The Week’s Muse: 7 March

A round-up of recent news and comment from The Muse Room

The March issue of Apollo is out now

Inside, Lily Le Brun goes in search of women artists in museums; Tom Jeffreys surveys Finland’s art scene; Graham W.J. Beal discusses his successful crisis management at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Thomas Marks is won over by single-artist museums and Van Gogh; Mark Hallett reminisces about his long-term relationship with Joshua Reynolds; Susan Moore previews the upcoming art sales; and more…

Islamic State iconoclasm in Iraq

ISIL have staged a series of calculated iconoclastic attacks on Iraq’s cultural heritage in recent weeks, burning books in Mosul’s library, smashing exhibits in its museum, and taking bulldozers to the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud. Peter Stone wrote in our February issue about efforts to safeguard cultural property in war zones – but what can be done in the face of such deliberate destruction?

Heading to TEFAF? Highlights in and around Maastricht

Susan Moore has picked out her TEFAF 2015 highlights, from a statue of Aphrodite to a curvy contemporary frame, via Blake, Liotard, and a caviar scoop. If you’ve time to explore, there’s plenty to see in and around Maastricht, too.

Heading to New York? Highlights from The Armory Show

The Armory Show in New York is one of the biggest events in the city’s art calendar, attracting top level modern and contemporary art dealers from around the world. There are some great works on show this year, from Hepworth’s polished sculptures to On Kawara’s obsessive catalogues.

Paul Durand-Ruel: Gambler, Discoverer or Inventor?

The National Gallery’s latest exhibition celebrates Paul Durand-Ruel, the maverick French art dealer who first championed the Impressionists. By mid September, the same show will have toured three cities and picked up three different titles along the way. So which was he: gambler, discoverer, or inventor?

The Catlin Art Prize shortlist

Art Catlin have scoured the UK’s art schools for the best new graduates. This week, they announced the eight finalists for the £5,000 Catlin Art Prize. Their work, which goes on show in London in May, ranges from flower painting to performance art. Who do you think should win?

Acquisitions of the Month

William Scheide reads in the Scheide Library. Photo by Natasha D’Schommer

William Scheide has bequeathed an entire library of rare books to Princeton University; Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen have given 175 works to the Stedelijk; Inuit artist Abraham Anghik Ruben has created a work especially for the Rockwell Museum, to name but a few major recent acquisitions.