“The Consolidation of Collections: New Light on the 18th-Century British Art Market” An in-depth study by the editorial team and guest contributors exploring how major British estates restructured their private galleries during the mid-1700s. The article utilizes newly discovered ledger books to trace the provenance of several key Italian Baroque works.
“Paolo Veneziano and the International Gothic in Venice” Following the research trends seen in the early part of the year, this feature provides a technical analysis of recently restored altarpieces attributed to Veneziano, focusing on the use of ultramarine and gold leaf techniques that defined the Venetian style in the 14th century.
“Nicholas Lanier and the ‘Star’ Drawings: New Discoveries” Building on recent scholarship (featured in related symposiums), this article identifies several previously unrecognized drawings from the collection of Nicholas Lanier (1588–1666). It specifically examines the “star-shaped marks” used by Lanier and his uncle Jerome to catalog their sixteenth-century Italian acquisitions.
Editorial and Shorter Notices Editorial: “The Future of Art History in the Digital Age” Editor Christopher Baker discusses the balance between traditional archival research and the integration of AI and digital imaging in art historical authentication.
Object in Focus: “George Frederic Watts’s Satan (1847)” A specialized notice providing a new interpretation of Watts’s massive canvas. The author argues that the figure’s pose was inspired by the Monte Cavallo Horse Tamers in Rome rather than the Apollo Belvedere, as previously thought.
Exhibition and Book Reviews The Farnese Gallery Drawings (Musée du Louvre, Paris): A critical review by Ketty Gottardo on the exhibition focusing on the Carracci brothers’ preparatory works.
Studio Prints: A History, 1968–2011: A review of the new publication by Paul Holberton Publishing, detailing the impact of the London workshop on 20th-century printmaking.
Modernizing the Catalog: A review of the Patek Philippe exhibition and the intersection of fine horology with decorative arts history.
Under the CEO, the long-beleaguered bank is working through its 13th restructuring. Can Citi shed its longstanding reputation as the banking sector’s laggard?
Rick Rieder, CIO of global fixed income at BlackRock, called presumptive Fed chair Kevin Warsh “a brilliant guy” on Barron’s Live. He’s bullish on the economy and stock market, too.
President Trump’s push to punish political enemies in his party will play a starring role in a series of Republican primaries in which he’s backed challengers.
Three representatives who had a hand in forcing the resignations of lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct said they were out to name and shame more offenders.
LITERARY REVIEW : The latest issue featuresRitchie Robertson on Weimar * Charles Darwent on Louise Bourgeois * John Guy on the Tudors * Kirsten Tambling on dogs in art * Piers Brendon on Churchill and the crown * Saul David on AI warfare * Simon Nixon on private equity predators * Nigel Andrew on outsider animals * Zoe Guttenplan on Beatrice Warde * Maren Meinhardt on women and music * Lucy Lethbridge on swimming * Diane Purkiss on being published * Anthony Pagden on the West * Michael Reid on Lula * Anthony Teasdale on Tory leaders * Anna Reid on Vera Gedroits * Wendy Holden on Elizabeth II * Harriet Rix on trees * Emma Smith on Shakespeare’s identity * Jane Yager on Herta Müller * Sheena Joughin on Siri Hustvedt * Adam Kucharski on evidence * Keith Miller on Douglas Stuart * Natalie Perman on Jem Calder * and much, much more…
Weimar Germany: Death of a Democracy By Victor Sebestyen
Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe By Katja Hoyer
The small town of Weimar is overladen with historical associations. Goethe spent more than fifty years there as an employee and friend of Duke (later Grand Duke) Karl August. After the last grand duke abdicated in November 1918, the National Assembly met in Weimar to draw up a new republican constitution for Germany. Other symbolically charged venues considered were Nuremberg (home of Dürer) and Bayreuth (because of Wagner), but it was Weimar that gave its name to the period of German history from …
Having been named for her father, Louis, a mere dealer in antique tapestries, seemed insufficiently romantic to Louise Bourgeois, who was born on Christmas Day in 1911. She preferred the idea that her namesake was Louise Michel, ‘the red virgin of Montmartre’, an anarchist heroine of the Paris Commune. It wasn’t true, of course, but …
A phrase like ‘fortress England’ seems to echo down the centuries, and turns up again in This Little World, Nandini Das’s new study of identity and belonging, cross-border migration, assimilation and estrangement in the period between 1500 and the restoration of Charles II. Das seeks to unmask the period’s most fundamental assumptions about English … read more
In March 2022, soon after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Kyiv-based illustrator Masha Foya produced what I think is one of the Guardian Weekly’s most powerful covers on the war, concerning the devastation of Mariupol. So it’s a pleasure to feature Masha’s work again for the current edition, this time marking 40 years since the Chornobyl nuclear disaster.
“Since childhood, the story of Chornobyl has always made me feel a strange dissonance – such a tragedy occurring on a beautiful spring day in April,” explains Masha on the thought process behind her design, in which seasonal greens fade away into ominous skies.
It also reflects present-day anxieties. For a special report, Pjotr Sauer visits the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident and sees up close how the giant containment structure around the failed reactor is in urgent need of costly repairs after a Russian drone strike, as fears grow of a possible new catastrophe.
Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Environment | Why apes are more like us than we ever thought Imagination, reason and ability to recognise faces from the past are not the sole preserve of humans, studies show. Gloria Dickie reports
Finance | The wagering of war Once largely siloed to sporting events, betting has now spread to include contracts on news events where insider information could pay handsomely. With over $1bn in perfectly timed bets on the Iran war having recently been seen, Lauren Aratani explores what exactly is going on
Feature | The big game hunters who believe they can save Africa’s wildlife One way to pay for wildlife conservation is to allow the rich to bag a few animals for high prices. But critics see this approach as an exercise in neocolonialism. Cal Flynwent in pursuit of answers
Opinion | Starmer’s listless government shows zombie politics is the new norm Distracted, listless and unambitious – the British PM’s true form has finally emerged. But whatever comes next must end this ruinous cycle for the country, argues Nesrine Malik
Culture | Iron Maiden on 50 years of heavy metal madness As a career-spanning documentary hits cinemas, the legendary rock band revisit their path from pubs to stadiums over half a century of headbanging hits. Harry Sword buckles up
Oil prices surged above $120 a barrel before pulling back in volatile trading on concerns that the war could escalate. Gasoline in the U.S. hit $4.30 a gallon.
Boomers Daily 