Reviews

Review

The secret to Byzantium’s success

The Eastern Roman polity largely worked so effectively because rulers and ruled took seriously the idea of the empire as a res publica.

Peter Sarris May 8, 2024

Review

The true history of the Wagner Group

A new book, published in Russian, delves into the history and operations of the Wagner Group and its role in modern Russia.

Sergey Radchenko May 7, 2024

Review

Victor Erice’s lost time

In this latest film, Close Your Eyes, the enigmatic Spanish-Basque filmmaker Victor Erice asks: is it within cinema’s power to bring back the dead?

Muriel Zagha May 1, 2024

Review

The horror of Civil War

Alex Garland's latest film Civil War is less about political violence than about the power of the image, and its displacement of the word, as the most powerful motivating factor of..

Alastair Benn April 24, 2024

Review

Matisse’s second life

Following a miraculous recovery in health, the ageing French painter Henri Matisse spent his last few months reflecting on sacred themes, and produced some of his most original wor..

Mathew Lyons April 23, 2024

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

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

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

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