Winter wonderlands: writers on their favourite artworks
Ali Smith, Julian Barnes, Ai Weiwei and others choose seasonal scenes.
ByArtists
Immerse yourself in the world of art with our captivating collection of articles, featuring artist profiles, art movements, exhibitions, and critical discussions that celebrate the creativity and inspiration of talented artists from various disciplines.
The madness of Claude Monet
Jackie Wullschläger’s exemplary biography reveals the impressionist painter’s obsessive commitment to his art.
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David Hockney’s clumsy late style
His more recent portraits reveal an artist whose skills are fading.
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Max Pechstein and the politics of paint
Amid Germany’s 20th-century upheavals, the expressionist’s art brought him both renown and peril.
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Marina Abramović’s catalogue of self-harm
The stock-in-trade of the 76-year-old’s long career is endurance mixed with pain: something she demands of her audience, too.
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Frans Hals and the will to life
Where Rembrandt painted introspection, the Haarlem portraitist showed people as social creatures.
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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.
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A baffling but brilliant ride through Birmingham’s surrealist scene
Stewart Lee’s Radio 4 documentary on the city’s artistic past is jarring, hard to follow and utterly engaging.
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The Picasso problem
Fifty years after the artist’s death, the cult of genius that hid his flaws offers less protection.
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The mysteries of late style
Christopher Neve’s study of great painters reveals the risks and rewards of creating art at the end of life.
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The monsters of feminist art
How the audacious artists of the Seventies embraced disgust and redefined female beauty.
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The man machine: Bruce Springsteen at Hyde Park
In his eighth decade, the singer has one eye on mortality – but for now the vigorous physical work of his…
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Mat Osman Q&A: “The arts are turning into a desert”
The Suede bassist and novelist on Sherlock Holmes, the music of Kate Bush and life on the road.
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Yayoi Kusama’s “You, Me and the Balloons” is the epitome of art made for selfies
The 94-year-old artist’s new exhibition is vibrant and accessible, but her work’s ubiquity has made it trite.
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Nick Drake’s dark places
The songwriter is revered as a tortured genius – but Richard Morton Jack’s new biography shows that behind the romantic…
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The RA Summer Exhibition 2023: from the bland to the bravura
Visitors should come prepared: wear comfortable shoes, stay hydrated, put an energy bar in the pocket, and keep hope in…
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Frieda Hughes’s Q&A: “The Bible taught me everything”
The poet and painter on motorbikes, frog migration, and why all politicians are children.
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The death of the groupie
The original mega-fan has shaped pop culture since the 1970s – but our ideas of sex, power and fame have…
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Daniel Avery’s Q&A: “I’m fascinated by the professional wrestling world”
The electronic music producer and DJ on faith, The Sopranos and culture war fanatics.
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The National’s First Two Pages of Frankenstein is just too predictable
On their ninth album, the band have collaborated with exciting acts from Taylor Swift to Sufjan Stevens – so it's…
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