Sheila Hicks and the art of infinite possibility
A retrospective by the textile artist contains works that are so inviting you might want to throw yourself into them
How the return of Asante gold is going down in Ghana
How to express yourself in Tudor England
The identity of two terracotta busts attributed to Guido Mazzoni may be up for debate, but there’s no denying the emotional possibilities of the material in which they’re made
The gardens that had to make way for London’s growth
Todd Longstaffe-Gowan’s exhibition about the capital’s lost green spaces yields a rich crop of curiosities
At BRAFA, surprise encounters are the key to success
Works from diverse periods, schools and places rub shoulders at the long-running Brussels event and help keep things fresh
Advert
Pope Francis and the films of Federico Fellini
In his memoir, the Pope praises masterpieces of Italian neorealism by Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini – and defends Fellini with some assistance from Pasolini
The memory palace of Mario Praz
The scholar’s meticulously preserved apartment in Rome testifies to his passion for all things 19th century, and to how he treated collecting as a form of memoir
Advert
In the studio with… Jakkai Siributr
The Thai textile artist prefers silence in his studio so he can listen to his thoughts – which proves tricky when his dogs are hanging around
In the studio with… Chrissie Hynde
The rockstar-turned-artist revels in her solitude and shuts the door to everyone except her dog when she’s in the studio – which is also her flat
January 2025
• The art of divination
• Will the art market recover in 2025?
• The obsessive collecting of Mario Praz
• An interview with Jake Grewal
Also: Edith Wharton’s dream house, the tempting textiles of Sheila Hicks, how the return of Asante gold has been received in Ghana, the architect who startled Georgian London; reviews of Sienese painting at the Met and high tech art at Tate Modern, the life of Augustus the Strong and a photo-novel about eccentric sisters. Plus: Hettie Judah on the problem with portraits
The woman who brought shop-window mannequins to life
London’s Fashion and Textile Museum celebrates the era when Adel Rootstein’s factory produced innovative, glamorous models – and laments the blandness of the industry today
Romare Bearden and all that jazz
The artist’s collages inspired by his time in Paris reflect his love of the city’s music scene and reverence for the likes of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong
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
Advert
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
The Traitors and the architecture of intrigue
A stone folly at the castle where Claudia Winkleman sniffs out treachery on television puts Apollo’s roving correspondent in mind of other perfect sites for plotting
‘I’m not worried about going stagnant or out of fashion’ – an interview with Jake Grewal
Ahead of an exhibition at Studio Voltaire, the painter talks to Apollo about queerness, his obsession with charcoal and why he loves the work of Keith Vaughan
After centuries of neglect, Plautilla Nelli’s reputation is soaring again
The resurgence of interest in female Renaissance painters has reached the Florentine nun and her workshop – and it’s time to pay more attention to artists in other Tuscan convents
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
The wild imagination of Maurice Sendak
The true gift of the author of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ was to see the world like a child and blur the line between dreams and reality
In Turin, the world’s oldest Egyptian museum turns 200
Museums devoted solely to Egyptian antiquities are rare and Turin’s also tells the story of Italy’s long and complex relationship with the land of the pharaohs
Strange and Familiar Places
The Nelson-Atkins Museum presents recent photographic acquisitions that explore community and tradition in the United States
Northern Lights
Artists from Canada and Scandinavia have long been drawn to the beauty of boreal forests, as this show at the Fondation Beyeler attests
The World in Colors: Slovenian Painting 1848–1918
During Slovenia’s period of national emancipation artists absorbed influences from Western Europe while retaining a distinctive style
Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism
From colourful landscapes to quasi-cubist works, Brazilian art in the mid 20th century was full of verve
‘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