Reviews
Marina Abramovic goes missing in Oxford
The performance artist is absent from her latest show, instead getting visitors to do the work through wellness-style meditations. Is it worth the effort?
What can we learn from looking at doubles?
An exhibition examining ‘doubles’ in modern art at National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. ends up a little out of focus
What separates archaeologists from treasure-hunters?
Maria Golia’s history of tomb-raiding in ancient Egypt makes for an entertaining read but there are graver matters to consider
The extraordinary life of Ibrahim El-Salahi
In his memoir, the artist reflects on how his life and approach to making art have been shaped by the events in his home country of Sudan
How Van Dyck made his mark on English portraiture
It’s no secret that Van Dyck inspired generations of artists, but a new book paints a more nuanced picture of the painter’s reception
The English oddballs who cultivated their very own gardens of Eden
In ‘English Garden Eccentrics’, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan introduces us to a gallery of historical horticulturists, all determined to create their own private paradises
How Alfred Munnings got his commercial break
From mustard adverts to Art Nouveau-inspired posters, a show of early works by the horse painter and vehement anti-modernist is full of surprises
Duncan Grant’s private erotica finally gets a public outing
There’s nothing remotely shameful about the artist’s exuberant and explicit sketches of cavorting satyrs and manly men
There’s nothing nonsensical about the lonely landscapes of Edward Lear
The Victorian poet and painter mapped out his moods in meticulous detail, sometimes even minute by minute
Bank account – the story of London’s lost riverside palaces
The Strand is now one of the capital’s busiest thoroughfares, but it was once home to a string of magnificent mansions
In search of the real Carolee Schneemann
The late performance artist celebrated the messiness of bodies in her work – so it’s a shame her survey at the Barbican all feels a bit clean
How Duchamp got himself out of the doldrums
The artist was at something of a standstill before a French critic came along with the idea for a book that gained him a host of new admirers
The British nudists who had their minds set on higher things
Annebella Pollen’s history of nudism in 20th-century Britain takes the movement as seriously as it took itself
Learning curves – how to see Cézanne with fresh eyes
By making unexpected connections and comparisons, this revelatory show allows the painter’s real achievements to become clearer than they have ever been
Is Milton Avery really a forgotten American great?
We’ve struggled to classify the painter as one of history’s greats for very good reason
Why are the British so fond of fancy dress?
Dressing up – at balls, fetes and simply for fun – has long provided Britons of all classes with a creative outlet
Fine romances – the art of illustration in 15th-century Herat
As two of the British Library’s most beautiful manuscripts show, the art of illustration hit new and extraordinary heights in 15th-century Herat
The call of the shopping mall
In ‘Meet Me by the Fountain’, Alexandra Lange uncovers the surprisingly utopian origins of the modern mall and defends it from its critics
How Renaissance artists captured Portugal’s golden age
Portugal’s period of ascendancy can be charted through the paintings of the times
The artists who have managed to see the forest for the trees
People have always been fascinated by forests but, as a show in Lille suggests, seeing them as ideal, untouched places misunderstands their true nature
Harmless fun – the crafty cartoons of Heath Robinson
More than a century later, the English cartoonist’s ingenious drawings can still tickle the imaginations of modern audiences
The aristocrats who conquered 18th-century society in style
In ‘Enlightened Eclecticism’, Adriano Aymonino shows how the 1st Duke and Duchess of Northumberland made over their stately homes to advance their social ambitions
How August Sander faced up to modern times
By turning social types into individuals, the photographer influenced many of his contemporaries and shaped how we see the 20th-century
Shifting sensibilities – how plein-air painting became all the rage
Once overlooked by both artists and collectors, the urgency of landscape studies holds an obvious appeal for modern audiences
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