Features
Boxwood miniatures, in a nutshell
William Theiss takes a close look at the pocket-sized sculptures that 15th-century pilgrims thought perfect for private reverie
The doctor who was devoted to Van Gogh
The painter’s final months in the care of Dr Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, a physician as interested in art as he was in medicine, were an extraordinarily productive period
The finest hours of Catherine of Cleves
Diane Wolfthal discusses the dizzying visions of heaven and hell to be found in a medieval prayer book at the Morgan Library
The Olympic Games, a city built on sand, and a painful divorce – the year ahead in architecture
With Paris preparing to play host, Neom remaining elusive and London landmarks undergoing major changes, 2024 will be nothing if not interesting
All at sea – the anxious mariners of Marsden Hartley
A briny, brawny late work by Maine’s favourite modernist finds strength in stoic silence
The museum openings not to miss in 2024
Notre Dame is to reopen, the Frick Collection is returning to Fifth Avenue and Scotland celebrates a pair of new or improved institutions
The birth of Impressionism and the centenary of Surrealism – major art anniversaries in 2024
The marking of two seminal movements and a year-long celebration of Caspar David Friedrich combine scholarly heft with popular appeal
The godmothers of conceptual art take centre stage – contemporary highlights in 2024
Yoko Ono and Sophie Calle are the subject of major retrospectives while museums also have more material concerns
Bottle royale – a new look for Napoleon’s favourite champagne
Daniel Arsham has distilled centuries of history into his design for a bottle for Moët & Chandon’s new cuvée
Unfolding the origins of an Ethiopian icon
Christine Sciacca of the Walters Art Museum explains how a processional icon of surprisingly modern design was made and what it means
Arty films to look out for in 2024
New features by Steve McQueen, Kelly Reichardt and Joshua Oppenheimer will give art lovers plenty to get excited about
The festive geese of Christmas past
The festive bird has often been served up by artists and writers including J.M.W. Turner and Charles Dickens
At the Kennel Club: the world’s largest collection of doggy art
The Mayfair institution contains scores of paintings of dogs who had jobs and some rather more pampered pets
The magnificent art of Marisol
The Pop sculptor shot to fame in the 1960s, but her determination not to be pigeonholed confounded many critics
The designers getting creative with restaurant posters
Poster art has become a crucial part of the experience provided by more creative eateries
Not so much a doll’s house, more a practical guide to running a great house
Far from being a toy, the Uppark doll’s house was designed as an instruction manual in three-dimensional form
Acquisitions of the Month: November 2023
A terracotta relief by Donatello and a vanishingly rare set of 16th-century silverware are among this month’s highlights
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
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
The best wines of 2023
Apollo’s wine columnist tasted many excellent wines this year, but half a dozen were outstanding
The arrested adolescence of Mike Kelley
The artist found freedom in a form of DIY making that teeters on the edge of self-indulgence
The city of Nantes has really pushed out the boat for culture
Ambitious arts programming has transformed the fortunes of the French city since it experienced tough times in the 1980s
The London museum that is putting on its war paint
The new art, film and photography galleries at the Imperial War Museum contain many welcome surprises
Acquisitions of the Month: October 2023
A conversation portrait by Johann Zoffany and a marble sculpture by Giovanni Bandini are among the most significant works to enter public collections
Pilgrims’ progress? The Vatican Jubilee has frustrated Romans and tourists alike