Features
‘The dungeons are decorated with wreaths left by slaves’ descendants’
Four centuries after the first English slave ship arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, the president of Ghana is urging members of the African diaspora to discover their roots
‘He kicked open the doors of Society just as Sixties London began to swing’ – a tribute to Terry O’Neill
The late photographer shot some of the most iconic figures of the 20th century, from Winston Churchill to David Bowie
The Peabody Essex Museum makes a bigger splash in Salem
Thanks to the town’s seafaring merchants, the museum has one of the world’s best collections of maritime and Asian art – and a whole new wing for its display
Sister act – Plautilla Nelli and the painter nuns of 16th-century Florence
The Dominican nun led a flourishing workshop in the convent of Santa Caterina – as her recently restored Last Supper shows
Rock stars – the Indigenous artists inspired by Uluru
A recent ban on climbing the sacred rock in Australia’s ‘red centre’ was celebrated with singing and dancing. What other forms of art have emerged from the site?
English woes – Derek Jarman’s apocalyptic visions of England are as relevant as ever
Twenty-five years after his death, Jarman’s films, paintings and words are still incisive and inspiring
Acquisitions of the month: October 2019
Collections of hand-drawn postcards, quilts, and 18th-century French bindings are among this month’s highlights
Still lifes and Belfast streets – remembering Ciaran Carson (1948–2019)
The poet, translator and musician was also a passionate observer – and recorder – of the visual world
Gustave Courbet’s love of the chase
The painter’s monumental and often melancholy hunting scenes are well worth another look
‘A fine day for seeing’ – Frank O’Hara at the Museum of Modern Art, New York
A new display in the museum pays tribute to one of its best and most charming ambassadors
‘Not simply passive Cinderellas’ – rediscovering the Pre-Raphaelite women
Whether as models, studio managers, or artists in their own right, the women in the orbit of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood deserve greater recognition
‘One of the most fascinating artists in the history of Spanish art’
As the greatest sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, Alonso Berruguete deserves to be better understood
Bread and Soviet circuses – a letter from Baku
The artist Taus Makhacheva is fascinated by the subversive side of an art form that found great favour in the USSR
Works in progress – the turbulent tales of William Hogarth
Things rarely turn out well for the characters in the satirist’s so-called ‘progress’ pieces – rather, they capture the chaos of 18th-century life
‘All kinds of glorious hijinks’ – a tribute to John Giorno
In all his art, from his poetry hotline to the recent text paintings, Giorno refused to be bored or be boring
Glass act – inside the Danish museum devoted to studio glass
The Glasmuseet in Ebeltoft has a significant collection of works donated by artists from around the world
A long-lost Cimabue has emerged – and the ‘first light’ of painting now burns brighter than ever
The chance discovery in a kitchen in France has major significance for scholarship on the Florentine master
Messier and Messier – at the FC Barcelona Museum
A visit to Camp Nou – where Lionel Messi’s boots can be found alongside works by Miró, Dalí and Tàpies
Around the world in 35,000 objects – and a handful of clicks
The Khalili Collections have partnered up with Wikimedia UK to broaden access to their vast holdings spanning centuries and cultures
Painted as a villain – how the Tudors regarded Richard III
The latest addition to the long gallery at Hever Castle presents the Plantagenet king in the worst possible light
England’s rich heritage is writ large on its walls – and must be safeguarded
An astonishing number of historic wall paintings have survived religious upheaval, climate-related damage and the passage of time. But they need our protection
Acquisitions of the month: September 2019
This month’s highlights include a rock-crystal Venetian coffer and a once-lost watercolour by Rossetti
Knight vision – how Maximilian I used the arts to bolster his brand
The emperor was no connoisseur – but he understood the power of art to paper over the cracks in his troubled reign
Monsters, mirrors and ruined mansions – on Büyükada island at the Istanbul Biennial
The decaying grandeur of the island makes for a beautiful setting – but it’s one that vies for attention with the art on view
The many faces of Mary Magdalene