Reviews

Significant works reviewed by Engelsberg Ideas writers.

A print by Rasmus Christiansen.
Review

In pursuit of Denmark’s butterflies

Lea Korsgaard, a Danish journalist and author, sets out to see all the butterflies of Denmark, discovering the charm and fragility of nature.

Nigel Andrew July 28, 2026
Massed choirs performing Handel's 'Messiah' at Crystal Palace.
Review

A choral tradition without equal

The world-beating British choral tradition, now under threat, is infinite in variety and blessed in its capacity for renewal.

Benjamin Poore July 27, 2026
A scene from 'Archduke' at the Royal Court Theatre (2026).
Review

Europe’s century of catastrophe need not have happened

Rajiv Joseph's 'Archduke' at London's Royal Court reminds us that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the continent's cascade into war, were not inevitable.

Brendan Simms July 23, 2026
Hilma af Klint’s 'The Ten Largest' series. Credit: dpa picture alliance
Review

Was Hilma af Klint really an abstract artist?

The Swedish mystic's paintings may be representational after all, giving form to phenomena beyond our comprehension.

Cath Pound July 23, 2026
Elsa Schiaparelli at home.
Review

Elsa Schiaparelli’s baroque fantasy

A new V&A exhibition makes the case for Schiaparelli as an artist, but its muted staging doesn't quite capture her enchanting oddness.

Muriel Zagha July 21, 2026
A still from Christopher Nolan's Odyssey.
Review

Nolan’s Odyssey, not Homer’s

Nolan's Odyssey was always going to be a spectacle, but it has little that is Homeric, and nothing at all Hellenic in spirit.

Armand D'Angour July 20, 2026
Mask Photo No. 13 at the Bauhaus Archiv, Berlin.
Review

The women of the Bauhaus

A superlative Berlin exhibition gathers over 300 photographs by the overlooked women of the Bauhaus.

Malcolm Forbes July 16, 2026
Rafting (2026) by Hurvin Anderson. Credit: Andrew Lalchan
Review

Hurvin Anderson’s luminous palette

After decades of accomplished painting, a retrospective provides overdue recognition of Hurvin Anderson's place among Britain’s greatest living artists.

Duncan Wheeler July 10, 2026
Carlton House Terrace, the original headquarters of the Information Research Department.
Review

Lessons from the Cold War’s disinformation front

Britain's Cold War propagandists fought Moscow with lies and forgeries. The adversaries and the technology have changed; the same threats remain.

Gill Bennett July 8, 2026

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