Native American belts made of wampum shells have long fulfilled a diplomatic purpose – and as such are very much a living art
The novelist may be little read today, but his fiction inspired an enduring, Romantic vision of the past
The giant ferris wheel may now be part of the furniture – but the view from on high is still revolutionary
Most Parisians treat the Arc de Triomphe as a glorified roundabout – but by climbing it they'd see the city in a new light
The sculptor took Restoration England by storm with his virtuosic woodwork
Through the Italian painter’s eyes, the German city became both an idealised version of itself and a surrogate for his native Venice
Why do paintings and objects from the Tudor and Stuart periods have so much to say for themselves?
An art trail at Wembley Park won’t change the behaviour of football fans – but the best works here are at least sensitive to their surroundings
One of the world’s greatest collections of medieval manuscripts now has state-of-the-art accommodation, writes Michael Prodger
At the Palazzo Grimani, more classical sculptures can now be seen in the splendid rooms in which they were once displayed
Sitting on the steps is now forbidden – but for centuries, the monumental staircase has been one of Rome’s most theatrical attractions
A troupe of nimble-footed technicians has been drafted in to restore monuments up and down the country – without a scaffold in sight
The early Olympic games of the modern era set out to celebrate both ‘muscle and mind’ – which meant that artists were in the mix for medals
The former stock exchange building in Paris has been filled with blue-chip art from the French billionaire’s collection
With Apollo’s food column to fill, Thomas Marks heads to the reimagined museum in East London to inspect its kitchens
Sport nowhere for most of last year – and now sport everywhere. But there is some passable sport art out there, we promise...
It’s the aquatic cousin to metal detecting – and an increasing number of devotees are casting off into rivers and canals in search of trash and treasure
Every 18 year old in France has been given €300 to spend on culture
Museums might be better at bringing the contents of grand historic piles to life than the houses themselves
The British artist’s scope and influence have long been neglected – but at the centenary of his birth, will a pair of exhibitions turn the tide?
The Swiss artist’s tableaux of tables capture the joys of dining in good company
Works produced in prison by the artist Fatos Irwen speak to the increasingly repressive climate for Kurds in Turkey
The visual arts have often toyed with odours and smells, however challenging they are to represent
The much-loved author cut his teeth on illustrations for medical ad campaigns – which proved ideal training for the world of children's books
