Become an instant expert on…the tale of women artists and the Royal Academy

How was it that one of Britain’s august art institutions went from having two female artists among its founders to excluding women artists for centuries? Our expert, Dr Amy Lim, reveals the details of one of the most important chapters in the history of British women artists

The things you need to know about the remarkable artist Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun was fearless in her life and art. As a show of her art has opened in Cumbria, we ask curator Helen Stalker for the key facts about this boundary breaker

Become an instant expert on…art, music and the body

Making music is an embodied activity, something made by human bodies – and in the history of art we see humans making music again and again. Such lyrical works can come with complex meanings. Our expert, Dr Matt Wates, reveals some prime examples

Become an instant expert on…Australian Aboriginal art

Australian Aboriginal art is one of the most fascinating art forms in history. Rebecca Hossack, expert in this field, reveals the key things you need to know about the medium

Become an instant expert on…‘firsts’ in art

When did the earliest lifelike teardrop appear in a painting? Or the original kiss, or butterfly? For the first month of the year, we ask John-Paul Stonard to reveal his five ‘firsts’ in the history of art

Become an instant expert on…the art of the table

Artists have always had a fascination for scenes of food and feasting. As the holiday season of gatherings is here, our expert, Nicole Mezey, invites you to feast your eyes on some of the best – and most bizarre – examples of artworks that celebrate dining

Become an instant expert on...Oscar Wilde in theatreland

Theatre is ‘the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being’, said Oscar Wilde. Our expert, Simon Whitehouse, reveals the impact the dramatist, writer and wit had on London’s West End

Become an instant expert on…the performance art of Marina Abramović

Known across the globe for her electrifying, moving, often dangerous performances, Marina Abramović is one of the most outstanding artists of her generation. As a new exhibition of her works has just opened at the Royal Academy, London, our expert, Helen Oakden, reveals key things to know about this art world icon and her medium

Become an instant expert on…Rubens and the women in his art

There’s a popular assumption that the artist Peter Paul Rubens only painted one type of woman: the voluptuous ‘Rubenesque’. A new exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery is the first to challenge that thinking. Its co-curator, Arts Society Lecturer Amy Orrock, reveals the story

Become an instant expert on…the healing power of plants

Whether visiting gardens or sitting within your own, many of the beautiful plants you’ll see represent nature’s medicine box. Their properties are harnessed to create medicines as far-ranging as analgesics and antibiotics. Our expert, Timothy Walker, reveals why plants as diverse as the foxglove and rosy periwinkle can, for many, prove to be a life-saver

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