Reviews

Giovanni Morelli was a complex character, as attentive to the state of the Italian nation as he was to its art

Without Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion models, science-fiction films wouldn’t look like they do today

In his skewering of authority figures, Ralph Steadman bears comparison with some of the great artists of modern times

The photographer’s images of the struggle for civil rights are as relevant as when they were first made

The muddy foreshore of the Thames has been an unlikely treasure trove for amateur archaeologists

From commemorative wares to ordinary utensils, inscribing dates on household objects was once common practice

The artist’s complex depictions of Kenya present scenes of violence alongside moments of beauty

For the artists in this exhibition at the Pera Museum, a traditional form turns out to be ripe for reinvention

During a residency at the gallery, the artist has made works inspired by the drama of Spanish Golden Age painting

A personal guide to the playful structures has much in common with its whimsical subject

When it came to cataloguing the Royal Collection’s holdings of the Old Master, only the latest technology would do for the Prince Consort

A scholar’s 40-year quest to trace the origins of the world’s most famous length of linen makes for a gripping read

A biography of the artist known as the ‘painter of light’ explores his fascination with gloomy subjects

Matisse was already in his 60s when he began to design books – but this new direction would inspire some of his most engaging works

The quilts made in Gee’s Bend, Alabama are often compared with modern paintings, but should be seen as great works in their own right

All the world’s a set for the director’s films, according to an enjoyably idiosyncratic travel guide