Features
The unruly life of museum postcards
We’re all building miniature museums at home, and postcards of paintings have taken on a life of their own
The British artists who saw a world on their doorsteps
Landscape painting went local in 19th-century Britain, writes Susan Owens, as artists celebrated the miniature marvels they found close to home
Seven fiendish art jigsaws that will see you through lockdown
Thousands of paintings have been snipped up into jigsaws – but some are infinitely more puzzling than others
Has a piece of Henry VIII’s lost crown been buried in the Midlands for 400 years?
Late medieval gold is vanishingly rare, so a metal detectorist’s discovery may be a truly spectacular find
Meet the artists who were built by a bot factory
Andrei Taraschuk wants to inundate the internet with art – and has made hundreds of bots posing as famous artists
With no limit to his curiosity, David Medalla brought a truly global outlook to 1960s London
From his sitting room in west London, the Manila-born artist created a vital space for avant-garde artists and writers
After the long days of quarantine, Seoul’s museums are a salve to the spirit
Mid-pandemic, the art critic Andrew Russeth moved from New York to Seoul. His first stop out of quarantine? A museum, of course
Richard L. Feigen (1930–2021) – a legendary art dealer whose own private collection was the toast of New York
The renowned art dealer has died at the age of 91. In March 2014, he opened up his extraordinary private art collection to Apollo, in an interview republished in full here
Niki de Saint Phalle’s psychedelic garden is a seriously good trip
In her Tarot Garden in Tuscany, the French-American artist let her imagination run riot
In the 18th century, collecting antiquities was a curiously creative pursuit
Thomas Herbert’s collection of ancient sculpture at Wilton House was heralded during his lifetime – but it relied on somewhat fanciful premises
Seven music videos that take a cue from art history
Kara Walker’s fountain at Tate Modern plays a starring role in FKA Twigs’ new video – and it’s not the first artwork to have a brush with the charts
Six heritage hotspots dishing out Covid vaccines
It’s nigh-on impossible to get a decent dose of culture right now – unless you’re signed up for a jab at a museum
What a sham! On fakery and the Russian avant-garde
Suspect and bona fide works rub shoulders at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne – in a display the museum presents as an opportunity for close looking
The forgotten fame of Angelica Kauffman
The Swiss artist reinvented history painting from a female perspective. It’s a shame a planned exhibition about her in London has been cancelled
Queen of suspense – the art of Patricia Highsmith
The novelist’s Ripley thrillers explore deceit like no others – but her candid drawings tell a different story
How Bologna pioneered the art of anatomical wax modelling
Palazzo Poggi houses the extraordinary 18th-century creations of a school dedicated to wax modelling – invaluable tools for medical students at the time
Acquisitions of the Month: December 2020
Courtroom sketches from the trials of Alfred Dreyfus and of Émile Zola are among this month’s highlights – along with a major collection of arms and armour
A tribute to Homan Potterton (1946–2020)
As a young museum director, Homan Potterton transformed the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection – but he would resign suddenly, later gaining success as a writer
Rate of return – is France’s commitment to restitution waning?
In a changing political climate, conversations about colonial history – and calls for action – are taking on a new urgency
Arty films and books to look forward to in 2021
From a Netflix flick about the Sutton Hoo dig to a study of women’s self-portraits – the must-see movies and a first reading list for art lovers
Bard boy – David Garrick and the cult of Shakespeare
The actor did more than anyone to revive Shakespeare’s reputation in the 18th century – and a plethora of curious wooden relics also played their part
The major art anniversaries to look out for in 2021
Plans for exhibitions and events may be up in the air, but the anniversaries they mark are fixed in the calendar
Silver linings – artists share their hopeful moments from 2020
Annie Morris, Sunil Gupta, Edmund de Waal and other artists reflect on what’s made them feel a little more positive this year
Club classics – on the dance floor with Denzil Forrester
The painter discusses dancehalls, club music and drawing in the dark
Crafting value in Venice