The Poison That Taught Painting How to Glow
Look closely at the light on that famous pearl in a Vermeer painting. It is not just bright, it is…
Art
The Maths Behind Why More Paintings Can Mean More Money
Common sense says that the rarer a thing is, the more it costs. That's how diamonds work, how vintage wine…
The Painting That Was Finished Three Times (And Nobody Noticed)
Walk into any gallery and you will probably spend about eight seconds in front of each painting before moving on.…
The Invisible First Coat That Explains Everything You Love About Old Paintings
Most people’s reaction on seeing a Vermeer (even a decent print) is inexplicable. It looks as though it is being…
The Faces That Refused to Fade
Somewhere in Roman-era Egypt, around the first or second century AD, a painter was melting beeswax over a flame. Into…
When a Painting Could Kill You
There's a particular kind of unease that a very realistic portrait can produce, even now. Something about the eyes following…
The Painting Was Never Just One Person’s Work
Walk into the National Gallery and pick any large Old Master off the wall – a Rubens, a Rembrandt, something…
The Gentlemen’s Game: How the British Art Market Ran on Nothing But a Nod
Picture a Bond Street gallery in 1974. Thick carpet, a Hockney on the wall, two men in suits shaking hands…
You’re Finishing the Painting Right Now
Look at the Mona Lisa for long enough and something strange happens. She smiles. Then she doesn't. Then she does…
The London Hallmark: Why the Same Painting Costs More in SW1 Than in Sheffield
Walk into a gallery in Mayfair and then into one in Glasgow's west end. Find work by the same artist…