film and cartoons and gone on to be household names, Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Toto and Greyfriars Bobby. We have Crufts each year to help us decide on the best groomed, the best pedigree and the cleverest, smartest dog in the country.

As if overseeing the birth of the Renaissance, and dominating large swathes of northern Italy were not enough for the Medici Family, they also happen to have assisted in the birth of the modern piano. When Bartolomeo Cristofori (credited with inventing the first modern piano around 1700) developed his first piano instrument, the Medici family were crucial in sponsoring and encouraging his developments.

Some of the most beautiful music has been written for the violin.