To mark Winslow Homer’s birthday, we look at four very different marine scenes from across the ages – including one by the Boston-born painter himself
From pancakes to parades, pre-Lent indulgences bring joy to countless communities around this time of year
Chinese New Year is nigh – but the zodiac’s most auspicious creature has a storied history of baring its fangs in many other cultures, too
As the time-honoured tradition taps into our desire for spring, we dig into four seasonal subjects
From a festive snapshot to a paper angel, we’ve picked four objects that make up the perfect Christmas day
From snapshots of Martin Luther King Jr. to a mural commemorating the Peterloo massacre, we look at four objects that speak of the long struggle for civil rights
The seedier side of city life has captured the imaginations of artists throughout the decades
The British monarch was no patron of the arts, but the political upheaval of her reign inspired many writers and artists
Artists of the period found inventive ways of responding to and confronting an atmosphere of fear and oppression
Photographers have long used their medium to document pressing social issues and overlooked communities
Andy Warhol might get all the glory but there are many other artists associated with the movement whose work has been overshadowed or forgotten
144 years after Thomas Edison’s light bulb changed the world forever, we take look at four illuminating works of art and objects
Emerging in France in the 1720s, this new style gave artists free rein to be as over the top as they liked
The end of summer might provoke sadness for some but the changing colours of the landscape have captivated artists for centuries
On the 188th anniversary of the HMS Beagle landing on the Galápagos Islands, we take a look at four artworks and objects that tell the story of evolution
From a giant billiard table to a three storey concrete house, we take a look at some of the most compelling public artworks in recent history
From Scipione Borghese to Peggy Guggenheim, collectors have long supported the careers of the world’s most influential artists
On the anniversary of Captain Cook’s first voyage to Australia, we consider the history of exploration through four objects including a map of sea monsters and a robot used for navigation
How tales of witchcraft have spellbound artists and makers for centuries
On the anniversary of Jackson Pollock’s death, we look beyond the legend of the artist to the many other figures whose work defined the movement
To mark the anniversary of Neil Armstrong stepping foot on the moon, we take a look at four objects inspired by our beloved satellite
On this year’s Bastille Day, we have selected four works that capture the spirit of revolution
From Käthe Kollwitz to Edvard Munch and beyond, this week take a look at some of the key figures of this important movement
How artists have depicted homosexuality at various points in history
