Reviews

Significant works reviewed by Engelsberg Ideas writers.

In Rostov-on-Don, a monument of Tsar Alexander II is demolished and replaced by a monument to Lenin.
Review

Russia 1917-18: what Rhoda Power saw

Rhoda Power’s remarkable eyewitness account of the Russian Revolution’s descent into chaos deserves a new generation of readers.

Jeremy Jennings May 12, 2026
The Goldfinch at The Mauritshuis.
Review

The art of birds

Curated by historian Simon Schama, the Mauritshuis's 'BIRDS' brings together five centuries of art exploring mankind's relationship with the avian world.

Cath Pound May 7, 2026
Bernardo Bellotto's 'View of Vienna from the Belvedere'.
Review

Canaletto and Bellotto: painters of the ideal

Under the guise of selling images of a simple if picturesque reality, both Venetian artists were painters of the ideal.

Michael Prodger May 6, 2026
The procession to the Encaenia at Oxford for the presentation of Honorary Degrees. May, 1950. Credit: Keystone Press
Review

The golden age of the don

For Oxbridge dons of old, learning was worn lightly, style mattered almost as much as substance, and a certain effortless amateurism was prized.

David Vaiani May 6, 2026
Two folios from the Trivulzio Book of Hours.
Review

The enchanting world of medieval manuscripts

The renowned medievalist Christopher de Hamel reflects on the alluring power of manuscripts, and how they allow us to illuminate both the past and the present in surprising ways.

Derek Turner May 5, 2026
A group of elderly women in Kyoto, Japan. Credit: Trevor Mogg
Review

Japan: the world’s demographic canary

As he travels the country uncovering decay at almost every turn, Tom Feiling proves a superb guide – not only to Japan, but to the uncertain future of every ageing society.

Caroline Eden May 1, 2026
Agnus Dei by Francisco de Zurbarán in the Museo del Prado. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Review

Zurbarán: the mysteries of a singular talent

The National Gallery's absorbing exhibition confirms the greatness of Francisco de Zurbarán, a Spanish master of extraordinary range whose reputation continues to grow.

Paul Lay April 30, 2026
Advertisement from July 1930 for the CINE-KODAK home movie camera for black and white.
Review

A glimpse of Edith Tudor Hart’s long Cold War

The Austrian-British photographer's long career as a Soviet spy sheds light on the crucial role played by women in the Kremlin's espionage operations abroad.

Tim Bouverie April 27, 2026
An illustration celebrating the restoration of the Ottoman Constitution on 24 July 1908.
Review

How the Ottoman Spring unravelled

The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 lapsed into despotism because its leaders adhered zealously to the French Jacobin ideal of a powerful, centralised and egalitarian state.

Halil Karaveli April 24, 2026

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