Art & Design

Cropped version of Van Gogh's Cafu00e9 Terrace at Night (Credit: Collection Kru00f6ller-Mu00fcller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands)

The five details that unlock the genius of Van Gogh's original 'starry night'

Vincent van Gogh transformed an ordinary city square into something special with his first "starry night" painting in 1888. Here's how he did it, and what it means.

Features

A cropped version of Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird by Frida Kahlo (Credit: Nickolas Muray/ Collection of Mexican Art)

What this Frida Kahlo painting tells us about her most intimate vulnerabilities

A hummingbird, a spider monkey, a black cat and dragonflies – what the animal imagery in an iconic 1940 painting tells us about the artist's trauma, resilience and defiant desire.

A cropped version of Saint Sebastian by Guido Reni (Credit: Getty Images)

How brutally tortured 3rd-Century saint Sebastian became a gay icon

A Roman soldier who was killed for his Christian beliefs, Saint Sebastian has been a hero for gay men over the centuries – from Oscar Wilde to Keith Haring. Here's why.

David Hockney's A Big Splash which captures a split-second moment of exploding pool water and clean summer light (Credit: Tate)

Why David Hockney's 1967 masterpiece is newly poignant after his death

In the wake of legendary British artist David Hockney's death, aged 88, his famous meditation on presence and absence, A Bigger Splash, takes on a new meaning.

Max Beckmann's 1927 artwork Variu00e9tu00e9 (Variety Show) (Credit: Courtesy private collection/ Gina Folly)

'A dark and violent scene': The 1927 painting that foretold Germany's downfall

Variety Show by German painter Max Beckmann is an unsettling painting depicting a chaotic cabaret scene – what does it mean, and did it foreshadow the rise of Nazism?

Two people look up at a starry night sky on the balconies at the Residencia in the Atacama Desert in Chile (Credit: Eso/ Luis Calu00e7ada/ Herbert Zodet)

This Bond film set is a hotel - but only for astronomers

Daniel Craig's James Bond battled a malign villain here. But Chile's futuristic Residencia is actually home to astronomers.

A view of Sagrada Familia in the distance between trees (Credit: Getty Images)

Ancient engineering marvels of the world's tallest church

Antoni Gaudí was known as "God's architect", and the centuries-old arch design he drew on for Barcelona's Sagrada Família helps it soar higher than any other church in the world.

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'I was told I had months to live. Now I've been born again'

Tracey Emin, one of Britain's most uncompromising artists, reflects on survival and a renewed urgency to create.

Art

Iznik: The Ottoman art that captivated Europe

Find out how the ornate ceramics known as Iznik tiles hold the key to a forgotten golden age of Turkish art.

Art & Design

Inside Michelangelo's 'secret hiding room'

The BBC gets access to Michelangelo's 'secret hiding room' under the Medici Chapel in Florence.

Art & Design

Striking images capturing the 'dark underbelly of America'

Why legendary crime photographer Weegee offers a crucial lens to understand the American psyche.

Art & Design

Shahmaran: The mythic symbol inspiring Turkish artists

How a mythical symbol inspires Turkish artists

The 'Shahmaran', half-woman and half-snake, is a mythical figure popular in the folklore of Turkey.

Art & Design

The Doha Hind: The charming 10th-Century garden ornament

Art critic Alastair Sooke learns about a decorative 10th-Century treasure at Doha's Museum of Islamic Art.

Art & Design

Latest in Art and Design

23 hrs ago

Gillian Taylor, who has red hair and is wearing purple, stands in front of her art installation. The daisies made from the letters hang on fishing wire from the ceiling of the stairwell.

Artist bids goodbye to Danish postal system

An artist has made items from letters sent just before Denmark's letter post service ended.

23 hrs ago

1 day ago

A picture of the inside of the Box Museum and Art Gallery in Plymouth. There is a life-sized model of a woolly mammoth lite up by lights, along with a number of other small skeletons and exhibits as well as digital interactive screens in the background.

'True jewel' museum and gallery wins UK award

The Box, in Plymouth, wins the 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year award.

