The Week’s Muse: 31 May

We were sorry to learn of the death this week of the photographer Michael Schmidt, and of the loss of Glasgow’s iconic Mackintosh library.

Michael Schmidt dies at the age of 68

The photographer Michael Schmidt died last week, just days after he was awarded this year’s Prix Pictet for his photographic series Lebensmittel, a stark but eloquen record of the global food industry.

Glasgow School of Art

Last week’s major fire at the Glasgow School of Art destroyed its historic library, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. But firefighters have confirmed that 70% of the building’s contents were saved. The clean-up operation is ongoing.

Beds and Botticellis: Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction highlights

The auction houses have announced some star summer lots. Tracey Emin’s infamous bed will be sold at Christie’s, and Sotheby’s will auction the only drawing by Botticelli still in private hands.

The problem with artists’ houses

‘Artists’ houses can often be disappointing places to visit. We go hoping to find a shrine to a life of art, but discover instead only mundane domesticity…’ Martin Oldham questions our enthusiasm for historic artists’ properties.

Pricing out the public? The Piscine Molitor reopens in Paris

Designed in 1929, the Piscine Molitor is a key example of Parisian Art Deco architecture. It reopened after major renovation recently, but, as Caroline Rossiter reports, the exorbitant entry fee has raised eyebrows.