Cosmetic surgery – a Stuart beauty is restored to her natural state
The retouching of Diana Cecil’s portrait has drawn comparisons with Kylie Jenner – but it says more about unrealistic beauty standards through the ages
The repeat performances of Robert Ryman
The artist painted countless variations of a white square, but repetitive strain was never really an issue
Four things to see: Christmas
From a festive snapshot to a paper angel, we’ve picked four objects that make up the perfect Christmas day
The magazine that wanted to remake architecture
An exhibition at RIBA reveals how, in the 1960s, Architectural Review took a radical stand for planning that focused on people
Chiharu Shiota weaves her magic for Mouton Rothschild
The Japanese artist is the latest to take on the prestigious commission to design the vineyard’s label, it was announced today
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Have single-owner sales had their day?
Mediocre results for the November auctions in New York suggest that the auction-houses have put too many eggs in the same kind of basket
Four things to see: Civil Rights
From snapshots of Martin Luther King Jr. to a mural commemorating the Peterloo massacre, we look at four objects that speak of the long struggle for civil rights
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In the studio with… Es Devlin
The multidisciplinary artist begins her work in bed each morning and spends her afternoons cycling to meetings, equipped with two large saddlebags
In the studio with… Claudette Johnson
The painter works on several pieces at a time with the occasional break to use her skipping rope
December 2023
• The Pop sculptures of Marisol
• The rise of the Renaissance woman
• Canine art at the Kennel Club
• Building modern India
Plus: festive geese for the table, the demand for French art deco furniture, visions of heaven and hell at the Morgan Library, and reviews of Venetian painting in Munich, John Lavery in Dublin and an 18th-century guide to marble
Stage presence – the theatrical paintings of John Lavery
The artist could be a touch wooden at times, but a survey in Dublin shows that his best work is full of theatrical flair
The rise of the Renaissance woman
The flurry of exhibitions focusing on women artists is very welcome – as long as they avoid reinforcing tired old narratives
Blackpink goes to Buckingham Palace
The K-Pop quartet attended a State Banquet for the South Korean president hosted by the new king – but perhaps its members might take up more permanent residence?
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‘I needed a porcelain life’ – Christine Coulson treats a person like a work of art
One Woman Show is a novel about a socialite’s progress through the 20th century, told in the style of wall labels you might find at the Met
A continental breakfast worth tucking into twice
Jean-Étienne Liotard depicted the same scene first in pastel, then 23 years later in oils – and both versions can be savoured for a time at the National Gallery in London
Four things to see: art and nightlife
The seedier side of city life has captured the imaginations of artists throughout the decades
The cover stories of Andrew Cranston
The artist’s playful and delicate works, often painted on book jackets, conceal a serious interest in animals, absurdity and art history
The cover stories of Andrew Cranston
The artist’s playful and delicate works, often painted on book jackets, conceal a serious interest in animals, absurdity and art history
Under the influence – can social media stars also be market makers?
Cause and effect is hard to pin down, but a certain type of celebrity association does seem to affect the value of a work of art
Lost in fantasy at the British Library
This impressive exhibition takes us through the very long history of a literary genre, but overlooks the part played by artists and illustrators
Christmas Tree Installation 2023: Power Plant
The V&A’s annual festive commission is a four-metre-tall kinetic sculpture by design duo Isabel + Helen
The Neapolitan Crèche
A spectacular baroque nativity scene featuring some 200 figures is now on show at the Art Institute of Chicago
Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche
A presepio scene by the sculptor Giuseppe Sanmartino is paired with a 20-foot-tree at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Christmas at the Jägerhof
The Museum of Saxon Folk Art in Dresden is exploring regional festive traditions – not least the elaborate shadow plays from the town of Sebnitz
The artists who want to enter the monster zone
Creativity often flouts conventions, so it’s no wonder more women want to become thoroughly monstrous