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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The African American singer and pianist Nina Simone is pictured alone, singing against a spotlight that resembles a moon in the darkness. She has her eyes closed.

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 person in a witch hat observes a colourful, abstract painting featuring multiple characters, including a central nude figure, in a museum.

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

Two people in a badly taken selfie with thumb obscuring the subject

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

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 with closed eyes holding a twig with small red flowers near their nose, appearing to smell it. They wear a ring and have a light purple eyeshadow.

Communication and language

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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

Philosophy of art

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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

An ornate underground station with decorative arches, hanging lamps, and a yellow train arriving. Passengers are waiting and walking through the area.

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

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

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 a man admiring a large stained glass artwork with vibrant blue and yellow hues depicting various figures and animals.

Beauty and aesthetics

idea

Beauty is not an ornament to the good life, it is at its heart

Why does the hand want to draw what the eye sees as beautiful? Why do we respond to beauty by creating the beautiful?

by Nick Riggle

Collection of eclectic items including a head sculpture, framed art, a pink glass jar, and a green ornament on a reflective surface.

Beauty and aesthetics

guide

How to curate (just about) anything

Sure, tidying up is a start. But it won’t get you to the kind of lived-in, personalised space that defines an ideal of home

by Glenn Adamson

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