Rakewell
What Stephen Sondheim saw in Georges Seurat
The pointillist painter inspired the composer and lyricist to make his most personal artistic statement
The culture ministers who really are culture vultures
Delighted by the fact that the new German culture minister once managed a rock band, Rakewell recalls other culture ministers with an artistic bent
Gal Gadot turns to art crime, with The Rock in hot pursuit
’Red Notice’ may not be most sophisticated heist film, but it’s hard to resist The Rock on the trail of Wonder Woman
Todd Haynes takes on the Velvet Underground – but could he have gone even further?
Rakewell couldn’t be happier about the film-maker’s documentary about the band – but does have a suggestion for a sequel
Contemporary art has a new home – at the Vatican
Pope Francis seems to be a fan of contemporary art – and he’s hardly the first pontiff to have encouraged the latest artistic developments
A hairy situation at the Wallace Collection
The moustachioed can get into the Wallace Collection’s Frans Hals exhibition for free on Mondays – but Rakewell has a much better idea
Alan Titchmarsh, Renaissance man
Rakewell is delighted to learn that the superstar TV gardener is also something of an art aficionado
Vienna flaunts its assets on OnlyFans
Nudes by Titian, Rubens and Schiele are now available to viewers on the adults-only subscription service
Why Squid Game looks so strangely familiar
The hit series takes many of its visual cues from M.C. Escher – and a host of other films that have been inspired by the Dutch artist
Sole survivors – how to draw your way out of heartbreak
Some unusual relationship advice has recently caught Rakewell’s eye. Next time you’re nursing a broken heart, why not try drawing your shoe?
When Miriam Margolyes met Augustus John
The actor offered her services as a life model to the painter when she was 19. One can only wonder that she got away so lightly
The mystery of the real-life Maltese Falcon
The film noir starring Humphrey Bogart is back in cinemas – but the confusion over what happened to the statuettes of the falcon remains to be cleared up
My Little Pony rides again – at the National Gallery
Masterpieces of equestrian art are about to get some rainbow-coloured companions, thanks to an augmented-reality makeover
The artists who have turned to coffee for their creative fuel
Making coffee might be considered an art form – but don’t forget the artistic possibilities offered by the substance itself
The shady affair of the Tiffany-blue Basquiat
Now that the jeweller has found a painting in just the right shade of its corporate colours, can other brands be far behind?
Clueless in Crete – Dominic Raab holidays while Kabul falls
We don’t know if the foreign secretary made it to the Palace of Knossos, but his career may soon be ancient history
Elon Musk’s day out at the Uffizi
Where Winckelmann and Walter Pater have trod, the tech entrepreneur follows
Glasgow gets dolled up for the movies
Filming for Batman and Indiana Jones has transformed the city in recent weeks – to the delight of Glaswegians
Will Balenciaga make Beliebers of us all?
The former teen idol turned fashion icon is in full Renaissance prince mode in Balenciaga’s latest campaign
Damien Hirst, new kid on the blockchain
Damien Hirst has joined the NFT funfair – and he’s even brought former Bank of England governor Mark Carney along for the ride
Lewd Louvre, porno Prado – Pornhub makes a foray into fine art
The adult streaming site Pornhub has roused some of the world’s most revered nude paintings to life in a series of graphic videos
In Denmark, a very silly, supersized sandcastle
The tallest sandcastle ever built towers over a seaside town – and there’s no risk of the waves washing it away
The Courtauld takes a punt on the queen of online gambling
The Courtauld has named its new exhibition galleries after Bet365 billionaire Denise Coates – and Rakewell has a suggestion for the exhibition programme
Rio Ferdinand, model maker
The footballer-turned-pundit has designed a model stadium. Don’t hold your breath for a work of art, writes Rakewell – it’s been crafted to hold a crowd of mass-produced sausage snacks
Crafting value in Venice