Van Gogh’s potatoes are no small fry
The Dutch artist was a dab hand at painting spuds, but why haven’t more artists been inspired by the terrific tuber?
Jane Austen threatens to sully Winchester
A proposed statue of the author has caused a fuss among local residents, but does anyone really like public sculptures anyway?
The V&A enters its Swiftie era
The museum has announced an opening for a Taylor Swift ‘superfan’ – but this bid for commercial appeal doesn’t seem to be reflected by the salary on offer
The Fab Four get the Rashomon treatment
On hearing that Sam Mendes is set to direct four Beatles biopics – one for each band member – your roving reporter wonders if it’s all too much
Amazon gets the art world wrong again
The streamer’s latest romcom, ‘Upgraded’, stretches artistic licence to its limits
All hail Flaco, the owl who rules Manhattan
The Central Park Zoo escapee was born in chains, but everywhere from the Upper West Side to the East Village he is now free
Cindy Sherman gets a makeover for Marc Jacobs
Cindy Sherman stars in the fashion designer’s latest ad campaign – and she’s not the first artist who has modelled in this way
Spiderman swings into action at auction
After the sale of the first The Amazing Spider-Man’ comic for $1.4m, Rakewell suggests that when it comes to the big screen, Marvel should tap into its spidey-sense again
Succession sparks a bidding war
Fancy Kendall’s Zippo, or one of Shiv’s suits? Now’s your chance, with HBO auctioning off the Roy family’s paraphernalia
Are the British Museum and BP made for each other?
As two British multinationals with deep imperial roots and interim CEOs partner for another ten years, perhaps birds of a feather are merely flocking together
A brief guide to duelling versions of The Three Musketeers
Eva Green steals every scene in the new version of Alexandre Dumas’s novel – but the new film is just the latest in a long line of swashbuckling adaptations
Shane MacGowan and the most famous shipwreck in art
The Pogues frontman and the Romantic painter are forever linked by a classic album cover – and much more besides
What would Pericles want for the Parthenon marbles?
After a week in which a British prime minister has realised, seemingly for the first time, that Greece would quite like the Parthenon marbles back, it’s worth taking a longer view
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?
The art of being Barbra
Barbra Streisand’s doorstopper of a memoir suggests that the real love of the star’s life is the painter Modigliani
When it comes to culture, the UK has lost the plot – and found Nadine Dorries
Rakewell is delighted to discover that the former culture minister’s memoir contains more than one vague musing about the art of Downing Street
Censorship can be a fiendish business: just ask Joshua Reynolds
Conservation of a painting by the artist has revealed an evil spirit – if only all art censorship were so mild
Is François Pinault slumming it at the Bourse?
The billionaire collector is going for broke with an exhibition of ‘poor art’
Berlusconi’s art collection may soon be bunga-bunga’d into the bin
The late Italian prime minister’s 20,000-strong collection of choice artworks – including a topless rendition of the Mona Lisa – has failed to charm his heirs
Flower power – is Damien Hirst blooming again at Frieze?
While the artist led collectors down the garden path at Gagosian’s sell-out booth, more pleasing floral arrangements can be found at Frieze Masters
Christie’s is getting into the ghostbusting business
Rakewell is delighted to hear that director Ivan Reitman’s art collection is heading to auction this November, but wonders whether his tastes might have been haunted by his blockbuster hit
Leave it to beavers – if you want to build infrastructure in the UK
The sighting of the first beaver kit born in the London area in more than 400 years is a bright spot in the landscape – and a lesson to policymakers everywhere
How often should anyone think about the Roman empire?
While #romanempire has more than a billion view on TikTok, some of us only have eyes for the TV adaptation of ’I Claudius’ – and regrets about the Roman Republic
How to fast-forward through Guernica
The Reina Sofia has lifted its ban on taking selfies with Picasso’s masterpiece in order, incredibly, to speed up visitor flow
Is investing in the past the way of the future?