Apollo

‘You have to look into the past to move forward’ – an interview with Zineb Sedira

The French-Algerian artist explains her fascination with the activism of the 1960s and why, for her, the personal really is political

In good company – at the Vintners’ Hall in the City of London

The court room at Vintners’ Hall in London

The Worshipful Company of Vintners still provides a very convivial welcome

First-class results in Cambridge

A new library at Magdalene College and a dining hall at Homerton make the most of modern craftsmanship

How Christopher Wren built his reputation

On the 300th anniversary of his death, the architect’s fame remains unassailable – but the character of the man is more contested than ever, writes Matthew Walker

Learning in style at the Bibliothèque nationale

The French national library’s exceptional collections now have the setting they deserve

How healthy is the market for Old Masters?

Blockbuster shows and occasional auction records can seem at odds with the lukewarm interest from collectors

An insider’s guide to 18th-century Ireland

Robert O’Byrne reads between the lines of the itemised contents of great Irish houses

Renaissance painting in its prime

David Young Kim’s ingenious study of grounds and figures takes the reader on an unfamiliar journey through familiar territory

The tale of the magpie that taunted a tiger

Robert Mintz of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco explains how tensions between tigers and magpies in Korean folk tales made their way on to a porcelain vase

Constructive criticism and mid-century modernism

Eero Saarinen’s marriage to the publicist Aline Louchheim tells us a lot about how the architect made his name

Modern myths about ancient Egypt

In Turin, traces of ancient Egypt are never far away, which makes it a welcoming place for contemporary artists with a historical bent

The family that made John Singer Sargent feel at home

The painter’s close friendship with the Wertheimers is quite evident in the many portraits he made of them all

Edward Hopper’s fear of heights

The painter who defined the experience of modern New York never felt quite at home in the high-rise city

The heavenly bodies of Guido Reni

An exhibition at the Städel Museum shows that the baroque painter’s idealised figures are certainly an acquired taste

Silicon Valley’s highly developed sense of self

Tech companies have long tried to put a human face on their latest innovations, with varying degrees of success

Auction highlights – how André Leon Talley made his mark

The collection of the influential fashion journalist with a penchant for voluminous caftans is up for sale at Christie’s in February

A Passion for Collecting Manuscripts

The Getty Center presents highlights from its magnificent collection of medieval manuscripts

Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings, 1550–1800

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., celebrates the past masters of making art that goes over your head

The week in art news – John Akomfrah to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale

Plus: archaeological artefacts returned to Italy from the United States, and Edinburgh landmark damaged by fire

Knives out – the fine art of carving meat

In the 17th century, tips for carving could often be gleaned at the card table

Girls observed: the art of taking young women seriously

Painting of the Dancer Alexander Sacharoff

Hettie Judah on what artists have got right (and also wrong) when it comes to depictions of girls

The sophisticated Japanese paintings that have never gone out of style

Works by the true masters of the Rinpa style are rare – which makes prices rather high

Around the galleries – New York falls head over heels for Asian art

What not to miss at Asia Week New York, plus our pick of gallery shows coming up

Pussy Riot’s plan to reduce Putin to ashes

Nadya Tolokonniva talks about the importance of continuing to protest – but she’s wary of becoming burnt out in the process