Artists and art history

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

Architecture Artists and art history Beauty and aesthetics Celebrations and festivals Creativity Dance Film Imagination Laughter and comedy Music Painting and sculpture Philosophy of art Photography Play Poetry Stories and literature The nature of reality Theatre and performance Traditional arts

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Painting of a serene rural landscape with cows grazing at sunset, a church spire, trees and fields in the background.

Human evolution

idea

Why it took us thousands of years to see the colour violet

The colour violet was largely missing from art before the Impressionists, and is seen differently by different cultures. Why?

by Allen Tager

Two people view a famous painting in a gallery; it’s the Mona Lisa in an ornate frame.

Beauty and aesthetics

idea

What happens if we make the Mona Lisa more symmetrical?

The Golden Ratio and symmetry are two universal rules of beauty. The problem is they conflict with one another

by Manil Suri

Black and white photo of a man and woman sitting at a café table in conversation, looking thoughtfully to the side.

Film

guide

How to find great films to watch

Bored with Hollywood and Netflix? Becoming an adventurous and informed explorer of the cinema world is in everyone’s grasp

by Geoff Andrew

Two people in a worn-out room with an old TV, a mirror reflecting more people, and various items on countertops and shelves.

Artists and art history

film

One Kandinsky, one viewer and one guard, in a Moscow power station

Directed by Nastia Korkia

Painting of two women in historical clothing beheading a man, with one holding him down while the other uses a sword.

Artists and art history

idea

Gentileschi. Let us not allow sexual violence to define the artist

Artemisia Gentileschi’s body of work has been framed by her personal history. Her paintings should speak for themselves

by Eliza Apperly

Scene from a film with a pale man in black leather and a woman in glasses standing by a blue door in a home setting.

Artists and art history

idea

Love the art, disgusted by the artist? Maybe philosophy can help

Rather than trying to leave behind beloved art by immoral artists, let philosophy offer you a model for engaging with it

by Erich Hatala Matthes

Music

guide

How to listen to, and enjoy, classical music

Whether you’re a newbie or an aficionado, these ways to navigate and approach the genre will enrich your experience

by Lawrence Kramer

Abstract illustration of a person with eyes closed, wearing glasses, surrounded by cosmic elements on a blue and black background.

Poetry

film

Enter a dreamy French surrealist poem, where love and reality never quite touch

Directed by Emma Vakarelova

A painting of a distressed woman at a bath with two men observing her from behind a wall, appearing to whisper.

Artists and art history

idea

What art history reveals about the rise of anti-feminist women

How can anyone favour a patriarchal system that routinely harms them? On Susanna and the Elders and anti-feminist women

by Paula Keller

A painting of a man and woman holding hands indoors with a small dog at their feet. The room is richly decorated.

Philosophy of art

idea

To master the art of close looking, learn to hold time still

Visual literacy is a skillset that’s rarely taught, but it begins with learning how to look – and how to hold time still

by Grace Linden

Abstract figure with tree-like head, green patterned torso and outlined suit, against a black background.

Creativity

film

An improvised animation doubles as an absurdly fun lesson in creativity

Directed by Sasha Svirsky