‘Truly grotesque’ it may be, but the export bar placed on this characterful Victorian ceramic reflects its importance as a work of art
The mythical figure has taken many forms over the centuries, some more dignified than others
Anti-tsarist postcards were an important, and often beautiful, form of radical propaganda in Imperial Russia
A show at the Louvre explores the rise, fall and what remains of the ancient Hittite empire
The president of the European Commission has expanded – cryptically, of course – on his description of Angela Merkel as an ‘endearing work of art’
Despite its international popularity, the Japanese art form cannot be understood through images alone
Celebrations of costumes and couture are more popular than ever, but is there more to these shows than spectacle?
In the last decade local authority funding for museums has declined rapidly – but are some reasons for optimism emerging?
Paul Binski and Douglas Murphy weigh in on the debate over how Paris’s great cathedral should be rebuilt post-fire
Fancy a selfie with Salvador Dalí? An AI-generated version of the artist will be happy to oblige...
Fiona MacCarthy’s biography suggests that the architect’s greatest achievement may have been to assemble so much talent in one place
When a million Uyghur Muslims in China are being held in detention, the demolition of mosques comes as no surprise
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of the great English court painter, long known only as the ‘Curtain Master’
The Florentine master, who took Leonardo as an apprentice, was perhaps the most influential artist of his day
From political billboards to karaoke-fuelled performance art, Brexit is a looming presence in the city
The Art Fund is disbanding its volunteer network – is the culture sector becoming too professional?
With its exceptional collection of Old Masters and rich history, the museum has plenty to celebrate
A literary centre in the village of Bellaghy, County Derry returns visitors to the roots of Heaney’s poetry
Over the centuries Notre-Dame de Paris has become much more than a place of worship – it is a symbol of a nation
Balthus’ strange, dream-like paintings deliberately set out to unsettle viewers
We know what translation can do – but what does it look like? Eight centuries of multilingual activity is on show in Oxford
The great Gothic cathedral has inspired innumerable artists and writers over the centuries
Flaunted in public and pored over in private, the portraits of Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver encapsulate their age
The film tries to imagine what being the painter was like – the results are as stressful, and appealing, as you might expect
