For Rubens and his peers, graphite, ink and chalk were not simply preparatory tools but a means of reinventing matter, writes Peter Davidson of the Ashmolean’s exhibition of Flemish drawings

Gold Hellenistic snake bracelet, set with garnet. Dated 3rd-2nd century BCE. Pforzheim Jewellery Museum, Germany.

.Kingfisher Farm Shop will be celebrating 170 years of growing watercress this #SurreyDay with a host of local food and drink producers joining them in Abinger Hammer: visitsurrey.com/event/kingfish…. You can even book in for a local produce picnic by their pond. 💚😋

Cat-lovers will recognise the struggle 🐈 This sketch is a fabulous example of Da Vinci’s ability to capture expressions: just look this cat's clear disdain as it squirms within an overly eager embrace! 🎂 Leonardo Da Vinci was born #OnThisDay in 1452.

Today is Bat Appreciation Day! There are over 1,400 species of bats in the world, and more are still being discovered. Bats account for around 20% of all mammal species worldwide.⁠ 🦇 Ojime bead in the form of a bat, Japan, late 19th century. 2.3cm tall. EA1956.3749⁠

Behold the deep time of human artistic creativity! About 40,000 years ago, during the #IceAge, this small figurine was masterfully sculpted from mammoth ivory. Known as the ‘Vogelherd Horse’ it is one of the earliest known works of figurative art. 📷 my own

A 2,000 year-old Hellenistic mosaic glass bowl made of translucent dark blue glass with white spirals. Looks as if it contains the cool blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea! 🌊🌊🌊 Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart. 📷 my own #Archaeology

Are you a Dorking BID business looking to up your social media game? 📱 We’re holding a Social Media Drop-In Clinic just for you. Mark your calendars for Thursday, 9th May, from 6 to 8 pm. The location is still being finalised, but will be central to Dorking, so stay tuned. 😎

A cuddlepuddle of four ancient Roman #puppies, rendered in marble. 😍 From the House of the Faun, #Pompeii. #dogs 1st century BCE MANN (National Archaeological Museum, Naples) 📸 me

How to make this a weekend to remember. 💭 Come into Dorking and sample the delightful dining experiences in the last 2 days of Restaurant Week. Read all the amazing offers here: buff.ly/3wmghZg #DorkingRestaurantWeek #RestaurantWeek #SurreyDay

A stunning 2000 year-old Roman mosaic glass bowl beautifully showcasing the skill of ancient glassworkers. V&A Museum collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O2002/bow… 📷 my own #Archaeology

A stunning 2,000 year-old Roman emerald green glass bowl. 📷 The Met metmuseum.org/art/collection… #Archaeology

From 8th to 16th June, Circular Dorking is celebrating the UK’s biggest ever community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. This year's theme is "Let’s swap together for good." Find out more: buff.ly/3uHP3Lr 📸: Simon Edmands 🙏🏻

Here’s something lovely to do locally in Dorking at the weekends. Because after a year of essential conservation work, the newly renovated Leith Hill Place is OPEN! 😄 Head to National Trust for more details and event information. 🥬 #LeithHill #LeithHillPlace #SurreyHills

About 5,500 years ago in Egypt, a potter made this wonderful clay bowl with feet! 📷 my own : metmuseum.org/art/collection…

A 4000 year old olive tree in Greece.. This tree started growing around 2000 BC, during the Bronze Age, around the time the last wooly mammoth was hunted, 7th dynasty of Egypt was over and humans discovered the existence of glass. This tree has seen humans go from the Bronze

A stunning 2,000 year-old #Roman blue glass drinking bowl. 📷 Getty Museum getty.edu/art/collection… #Archaeology

Carol Long, US ceramicist who draws influences from plant and animal life #WomensArt

A stunning 2,000 year-old #Roman blue and white mosaic glass bowl. What a wonderful example of the skill of ancient glassmakers! 📷 Getty Museum getty.edu/art/collection… #Archaeology

"The Egyptian Blue" Egyptian Blue is the oldest known artificial pigment. The Blue color has been throughout the history of humanity one of the most quoted, identified by it with royalty and divinity, due to the difficulty of its obtaining. Blue pigments were used from very