Features
On the eggcentricities of Hitchcock and Dalí
The Psycho director may have hated them, but for those who aren’t as easily shell-shocked, eggs can crack open a whole new world
The duchess who scandalised Spain
The Liria Palace in Madrid is paying tribute to its late, great owner in the form of installations by Joana Vasconcelos
The art of long-distance communication
The French invention of the telegraph in a fractured post-Revolutionary collapsed time and space, changing visual culture for ever
‘It’s not Grandma. But it also is’ – Will Wiles on a family portrait of sorts
The subject of a painting by Marie Laurencin was actually a French film star, but it will always have a strong family connection
What Wellington bought after Waterloo
An exhibition of the Dutch paintings the 1st Duke of Wellington acquired in Paris reveals another aspect of an extraordinary life
‘The vitality and sheer weirdness is thrilling’ – at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens
An exhibition of ancient art spanning centuries and islands isn’t afraid to let the objects speak for themselves
French winemaking with a South African twist
The Krone winery makes bubbly using French methods, but its steadfast support of artists and chefs is what really makes it sparkle
In Portugal, a world-class ceramics collection now has a home to match
The ceramics collection of Renato de Albuquerque can now be found in a state-of-the-art centre on a mission to educate and entice the public
The very smart cars of Ettore Bugatti
With its sensuous design and sleek fittings, the Bugatti 57C Vanvooren – like many of the manufacturer’s models – has become a style icon
The sensational designs of Alphonse Mucha
In his posters and illustrations the art nouveau artist fused Slavic motifs with Japanese influences to create a style that was truly cutting-edge
The Frick Collection makes a triumphant return to Fifth Avenue
The beloved New York museum is reopening its doors after a four-year refurbishment – and there’s more to delight the public than ever before
The Argentinian winery where you can see James Turrell at altitude
The treacherous journey to get to Colomé, home to a private art gallery and one of the world’s highest wineries, is well worth the trek
Acquisitions of the month: February 2025
Eastern icons for the Louvre and French Old Masters for the Art Institute of Chicago are among the most important works to have entered public collections recently
Tracey Emin’s passion for painting
In a powerful painting acquired by the Yale Center for British Art, the artist grapples with universal themes of love and loss, explains the museum’s director, Martina Droth
Salzburg, a city alive with the Sound of Music
Sixty years after the film’s release, locals are still surprised by visitors re-enacting a few of their favourite things
‘We’ve been living like this for years’ – on the fires in Southern California
Generations of residents have chosen to live in Los Angeles, perilously, but are the hazards now becoming too great?
The rise of performance art in Renaissance Italy
An accomplished musician as well as a painter, Lorenzo Costa was perfectly placed to capture the changing fashions and shifting social etiquette of his day
‘Bandjoun Station is an imposing proposition’
Clad in the symbolic designs of artist and founder Barthélémy Toguo, the arts centre in Cameroon is breaking new ground
Loewe brings Mr and Mrs Albers to the catwalk
The effect of translating Anni’s textiles and Josef’s paintings to fashion is, paradoxically, a heightened appreciation for the original work
Gilty pleasures – Versailles in the 21st century
With new leadership and restored rooms that haven’t looked this good since the Ancien Régime, the palace is entering a new golden era
The rewarding mystery of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
A large painting of three boys in the water does not readily disclose its secrets – but perhaps that is precisely the point
‘The painting ought not to feel measured – something horrible is happening’
Tessa Hadley is unsettled by Giovanni Bellini’s eerily calm depiction of the murder of Saint Peter Martyr
New kid on the bloc – behind the scenes at Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art
This nomadic gallery finally has a permanent home, but can the impressive collection protect it from Poland’s fraught cultural politics?
Layer cakes – the colourful confections of Wayne Thiebaud
In his voluptuous paintings of cakes and other foodstuffs, the American artist captured both pleasure and a sense of surfeit
When the Nazis pilloried modern art