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2 days ago

Sue Tilley is wearing a navy knee-length skirt, a navy jacket, and white blouse. She has a small bright red crossbody bag and a decorative brooch pinned to her lapel, and red lace-up shoes with white soles. She is resting one arm on the chair and supporting her head with her hand and smiling. She has glasses and has shoulder-length grey hair.

Woman recalls posing for Freud after £25m art sale

Sue Tilley remembers champagne lunches and Freud's "scruffy" studio with a Rodin used as a doorstop.

2 days ago

British painter David Hockney poses at the Orangerie museum in Paris, on October 7, 2021, in front of his painting "A year in Normandy", a 91-meter-long artwork painted during the lockdown in 2020. - Hockney made a hundred drawings on iPad in a matter of weeks and captured the effects of light and climate change during the four seasons.

Public invited to pay tribute to David Hockney

A book of condolence opens to allow people to pay tribute to David Hockney at Bradford City Hall.

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5 days ago

A black and white image of photographer Rhonda Wilson featured in a magazine, with some text to the left of the image. She is wearing a dark jacket and has short hair.

Archive of photographic 'trailblazer' featured in exhibition

The exhibition celebrates Rhonda Wilson as an artist, cultural entrepreneur, journalist and activist.

5 days ago

A man with a ring of orange flowers in his hair carries a wood head of St John during a parade. He is wearing a blue suit jacket. He also has glasses on and has straight brown hair and a brown goatee beard. Two women are stood either side of him and a man wearing a hat is behind him.

'Severed head' paraded at start of festival

The week-long celebration of art, music, heritage and culture has started.

5 days ago

A small collage of 12 pieces on display. The works featured in the collage are photographs, sculptures, paintings and sketches. They cover wildlife, landscapes and portraits.

Manx artists explore memories, heritage and identity

The artworks come in a wide range of forms and explore the "traces" that humans have left on the island.

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6 days ago

Low-key funeral held for giant of the art world David Hockney

The artist, who passed away at his home in London earlier this month, requested just his partner and great-nephew attend.

6 days ago

The inside of a giant inflatable sculpture which is lit up red and blue. People can be seen walking through it.

Forest-inspired inflatable sculpture comes to town

Boston's Central Park will host the forest-inspired Luminarium sculpture from 2 to 5 July.

6 days ago

A woman and a man stand in a colourful garden while smiling and holding A4-sized black-and-white portraits of themselves. The woman has grey hair in a bob and is wearing a green cardigan over a white and burgundy striped shirt. The man has short white hear and is wearing glasses and a blue jumper over a light blue shirt. The garden has green and red shrubs along with colourful climbing plants against a dark brick wall.

'David Hockney did our portraits'

David and Susan Neave befriended the artist after he moved to Bridlington in East Yorkshire.

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7 days ago

A black and white image of a peppered moth - it is a large moth with a fluffy body and black speckles covering its white wings. It also has two long antennas which are tucked beside its face and have short hairs on them.

Exhibition explores moths' ability to adapt

An exhibition examining how moths adapt to environmental changes has opened in Kestle Barton.

7 days ago

Portrait image of Murugiah looking straight into the camera with a neutral expression. He is wearing a black T-shirt, glasses, has curly black hair and a short beard. His background is made up of out-of-focus books and illustration pieces he has made.

'I turned my identity crisis into my unique style'

In his exhibition Ever Feel Like... London-based artist Murugiah reflects on his life and identity.

7 days ago

The side of Weymouth Bay, Osmington which depicts fields. There are dates under it.

Constable sketch explored through location sounds

Osmington Village Hall hosts a performance of sound exploring the artist's honeymoon sketch there.

7 days ago

Steve Crowe is wearing a black jacket and is smiling. He is standing in front of a wall painting showing a World War Two airman wearing flying jacket, helment and oxygen mask.

Village mural celebrates Dambusters

The renowned 617 Squadron was based in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, during World War Two.

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8 days ago

A group of six small children, two boys and four girls, stand holding picture frames with artwork in them. Behind them is a large image of another artwork. They all wear school uniforms in blue, grey and white colours. The artwork behind them depicts a large mill building with chimney tower. The pictures they are holding also depict flowers and nature.

The school where David Hockney's inspiration is felt everywhere

Young art fans remember famed artist whose influence shaped a whole community.

8 days ago