Rakewell
Paris takes a revolutionary approach to its Olympic mascot
Phrygian cap or pussy hat? The mascot for the 2024 Paris Olympics seems to be making a bid for freedom
The curse of Tutankhamun strikes again – but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with glue
The breaking of a plaque to commemorate Howard Carter in Luxor isn’t a wholly inappropriate way to mark the centenary of his great discovery
The first billion-dollar auction? Plus ça change…
The sale of masterpieces at Christie’s shattered records – but has it really changed the art market?
How does a ‘prank’ Basquiat measure up to the great art-world hoaxes?
Selling a misattributed work was a ‘prank’, according to André Heller – which leads Rakewell to reflect on the real classics of the genre
The King’s new portrait is right on the money
They are symbols of great change, but Rakewell finds pleasing continuities in the new Charles III coins
At last! A prime minister who knows how to dress
Thomas Blaikie pens a paean to the new emperor’s clothes
Salad days for satirists – a farewell to Liz Truss
She has been outlasted by a lettuce – but could the Iceberg Lady take comfort from a pear-shaped French king?
Is real success being crushed in a crowd of VIPs?
Despite allowing a few celebrity sightings, the preview day of Frieze London felt more like the tube during rush hour than an exclusive experience for art collectors
Can Liz Truss hold on to her marbles?
The British prime minister has brought her knack for careful diplomacy to the Parthenon marbles row
Pampered pooches of the rich and the famous
A picture-book of the lucky mutts of ‘high-flying creatives’ is just what we all need
Pitt peeve – why are Brad’s sculptures getting rave reviews?
Rakewell takes umbrage with the idea that the Hollywood superstar’s sculptures are to be taken seriously as art
Can the British Museum learn from The Lord of the Rings?
Given J.R.R. Tolkien’s apparent attitude to cultural property, the British Museum made an interesting venue for ‘The Rings of Power’ launch party
Why are climate activists in an Old Masters frame of mind?
It is impossible not to be glued to the ongoing protests of environmental activists in the world’s leading museums
Is Keanu Reeves about to become the architect of his own destiny?
May the actor’s upcoming role as the successful Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham be more promising than his previous skirmishes with the profession
Will the Groucho Club become the art world’s watering hole?
Does Hauser & Wirth’s purchase of a favourite haunt of the YBAs spell the end of an altogether more riotous era?
Who will stand up for Antony Gormley’s art?
The students at Imperial College London are objecting to the sculptor’s ‘phallic’ new sculpture, proving that an outsize reputation isn’t everything
Beyoncé remixes the Renaissance
The pop star’s latest album contains fewer treats for art-history buffs than its title promises – but Rakewell is too busy dancing to care
Welcome to Britain, where the wild bison now roam
Bringing the European bison to Kent is intended to do wonders for the woodland, but Rakewell can’t help wondering if art needs rewilding too
A summer of madness on the Spanish Steps
First a man in a Maserati, then the hurling of a scooter – and now a spat between fashion houses. What on earth has got into everyone?
What really went on inside Number 10
In the light of Boris Johnson’s resignation, Rakewell examines a leaked invoice supposedly detailing the exquisite interiors of Number 10
NATO’s night out at the Prado
Leaders of the alliance’s member countries have a lot on their minds at the moment, but there was still time to look pensive in front of Old Master paintings at this week’s summit
Striking resemblances – the puppets with a surprisingly political side
Recent industrial action by railworkers in the United Kingdom has got Rakewell thinking about the difference between men and marionettes
How will the art world cope without BTS?
Rakewell despairs at the recent announcement that K-pop sensation BTS are taking a hiatus. Is this really the end?
Trash talk – the antagonising antics of Antony Gormley
Rakewell wonders whether Apollo readers can corroborate the recent and rather bewildering claim that the British sculptor has been stealing his neighbour’s bins
Crafting value in Venice