France Pictures - framed any size, from the amazing Lordprice Collection

"How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?" de Gaulle

The French posters in our collection cover the finest examples of French poster art and evoke all the emotions that France and the French conjure up.

Separated from the UK by just 22 miles of water (to us the English Channel, to the French La Manche) the histories of our two nations have long been interlinked, certainly since 1066, and sometimes in a cooperative way, as with the entente cordiale of Edward VII, but more often in confrontation. That stretch of water which so often helped preserve Britain's independence is now, thank goodness, a route joining England to the continent, whether by ship or train.

That proximity and ease of access means that centuries of enmity on the battlefield are now more peacefully pursued (well people don't usually die any more) on the sports field. Rugby is probably the longest standing rivalry, with football and tennis a little way behind. Well-heeled English tourists helped to create the skiing and winter sports industries and resorts, as well as to patronise the French Riviera, where even Queen Victoria went for her holidays.

The French car industry is surprisingly strong, at least when compared with its neighbours other than Germany. That loyal purchasing habit must be effective. Our French car pictures demonstrate that these manufacturers have been very innovative - the 2CV, those Citröens with the hydraulic suspension that went up and down, Peugeot's claimed first hard-top convertible from the 1930s. It's even rumoured (June 2007) that Peugeot-Citröen PSA may revive the Panhard brand to create premium quality cars to compete with Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and the like.

Paris has been an inspiration to artists for centuries, but especially the period from the 1880s to the 1940s and the styles of art nouveau and art deco which most interest us. The roots of impressionist painting (from around the 1860s to the 1880s) were firmly bedded in the city. The bohemian life around Pigalle and Montmartre was most evocatively painted by Toulouse Lautrec but technological advances in lithographic printing around the fin de siècle led to an explosion of posters and distinctive graphic art from masters such as Jules Cheret and Alphonse Mucha and the development of Belle Epoque art nouveau forms. Established as the premier artistic centre in the World, Paris was a focus for many of the most influential movements in modern art: post-impressionism, surrealism, synthetism, symbolism - and lots of other -isms. Even today, the Place du Tetre is thronged by tourists gawping at real artists painting their pictures; Montmartre garrets may be sadly beyond their means though with modern property prices.

Our pictures of Paris show that whether you're a culture vulture looking for museums and the opera or a bon vivant sampling its bars and restaurants, you will be satisfied. Lord Price likes to think of himself as the former (and there must be some truth in it, or how would he have assembled his fine collection?) but he's more a sybarite - not that he would ever get crapulent, you understand.

French illustrations come from a number of sources but our favourite is undoubtedly the somewhat risqué organ Le Sourire, published in the first half of the last century.

French cuisine is justifiably envied around the world. Using the finest ingredients and most sophisticated techniques, a restaurant, whether in Paris or the provinces, promises a wonderful gourmet experience. An aperitif to start, naturellement, perhaps with a fine wine during the meal and a digestif to follow. If it's your thing, how about a fine Havana cigar? Champagne to celebrate? Just steer clear of the andouillettes unless you have a very robust digestion.

"We always have been, we are, and I hope that we always shall be detested in France." The Duke of Wellington