Instant Expert
17 Oct 2023
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
19 Sep 2023
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
15 Aug 2023
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
17 Jul 2023
We associate pyramids with all things Egyptian, Mesopotamian or Mayan, but think again says David Winpenny. Follow his trail this summer and discover the cone-shaped curiosities that lie closer to home
19 Jun 2023
The name ‘Silk Road’ conjures camel caravans laden with exotic goods, braving inhospitable terrain. It was the route that introduced the Western world to silk. Yet, far more than that, it disseminated inventions, ideas, food and fashion, weaponry and more. Our expert, Chris Aslan, looks at key strands from the story of silk and the routes it has travelled
16 May 2023
Johannes Vermeer is one of the greatest artists in history – and one of the most mysterious. The sell-out exhibition in his name at the Rijksmuseum closes soon. If you missed the chance to visit, our expert, Jane E Choy-Thurlow, reveals more of his story, told through luminous artworks from the show
19 Apr 2023
With eyes soon on Westminster Abbey for the May coronation of King Charles III, we’re reminded once more of the remarkable architecture and history of our key ecclesiastical sites. But what about the treasures they hold? Our expert, Janet Gough, reveals the stories behind five very special artefacts held in cathedrals across England and Wales.
14 Mar 2023
Famous, then forgotten, Lucy Kemp-Welch was not just a remarkable painter of horses, but a trailblazer for female artists in a world dominated by men. As a show of her work prepares to open, our expert, David Boyd Haycock, reveals her story
14 Feb 2023
Modernist artists pushed boundaries, not least with their sizzling designs for textiles, which played a key role in the story of modern art. Our expert, Ashley Gray, reveals the top things to know about those fabrics and their makers