The best art exhibitions to see in 2025
From 14th-century Siena to female modernists, the year’s most exciting exhibitions chart an evolving Western tradition.
ByArt
The Renaissance in drawing
Two exhibitions reveal how, for the great Renaissance artists, drawing was both a tool for making paintings and a form…
By
Why painting (still) matters
Reports of the art form’s death have been exaggerated – it retains the power to make new worlds.
By
Van Gogh in the yellow house
The artist moved to Arles in 1888 full of optimism. The National Gallery’s major new exhibition, “Poets and Lovers”, selects…
By
The scandal that rocked the London art world
Orlando Whitfield’s All That Glitters is more than just a gossipy exposé of con artist Inigo Philbrick: it’s a nuanced…
By
The internet has ruined true stories
In the social media age, autobiographical works invariably end in harassment for the individuals depicted. Can real-life storytelling ever be…
By
The art exhibitions to see in 2024
The most intriguing shows of the year, from the National Gallery at 200 to purple landscapes and charcoal heads.
By
The secrets of Shakespeare’s “stupid”, “grotesque” portrait
The infamous “pudding-faced” Droeshout portrait is widely agreed to be hideous and embarrassing. Is there more to it than meets…
By
David Hockney’s clumsy late style
His more recent portraits reveal an artist whose skills are fading.
By
Max Pechstein and the politics of paint
Amid Germany’s 20th-century upheavals, the expressionist’s art brought him both renown and peril.
By
The froideur of Theresa May’s parliament portrait
The picture suggests May’s desire to remain statesmanlike, regardless of the febrile times of her premiership.
By
Evelyn Waugh is laughing at you
His lethally coherent worldview still turns reality into a farce.
By