Smart News Arts & Culture

Portrait of a Jester looking through his fingers, circa 1548

The Fool Has Appeared in Art for Centuries. What Do These Portrayals of the Complex Character Say About Us?

A new exhibition at the Louvre takes visitors on a visual journey, exploring how the figure of the fool evolved between the Middle Ages and the 19th century

The passage connects the Uffizi Galleries to the Boboli Gardens.

See the Sprawling Secret Passageway Built for Florence's Elite 450 Years Ago

The 2,500-foot-long Vasari Corridor impressed guests of the Medicis and other leaders that followed (including Benito Mussolini). Now, it's reopening to the public

Jean Michel-Basquiat, Brook Bartlett and Bruno Bischofberger in St. Moritz on January 30, 1983

See How Basquiat's Travels to the Swiss Alps Influenced His Artistic Development

A new exhibition in Switzerland examines the New York City artist's lesser-known fascination with pine trees and snowy mountain peaks

Yayoi Kusama's The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe (2019) is just one of the roughly 200 works on view during the "Yayoi Kusama" retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

Immerse Yourself in the Polka-Dotted World of Yayoi Kusama at a Massive New Retrospective

An exhibition in Melbourne features around 200 of the 95-year-old Japanese artist's works, as well as artifacts that help tell the story of her life

A 1913 photograph of Maria Montessori

On This Day in History

How Trailblazing Teacher Maria Montessori Transformed the Realm of Children's Education

The Italian physician and educator opened her first school in Rome on this day in 1907

A sketch of Solomon Northup from his memoir, Twelve Years a Slave

On This Day in History

Solomon Northup's 'Twelve Years a Slave' Came to an End as He Regained His Long-Awaited Freedom on This Day in 1853

Northup’s memoir told the story of his kidnapping and years of enslavement in Louisiana. The book became a national best seller and inspired an Oscar-winning film

This gold ring features an engraving of Venus Victrix, or Venus the Victorious, a Romanized aspect of the goddess associated with imperial power and romantic conquests alike.

Cool Finds

Exceptionally Well-Preserved Gold Ring Featuring 'Venus the Victorious' Unearthed on Ancient Road in France

In addition to the 1,800-year-old piece of engraved jewelry, archaeologists discovered a trove of Carolingian coins, medieval pottery and more

The weeklong exhibition showcases items submitted by members of the public.

The Museum of Bad Gifts Is a Celebration of Outlandish Objects, From Ceramic Clowns to Cat Nail Clippings

Presented like pieces of fine art, the peculiar presents are mounted on the walls of a gallery in Toronto. Many of them will ultimately be sold at auction

The R46 trains started running in the subway system during the 1970s.

New York City Is Getting Rid of Its Iconic Orange and Yellow Subway Cars

Many New Yorkers feel attached to the instantly recognizable R46s, which debuted in the summer of 1975. Officials say their replacements will arrive by 2027

Painted around 1730, the angels were covered up in 1912.

Conservators Are Uncovering Elaborate Angel Murals Hidden Behind Seven Layers of White Paint at a Colonial-Era Church

The colorful wall paintings adorn Boston's Old North Church, which played a crucial role during Paul Revere's famed 1775 midnight ride

By the time this crowd gathered on New Year's Eve, 1938, the Times Square ball drop had been an annual rite for decades

On This Day in History

The First Ever Times Square Ball Drop Was Held Atop the New York Times Headquarters in 1907, Starting a Cherished Tradition

Time balls date back to the early 19th century, when they signaled the time to passing sailors. Now they’re part of the pomp and circumstance of the new year

Camille Claudel's famous bronze sculpture The Age of Maturity depicts a young women being left behind by her lover, who walks ahead with an older woman.

Cool Finds

Stunning Sculpture by Camille Claudel Rediscovered in an Abandoned Parisian Apartment

Titled "The Age of Maturity," the artwork may reflect the sculptor's turbulent relationship with Auguste Rodin, her mentor and lover

Works entering the public domain include The Sound and the Fury, the first recordings of Rhapsody in Blue, Popeye, Tintin and The Broadway Melody.

Happy Public Domain Day! Popeye, 'Rhapsody in Blue,' 'The Sound and the Fury' and Thousands of Other Captivating Creations Are Finally Free for Everyone to Use

On January 1, 2025, copyrights will expire for books, films, comic strips, musical compositions and other creative works from 1929, as well as sound recordings from 1924

Fascinating finds unveiled in 2024 ranged from a jade Maya funerary mask to a Roman dodecahedron.

Cool Finds

Seventy-Seven Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2024, From a Mysterious 'Anomaly' Near the Great Pyramid of Giza to a Missing Portrait of Henry VIII

The year's most exciting discoveries included musket balls fired in the early days of the American Revolution, a lost composition by Mozart and a medieval chess piece

French artist Claire Tabouret has just won a national competition to create new stained glass windows for Notre-Dame in Paris.

Get a Colorful Sneak Peek of Notre-Dame's New Stained Glass Designs

Nearly a year after the controversial plans to replace six original windows were first announced, the French government unveils the winning plans by artist Claire Tabouret

The Beatles arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on February 7, 1964.

On This Day in History

Beatlemania Took the United States by Storm on This Day in 1963, Launching the British Invasion

With their arrival in America, the Beatles ushered in a new era of hyper-popular rock ’n’ roll music

Sculptures of Grýla, mother of the 13 Yule Lads, and Skyrgámur, a Yule Lad fond of Icelandic yogurt

Before the Yule Lads Evolved Into Icelandic Versions of Santa Claus, They Terrorized Children Into Following the Rules

Today, the 13 brothers are said to leave presents in well-behaved youngsters’ shoes. But they used to be depicted as frightening monsters

An illustration of Joseph Smith Jr. (right) and his brother Hyrum (left)

On This Day in History

Joseph Smith, the Founder and Prophet of Mormonism, Was Born Into an Impoverished and Itinerant Family in Vermont

Throughout his childhood, the young Smith, born on this day in 1805, fought disease, poverty and spiritual battles of his own

James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, holding a soccer ball and a basket

On This Day in History

How a College Gym Teacher in Massachusetts Invented a New Sport to Keep His Students Entertained and Fit During the Frigid Winter

From a humble first game with peach baskets and a soccer ball on this day in 1891, basketball evolved quickly into one of the world's most popular sports

A portrait of Ian McKellen (center) hanging alongside depictions of (from left to right) Frances Barber, Charles Dance, Harriet Walter and Simon Callow

See How Talking Portraits Bring the Greatest Living Shakespearean Actors to Life

A collection of ten digital portraits of famous thespians—including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Harriet Walter—are on view at the Red Eight Gallery in London

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