Reviews Archive

1950s Austin driving towards the Hollywood hills.

Review

A Hollywood treasure trove

A time of unrivalled innovation, the film industry of the 1950s captured the contemporary turmoil of US society.

Christopher Silvester April 22, 2024

The Martyrdom of St Ursula, 1610. By Caravaggio.

Review

Caravaggio’s last stand

The story of The Martyrdom of St Ursula, the great Renaissance master's last painting, is almost as remarkable as the artist who painted it.

Paul Lay April 17, 2024

The Festival of the Supreme Being at the Field of Mars, 8 June 1794, 1794.

Review

Did the Enlightenment fail?

The Enlightenment was a way of thinking born out of the bloody conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries dedicated to tolerance and moderation, and the violence of the French Revolu..

Angus Brown April 16, 2024

Soleil Levant by Claude Monet (1840-1926).

Review

Rethinking Impressionism

The Musée d’Orsay’s latest exhibition marks the 150th anniversary of Impressionism’s birth. It challenges us to rethink the way we see the movement – and exposes us to an altogethe..

Alexander Lee April 15, 2024

Blanche of Castile (1188-1252), Queen Consort of France and her son King Louis IX of France (1214-1270)

Review

A dynasty of human frailty

The Capetian dynasty of France is presented in a new light through the captivating stories of its rogue’s gallery of killers, weaklings, fools, tyrants, fanatics and lechers.

Nicholas Morton April 11, 2024

Lebanese protesters carry Hizbollah flags in Beirut.

Review

There are few winners in the wars for the Middle East

In the wake of the Arab Spring, the Middle East has become an arena for fierce and often violent competition among great powers, regional actors and militant groups.

Afshon Ostovar April 8, 2024