It’s not just federally funded museums that have reason to be wary. Self-censorship is also a danger, and all institutions should stand up for their stated principles
As development agencies have become increasingly entangled with heritage projects, the end of USAID raises the question of who will fill the funding gap
Archives are much more than stuffy storerooms filled with dried-out documents, and might be our best way of connecting to the past
UK museums are hamstrung by outdated laws around restitution. It’s time for politicians to end the impasse and give them greater autonomy over their collections
Women have often been thought susceptible to demonic influence, and creativity can be seen as a form of possession – notions reclaimed by artists in ingenious ways
If AI is treated as little more than a fashionable selling point, then its potential to create genuinely innovative art may be lost
The sinister corporation in the dystopian office drama really cares about art, but the paintings on the walls only highlight the workers’ sense of alienation rather than relieving it
Shattered by high energy prices and shifting consumer habits, the historic Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent are more vulnerable than ever
Nothing gets a certain type of viewer more hot under the cravat than anachronisms in period drama – but the best inaccuracies are artistically liberating
The winner of the competition to redesign the most popular galleries will be announced next month, but are the finalists thinking hard enough what the museum should really be?
The art world tends to favour self-promoting extroverts, but it is often the eccentrics and wallflowers who make the most interesting work
Art can never bring anything back to life, but it can help what has been lost live on in the imagination
Figurative art is on the up and up but that doesn’t mean that every painting of a person is a literal depiction
The film-maker was always an original but what makes his work unforgettable – and inspiring to other artists – is its radical sincerity
The planned renovation of Minster Court in the City says much about the attitude of developers to our postmodern buildings
The Met’s Siena show was the toast of New York and the National Gallery’s version is expected to wow London. After December’s strong Old Master sales, the past is looking golden
A ring collector who became a leading expert in the field of jewellery studies, Scarisbrick always retained a direct, personal approach to the subject
During her time as director of the Wallace Collection and well beyond it, Savill was a champion of the decorative arts and her beloved Sèvres porcelain, and a dedicated public servant
An Austrian museum is hosting a show by an unnamed artist – but perhaps this act of secrecy will help us see the work more clearly
Preparations for this 700-year-old tradition, which ushers in a special year of forgiveness for Catholics, are nearing completion. Will it all be worth it?
A show of surgical paintings by Celia Hempton raises questions about how far the artist's eye can penetrate beneath the surface of things
Edward Behrens explores the ingredients for achieving in the art world
The late painter’s untamed depictions of the city are some of the most exciting works of art produced in Britain in the 20th century
Recent results for the London auctions may be a sign that things aren’t all doom and gloom
What the dismantling of USAID means for world heritage
As development agencies have become increasingly entangled with heritage projects, the end of USAID raises the question of who will fill the funding gap
‘Archives are the closest thing we have to a time machine’
Archives are much more than stuffy storerooms filled with dried-out documents, and might be our best way of connecting to the past
How to give back looted objects
UK museums are hamstrung by outdated laws around restitution. It’s time for politicians to end the impasse and give them greater autonomy over their collections
The artists full of sympathy for the devil
Women have often been thought susceptible to demonic influence, and creativity can be seen as a form of possession – notions reclaimed by artists in ingenious ways
Who will put the art into artificial intelligence?
If AI is treated as little more than a fashionable selling point, then its potential to create genuinely innovative art may be lost
What Severance says about our fractured selves
The sinister corporation in the dystopian office drama really cares about art, but the paintings on the walls only highlight the workers’ sense of alienation rather than relieving it
Can Britain’s fragile pottery industry survive?
Shattered by high energy prices and shifting consumer habits, the historic Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent are more vulnerable than ever
What would Jane Austen say?
Nothing gets a certain type of viewer more hot under the cravat than anachronisms in period drama – but the best inaccuracies are artistically liberating
Who will reimagine the British Museum?
The winner of the competition to redesign the most popular galleries will be announced next month, but are the finalists thinking hard enough what the museum should really be?
In defence of the outsider artist
The art world tends to favour self-promoting extroverts, but it is often the eccentrics and wallflowers who make the most interesting work
How artists respond to disaster
Art can never bring anything back to life, but it can help what has been lost live on in the imagination
Do portraits have an image problem?
Figurative art is on the up and up but that doesn’t mean that every painting of a person is a literal depiction
‘He wasn’t edgy. He was honest’ – on the genius of David Lynch
The film-maker was always an original but what makes his work unforgettable – and inspiring to other artists – is its radical sincerity
London has its own Dracula’s castle – and a stake is about to be driven through its heart
The planned renovation of Minster Court in the City says much about the attitude of developers to our postmodern buildings
Are the Old Masters going up in the art world?
The Met’s Siena show was the toast of New York and the National Gallery’s version is expected to wow London. After December’s strong Old Master sales, the past is looking golden
‘Her rings were her first teachers’ – a tribute to Diana Scarisbrick (1928–2024)
A ring collector who became a leading expert in the field of jewellery studies, Scarisbrick always retained a direct, personal approach to the subject
‘She had no time for elitism, but was passionate about excellence’ – a tribute to Rosalind Savill
During her time as director of the Wallace Collection and well beyond it, Savill was a champion of the decorative arts and her beloved Sèvres porcelain, and a dedicated public servant
What happens when an artist wants to be anonymous?
An Austrian museum is hosting a show by an unnamed artist – but perhaps this act of secrecy will help us see the work more clearly
Pilgrims’ progress? The Vatican Jubilee has frustrated Romans and tourists alike
Preparations for this 700-year-old tradition, which ushers in a special year of forgiveness for Catholics, are nearing completion. Will it all be worth it?
What painters and anatomists have in common
A show of surgical paintings by Celia Hempton raises questions about how far the artist's eye can penetrate beneath the surface of things
Martha Stewart’s recipe for success
Edward Behrens explores the ingredients for achieving in the art world
Seeing London through Frank Auerbach’s eyes
The late painter’s untamed depictions of the city are some of the most exciting works of art produced in Britain in the 20th century
Are the art market’s problems being blown out of proportion?
Recent results for the London auctions may be a sign that things aren’t all doom and gloom