Portrait of the King as a Young Artist
As Charles III’s juvenilia comes to auction, Rakewell’s thoughts turn to other members of the royal family who have displayed artistic tendencies
The hunt for the Loch Ness Monster continues
Rakewell isn’t about to quit the city to stake it all on a monster hunt – but there have been some significant sightings in museum collections
The price of nothing and the value of everything
A surprising statement from Nicholas Serota leads Rakewell to reflect on the nature of ‘value’
How to live like Courtney Love
The grunge goddess seems very comfortable in her celebrity skin these days, if a recent interview is anything to go by
The Olivia de Havilland sale deserves to be a soaring success
The actor best known for playing the saintly Melanie Hamilton in ‘Gone with the Wind’ was made of much sterner stuff in real life
The National Gallery throws its director to the wolves
Guests at the opening of ‘Saint Francis of Assisi’ included two very fetching wolf-dogs. Rakewell regrets not making their acquaintance.
A surprise pest of honour at the Met Gala
The sensational appearance of a cockroach at this year’s Met Gala leads Rakewell to reflect on other star turns performed by the creepy-crawly
I want it all – Freddie Mercury’s collection comes under the hammer
Sotheby’s claims the rockstar was also a fervent art collector but Rakewell can’t help wonder if this is just fantasy?
Live like Kendall Roy, if you have $29m to spare (or like Roman for $38m)
Succession fans with millions to spend can now live like the Roy brother of their choice (as ever, that doesn’t include Connor)
Just Stop Oil’s big break
The climate protestors have copped a lot of flak for taking on the snooker – but at least it makes a change from museums
Welcome to Van Gogh World!
Plans to create a climate-themed biennale in the region of the painter’s birth could be a rollercoaster ride for everyone concerned
The villains have all the best addresses in the new John Wick film
Perhaps Keanu Reeve’s restless hitman should stop settling scores and settle down in the Louvre instead?
The mystery of the Jackson Pollock meant for Lauren Bacall
The Hollywood superstar inspired artists of all kinds – and Rakewell sincerely hopes that Jackson Pollock was among them
John Berger as you’ve never heard him before
The remarkable revelation of John Berger’s cameo in Grand Theft Auto leads Rakewell to cast around for some other surprising turns by eminent critics
Art for cats? Yes purr-lease!
A new Artangel project has sent Rakewell into raptures – though it’s trickier to decipher what the intended feline audience makes of it all
At last – a work of performance art we can all savour
Sarah Merker has just completed a remarkable ten-year quest to sample the scones at every National Trust tearoom in the country
The truth about turnips
Following Thérèse Coffey’s suggestion that we should all eat more turnips, Rakewell takes a look at the best depictions of the vegetable throughout art history
The curious incident of the balloon dog at the art fair
The breaking of a Jeff Koons Balloon Dog sculpture at an art fair in Miami may be less shattering news than it seems
Pharrell is frontin’ Louis Vuitton
Rakewell hopes the fashion house’s newest designer will bring everyone much happiness
So many UK culture ministers, so little time in office
As the 12th secretary of state for culture in the UK takes up their post, Rakewell spots at least one thing they all have in common
Schiaparelli gets the lion’s share of the attention at Paris Fashion Week
Kylie Jenner and Naomi Campbell turned heads with their faux-taxidermy-trimmed outfits – and recalled some more legendary setters of style
Who’s in and who’s out in Soho clubland
Rakewell wonders what to make of the news that Quo Vadis’s doors are moving to the Groucho club
Why is the mayor of Amiens desperately seeking Madonna’s help?
The popstar is believed to own an artwork which has been missing from Amiens since the First World War
A short visual history of heirs and spares
A cursory look at some princely portraits might have encouraged Harry to head for the Californian hills even earlier
Pilgrims’ progress? The Vatican Jubilee has frustrated Romans and tourists alike