Artists throughout history have shown that this seemingly straightforward genre can be remarkably flexible
Since the Industrial Revolution, artists have envisioned a world in which work is more about job satisfaction than exploitation
From Socrates’s hemlock cup to Magritte’s surreal wine bottles, drinks and their containers have inspired artists and makers for centuries
Throughout the 20th century, artists experimented with colour to put scientific principles into practice – and in doing so, refracted reality itself
As the Royal Observatory in Greenwich celebrates its 350th anniversary, we look at four artworks that embody our age-old fascination with the heavens
Painters have long distorted the human body to convey the anguish, confusion and melancholy that can lie beneath the skin
To celebrate World Oceans Day, we dive into four artworks that celebrate the blue planet’s beauty, biodiversity and bottomless capacity for artistic inspiration
To commemorate the anniversary of the death of Peter Paul Rubens, who frequently depicted mythological characters, we look at four artworks that bring classical tales to life
The 400th anniversary of Charles I’s ascent to the throne is a reminder that rulers, from the Medicis to the Mughal emperors, have long patronised artists
This week marks 100 years since John Logie Baird demonstrated the first television; we explore four works that make the most out of this now-ubiquitous medium
On Pi Day, the annual celebration of the ever-fascinating mathematical constant, we round up four artworks that make the most out of the humble circle
On the 260th anniversary of the birth of the man who took the first photo, here are four works that highlight bold approaches to photography
On the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Jamaican artist Edna Manley, we examine four sculptures carved from wood
To mark 45 years since the death of Oskar Kokoschka, we select four dramatic landscapes painted in the Expressionist style
This Valentine’s Day, we examine four artworks, spanning more than 2,000 years, inspired by love in its many different forms
To mark 85 years since the premiere of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio, here are four artworks that speak to our enduring fascination with puppetry
On the 350th anniversary of the death of John Milton, we examine four artworks that explore themes of desire, temptation, rebellion and loss
As Diwali continues in full swing, it’s the perfect time to explore four objects that capture several elements of the festival and its mythology
To coincide with United Nations Day, we look at four artworks and objects designed to promote harmony or tranquillity
People have always used clothing to express their individuality and sometimes to rebel against societal norms – as these four artworks and photographs show
These four artworks show how the imagination – the incubator of all human creativity – can be drawn on to conjure entirely new worlds
To mark 50 years since the death of the poet Anne Sexton, we look at four artworks that demonstrate how women poets have long been a source of inspiration for artists
On World Tourism Day, it seems a perfect time to revisit the ways in which artists have depicted global travel over the last two centuries
Sculptures and their natural surroundings can shape each other in subtle and sometimes visually stunning ways, as these four artworks demonstrate
