Blackberries. Beautifully painted in 1813 by Raphaelle Peale, who was born on this day in 1774.

Fine to disagree with Wenders but it’s not a reason to pull out of festival.

A common misconception: “The female nude, as depicted and objectified by the male artist, has dominated western art for centuries” From antiquity til late 19thC male nude dominated. Anybody disagree? www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Leon Black took out a loan of almost $500m using his art collection, valued at $1bn, as collateral. Stunning sleuthing by @joshspero @joshspero.ft.com in the depths of the Epstein files suggests 'art loans' are far bigger than currently thought. #epsteinfiles #artmarket www.ft.com/content/89ba...

If you control a nation's past, you control its future. If you steal a nation's past, you steal its future. If you destroy a nation's past, you destroy its future.

What famous work of art is this a detail of? #HIGAFY

The Art World in one image and one article www.frieze.com/article/guts...

Congratulations to Manhattan ADA Matt Bogdanos, who almost singlehandedly toughened up America and then the world's approach to looted antiquities. He gave a great interview in my podcast about the Met's Golden Coffin open.spotify.com/show/6Y2M6So...

"In summary, tulip buying is over; it was fun while it lasted." The Great Contemporary Art Boom 2001-2025 is over says veteran billionaire collector Adam Lindemann. What'd he get for his Murakami's now? #contemporaryart #artmarket news.artnet.com/art-world/ad...

"In summary, tulip buying is over; it was fun while it lasted." The Great Contemporary Art Boom 2001-2025 is over says veteran billionaire collector Adam Lindemann. What'd he get for his Murakami's now? #contemporaryart #artmarket news.artnet.com/art-world/ad...

He’s sort of right but a) he omits to assess if the policies of the populist right will alleviate or exacerbate the problems wch have driven their political advance b) if they won’t or don’t, it undermines his claim that the ‘liberal order’ has been ‘discredited’ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

“masterpieces by the biggest names of the most recent cycle, like a word painting by Christopher Wool or a joke painting by Richard Prince can now sell for half of what they once did.” Another insider admits the contemporary art market has crashed… news.artnet.com/art-world/ad...

“Ghandehari claims that Christie’s should have told him the painting was being sold by a businessman with a conviction for drug trafficking... Christie’s says it had no obligation to tell him” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Is anyone else getting reccomended AI slop by Spotify? I am so insulted. I only listen to the finest jazz @listigeplaylists.bsky.social

"Spending hundreds or thousands or millions on an original work of art can be a pretty big ask when you’re waking up every morning thinking, “What the hell is going to happen next?” Scott Reyburn on buying art amidst the descent into fascism www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/30/w...

Jeffrey Epstein boasted he could get a redacted individual a job at Gagosian in October 2010. Other emails from a female redacted individual dated Sept 2009 and Jan 2010 tell Epstein that she has an interview for an internship at Gagosian, that she met one 'Anita' there ... 1/3 #epsteinfiles

Artquiz #2 What artists am I thinking of? #HIGAFY

Artquiz #1 Who are the two artists of these two details of paintings? #HIGAFY #haveIgotartforyou

Posing in front of a Damien Hirst ain’t gonna help you with this one, mate

Cory Doctorow is always brilliant but he excels himself here www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Romare Bearden, Martin Luther King, Jr.-Mountain Top, 1968

Purest profile, 1470, by Piero del Pollaiuolo. Today is his day.

One of my favourite films. Art house thriller

I’ve decided to give my 2002 Grierson award for best historical documentary for ‘The King of Communism- The Pomp and Pageantry of Nicolae Ceaucescu’ to President Trump Retweet with your giveaway award

The new global binary is not East v West or Communism vs Capitalism or even Global North v Global South - it’s dictatorships vs democracies, because each individual dictator knows his survival depends on the destruction of all democracies

Four legs good, two legs better moment

I know we have bigger first to fry but this sucks so fucking bad. Location: Midtown Hotel Boston

Wayne Thiebaud - delicious and juicy paintings @courtauld.bsky.social Definitely not a one cake wonder though!

Back in the early 90s, I once met Damon Albarn from Blur and he expressed incredulity that I only listened to House music

Lisa Milroy and Wayne Thiebaud eat this!

Help save Hampstead Heath’s indie cafes c.org/j8gnjCdv7m

Kicking myself about missing this exhibition of the inexplicably hypnotic images of one of the very few intriguing contemporary photographers. Anyway at least I have @jeremymillar.bsky.social ‘s great review. www.ft.com/content/a68d... The captivating, revelatory world of Christopher Williams

Sloppy Xmas everyone

A humourless BBC executive once accused me of being ‘arch’

Should a top Russian archaeologist face trial for digging in occupied Crimea? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Happy Xmas from Maurizio Cattelan

Virgin of the Dry Tree. Tiny, fascinating devotional work by Petrus Christus, whose day was today.

Number 18 by Jackson Pollock, 1950 https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137445

Made a tiny Christmas tree out of fossils: the stars are crinoid ossicles, the trunk dinosaur bone & the branches are sharks’ teeth 🎄🦴

Where is Richard Prince when you need him?

Some of these redactions are almost like modern art

Very Sienese

"Man climbs a mountain because it is there; man makes a work or art because it is not there." - a bit of me in this archive-based Radio 4 programme on Sounds. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Who’s the winner bidder?

Art auction price quiz from NYT Are You Smarter Than a Billionaire? www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Legend ! Who else bought clothes in Ken Market in the 80s? www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025...

Really love this book of photos that Benjamin Katz took of Gerhard Richter at work in the 1980s and early ‘90s. — Richter rips cigarettes and laughs quite often — His cat and then-wife Isa Genzken appear frequently — The squeegee only makes one (I think?) appearance — The candles look awful in b&w

Terrific appreciation of $236m Klimt from Kelly Grovier www.bbc.co.uk/culture/arti...

If net migration is lower because more Brits are *leaving* the country, then it logically can have nothing to do with any measures to reduce immigration. It’s nothing to do with fewer people coming in. @thetimes.com