Robert Walpole was a supreme political operator – but his power and personal wealth made him a splendid butt of satire, too
Walking around the city can feel like following in the footsteps of the famous photographer – but today’s empty streets are altogether more depressing
Many British royals have been keen on acquiring works of art, but few have been as diligent about looking after them as Queen Mary
You’re not going abroad this summer – but you can still have a holiday with an artistic twist
The restored tomb of Augustus reopened this month – and an extensive new website gives a good sense of what has happened to it over the last two thousand years
The glittering displays of Noël Coward and chums masked an altogether less divine reality – but anxiety and fear were always part of the act
Irma Stern’s idylls of African life have too often been read at face value – but they mask a more troubled history
Since the 1960s, artists and designers have regarded the brooch as a miniature sculpture – and an opportunity to try out new materials and techniques
Norman Rosenthal celebrates a great champion of contemporary art in Britain, who as director of the Tate founded the Turner Prize
Will Martin steps away from his screen and takes his cues from some of the world’s leading contemporary artists
When Marie Antoinette had a theatre built at Versailles, her play-acting took to a stage of its own – and now this splendid interior has been meticulously restored
A proposed law will prevent journalists and the public from photographing the police – and follows widely publicised acts of police brutality, writes Valeria Costa-Kostritsky
Videos of top Italian chefs chewing over the Uffizi’s collection have a delightfully homemade flavour
Richard and Isabel Burton are buried in a quiet churchyard in south London – but their remarkable tomb is a fitting monument to these insatiable travellers
Videos have become relics of a bygone era – but they are attracting a new following, glitches and all
Stringing glass beads was once the main work available to Venetian women – but it's now a protected craft pursued by only a handful of skilled artists
Ivan Morozov built one of the greatest modern art collections in the world – but only a century after his death is his legacy being recognised
Museums in Switzerland have appealed to the government to let them reopen – and French museums are following suit
Mulberry trees are rare in the city, yet more than one is currently under threat – including the oldest tree in the East End
The humble apple has enticed all manner of artists, from Greek potters to Pop pioneers
One of Mary Cassatt’s sensitive portraits of childhood is among this month’s highlights – along with the Trump Baby blimp
Did Raphael know a bream from a sardine? Tessa Murdoch consults her fishmonger
Georg Baselitz says it makes the viewer pay closer attention – but plenty of paintings have simply been upended due to gallerists’ gaffes
The colourful TV chef Keith Floyd makes an unlikely subject for fine art – but for the painter Lydia Blakeley, he has all the right ingredients
