Features
Sculpture from the scrapyard and Simone Leigh’s first museum survey – contemporary art highlights in 2023
Exhibitions to look forward to include some major retrospectives and shows that pick up where the Venice Biennale left off
Super-high skyscrapers and sensitive restorations – the year ahead in architecture
The prospect of more towering edifices on the horizon is hardly cheering, but there are more grounded projects to look forward to
The major art anniversaries to look out for in 2023
Joshua Reynolds, Sarah Bernhardt and Pablo Picasso are all being celebrated in anniversary events this year
The first lady of Florence: how Eleanor of Toledo made her presence felt
Marrying into the Medici family made the Spanish noblewoman one of the most important artistic patrons of her day
Through the grapevine – the secret ceremony of Château Mouton Rothschild’s artist collaborations
Last week Peter Doig was revealed as the latest artist to design a label for the chateau – a tradition that began in 1945 and remains shrouded in mystery
The most approachable avant-garde artist in Britain – a tribute to Tom Phillips (1937–2022)
The artist who effortlessly crossed genres, but stayed close to south London, was best known for ‘A Humument’, a masterpiece 50 years in the making
Acquisitions of the Month: November 2022
Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch of a grumpy woman and an elaborate art nouveau tea set once owned by Karl Lagerfeld are among this month’s highlights
Mother superior – a very proud Mary in Florence
Packed with nods to the patron for whom it was painted, the ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ is one of Domenico Ghirlandaio’s most appealing works
A mysterious Renaissance sorceress still casts her spell
The history of Dosso Dossi’s painting of the ‘sorceress’ – otherwise known as Melissa – reveals a bewitching tale of romance
Surveillance tactics – the art of spying on screen
The Cinémathèque française’s unsettling show about film-making and espionage reveals how much the two activities have in common
Mulling it over – how spiced wine became the festive drink of choice
Mulled wine may be the fuel for contemporary Christmas celebrations but drinking it is a tradition that dates back to antiquity
How did British artists respond to the AIDS crisis?
While Britain was no less affected by the disease than the United States, the response of its gay artists at the start of the crisis was provocatively distinct
An appetite for art – sampling the Tate’s Cézanne-inspired menu
A menu designed to accompany the gallery’s survey of the artist pays homage to the flavours of Provence, but doesn’t quite live up to the works on show
How Henry Fuseli turned poems into paintings
Few 18th-century painters were more enthusiastic about embracing English literature than the Swiss-born artist
The medieval Palazzo Davanzati in Florence is full of hidden wonders
Newly restored, this museum is both an architectural treasure and home to works by Masaccio’s unfairly overlooked younger brother
Acquisitions of the Month: October 2022
This month’s highlights include the 18th-century Chinese jardinière that Horace Walpole famously used as a fish bowl
Chasing the dragons – the art of ritual in ancient China
Curator Dany Chan takes a close look at an exquisite jade cup in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
How Shoji Hamada reinvented British ceramic traditions
The Japanese ceramicist infused his approach to pottery with British traditions from his travels in the 1920s, before bringing this new style back to his native country
How artistic collaborations made Hennessy collectable
The maison’s limited-edition bottles designed by contemporary artists, designers and architects have secured its place as leader in the luxury market
Poetry in porcelain – a close look at a pair of bowls from the Qing dynasty
A delicately painted spring scene could suggest complex notions about beauty, hope and death
Surreal suppers – the Japanese art of artificial food
Shokuhin sampuru (food models) may serve the promotional function of luring diners into restaurants but the creation of each replica is a delicate craft
How the Peanuts cartoons captured the soul of post-war America
On the centenary of Charles M. Schulz’s birth, the cartoonist’s greatest creation still sums up the hopes and fears of the nuclear age
Grave matters – tussling over Tutankhamun
When the pharaoh’s tomb was discovered 100 years ago, the fate of its contents became a political minefield. Unpublished British papers reveal for the first time what was really at stake
How will European museums cope with the energy crisis this winter?
European countries have put short term regulations in place to help their museums conserve energy, but longer term strategies will be needed to secure their futures
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The many faces of Mary Magdalene