Beauty and aesthetics

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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Photo of a woman in a colourful striped dress smiling as photographers take pictures at a crowded event.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

Why do beautiful people also seem smart and likeable?

Psychologists have known about the ‘halo effect’ for ages. New research suggests the power of language can help explain it

by Chris F Westbury & Daniel King

Photo of a person singing into a microphone on stage, wearing hoop earrings and a textured top, with a spotlight in the background.

Emerging therapies

idea

Could that tingle down the spine be a way to rediscover joy?

In new research, scientists have looked into the potential benefits of giving people with depression the aesthetic chills

by Shayla Love

A waterfall under a stormy sky with mist and a building on the left cliff surrounded by trees in the background.

Wonder and the sublime

guide

How to think about the sublime

An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason

by Nicole A Hall

Painting of lilac flowers with green leaves on a dark background. The flowers vary in shades of purple, pink, and white.

Beauty and aesthetics

film

‘Nothing renders their beauty’ – can art ever capture the splendour of a flower?

A film by Miléna Trivier

Person in a hat with feathers admires a colourful painting in a gallery.

Beauty and aesthetics

idea

Why art seems more beautiful when you can see yourself in it

Research suggests that people find artworks more aesthetically pleasing when they’re personally relevant to them in some way

by Matt Huston

Close-up photo of a woman with closed eyes smelling a small branch with pink flowers held in her hand.

Communication and language

idea

What is the secret to an evocative smell description?

Many languages have very few odour-related words, so conveying what a scent is like requires knowing your audience

by Giulia Martina

Photo of two people partially obscured, with sunlight streaming through a window behind them and a thumb in the foreground.

Photography

guide

How to take better photos

Anyone can learn the principles that are essential to capturing quality images. Follow these tips and see the difference

by Paul Pope

A black and white image of a girl in a white dress dancing behind her younger brother in a wheelchair, with trees and a road in the background. They are both smiling.

Disability

film

‘I’ll always err on the side of beauty’ – a mother’s cinematic ode to her son

Directed by Kelly O’Brien

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 painting with bold red, blue and yellow shapes on a textured dark background.

Artists and art history

idea

Is the attunement of abstract art and music more than a metaphor?

How does the abstract art of Kandinsky and Klee imitate the meaning and emotion in the music of Shostakovich and Bach?

by Michelle Liu

Photo of an ornate underground station with arched ceilings, mosaic details pedestrians and a yellow train on the platform.

Architecture

guide

How to appreciate buildings

It’s easy to become blasé about the built world. Tune in more deeply and architectural adventures await around each corner

by Colin Ellard

Person walking on a rocky landscape under a cloudy sky, carrying a backpack and a tool or instrument over their shoulder.

Beauty and aesthetics

film

The quiet exuberance of wintering alone on an empty island off New England

Directed by Brian Bolster