Reviews

The Hayward’s survey of contemporary painting proves that the medium is thriving – with the figurative artists perhaps edging that little bit ahead

An entrancing exhibition shows how Cosimo I de’ Medici harnessed art to consolidate his family’s grip on power

Artists and writers have always been fascinated by flowers – and we all like receiving them – but some floral arrangements are more sinister than others

The gods were great sticklers for ceremony and frowned on oenophiles who didn’t observe the rules

Richard Chopping’s striking designs for Ian Fleming’s novels add greatly to the books’ allure for collectors – but his artistic talent went far beyond Bond

Exit through the gift shop at Tottenham Hotspur and you’ll find a gallery full of art inspired by the beautiful game

Not all works of art need be interpreted – some simply demand that we spend some quality time with them

John Crome was among the greatest English landscape painters of his day – but you’ve probably never heard of him

Nicola Suthor’s study of the self-confident style known as ‘bravura’ is something of a virtuoso affair

The British artist rejected modernism, but in life as in art she was hardly conservative

An Enlightenment project to classify all the colours in the natural world is an extraordinary feat of ingenuity

The dairy at Rambouillet was a masterpiece of neoclassical design

For more than a century, the Bibiena family created spectacular sets that delighted and deceived audiences

Typewriters may be museum pieces now, but they created office jobs for women and by doing so changed the 20th century

Peter Fischli has curated a show about the demise of painting – but his take is that it’s still very much alive

When the painter finally moved to the capital, he was quick to make the most of the opportunities on offer

Tom Eckersley’s posters are rightfully regarded as masterpieces – partly because he worked with clients who were also first-rate

A pair of monumental landscapes painted in his later years offer an unusually personal glimpse of the artist himself

The British artist looked to nature to provide material for her surreal creations

The founder of Lettrism wasn’t the only avant-garde artist with a god complex, but he may have been the most messianic

A whirlwind journey through 5,000 years of Iranian civilisation charts change and continuity in a culture that has absorbed all manner of influences

Is it enough for Western museums to say how they came by their colonial-era artefacts – or should they just give them back?

The painter had a keen eye for crockery – and the best pieces from his collection got to star in his art