When it came to projecting British power abroad, Christopher Wren proved a handy source of inspiration in the creation of an ‘English Renaissance’ style
Funny peculiar or funny haha? Perhaps some of the artists who seem a bit obscure are actually trying to make us laugh
The eye may be our most perceptive organ, but it can sometimes make us blind to the other senses
Packed with nods to the patron for whom it was painted, the ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ is one of Domenico Ghirlandaio’s most appealing works
The history of Dosso Dossi's painting of the ‘sorceress’ – otherwise known as Melissa – reveals a bewitching tale of romance
Thanks to mass production (and reproduction), in the 19th-century some middle-class homes began to resemble miniature picture galleries
For seven decades, Milton Gendel recorded his charmed existence in delightfully candid photos and diaries
The Cinémathèque française’s unsettling show about film-making and espionage reveals how much the two activities have in common
Are NFTs a revolutionary approach to new media art or simply a fleeting trend? Jane Morris explores the role of non-fungible tokens today
Mulled wine may be the fuel for contemporary Christmas celebrations but drinking it is a tradition that dates back to antiquity
While Britain was no less affected by the disease than the United States, the response of its gay artists at the start of the crisis was provocatively distinct
When it comes to gold-ground paintings from Italy, condition is everything and the older the work, the better
Contemporary artists are looking to geological forms less for aesthetic cues than for perspective on time, place and human agency
A menu designed to accompany the gallery’s survey of the artist pays homage to the flavours of Provence, but doesn’t quite live up to the works on show
Other European dynasties of the period had equally thriving court cultures, but none has had such a hold on the popular imagination
Tanya Harrod’s biography of the unfairly neglected painter champions his scenes of London working-class life
Few 18th-century painters were more enthusiastic about embracing English literature than the Swiss-born artist
An illuminating exhibition in Vienna explores how artists from the Greeks on have revelled in rivalries
Lace-making is an exacting craft – and who gets to wear the results is an equally delicate matter
Curator Dany Chan takes a close look at an exquisite jade cup in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
The French architect Renée Gailhoustet designed some of the most ingenious post-war schemes built in Paris – and still lives in one of them today
The Japanese ceramicist infused his approach to pottery with British traditions from his travels in the 1920s, before bringing this new style back to his native country
We are well used to art expressing mental anguish, yet when we are presented with work that responds to physical pain, our urge is to look away
The maison’s limited-edition bottles designed by contemporary artists, designers and architects have secured its place as leader in the luxury market
