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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

This copy of the First Folio is one of fewer than 20 in private hands.

399-Year-Old Copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio Could Fetch $2.5 Million at Auction

Without the printed collection, many of the playwright’s most iconic works could have been lost to history

Bronze sacrificial altar unearthed at the Sanxingdui archaeological site

Cool Finds

Trove of 13,000 Artifacts Sheds Light on Enigmatic Chinese Civilization

The Bronze Age Sanxingdui culture is known for its intricate masks and artworks

Members of the Janes in 1972

History of Now

When Abortion Was Illegal, Chicago Women Turned to the Jane Collective

A new documentary spotlights the group that helped thousands seeking abortions in the 1960s and ‘70s

Lena Horne performing in Stormy Weather

The First Broadway Theater to Bear a Black Woman’s Name Will Honor Lena Horne

The Brooks Atkinson Theater will be renamed for the award-winning actor, singer and civil rights activist

More than 450 pieces made by Met staff members are on display in this year’s exhibition.

At This Once-Secret Exhibition, the Met’s Security Guards and Staff Display Their Own Art

For the first time since 1935, the show is finally open to the public

In 1951, mobster Frank Costello (seated, center) testified in front of the Kefauver Committee during a televised congressional hearing on organized crime that captivated the country.

History of Now

A Brief History of Televised Congressional Hearings

From a 1951 investigation into organized crime to the Watergate scandal, the ongoing January 6 hearings are part of a lengthy political tradition

Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893

‘The Scream’ Gets a New Home in Norway’s $650 Million National Museum

The recently opened facility has an entire room dedicated to Norwegian painter Edvard Munch

This Renaissance painting was found in a 90-year-old woman's bedroom. It recently fetched around $320,000 at a London auction.

Cool Finds

Renaissance Masterpiece Found Hanging in a 90-Year-Old Woman’s London Bedroom

“The Depiction of the Madonna and Child,” by a follower of Filippino Lippi, sold for around $320,000

A new exhibition in Marseille recreates the famous cave and the art found within. 

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Tour a Submerged Cave Packed With Paleolithic Art—Without Ever Venturing Underwater

As sea levels rise, an immersive new exhibition in Marseille lets visitors explore an inaccessible cavern’s archaeological treasures

Margaret Atwood tried burning the new, fireproof version of her novel The Handmaid's Tale with a flamethrower.

Margaret Atwood Tried—and Failed—to Burn a Copy of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ Here’s Why

A fireproof version of her bestseller is a weapon in an ongoing fight against literary censorship

The ornate box was recently purchased by the National Museums of Scotland.

This Lavish Silver Box Tarnished Mary, Queen of Scots—and Contributed to Her Downfall

The controversial container played a role in the deposed monarch’s fall from favor

My Comrade documented the early careers of some of today’s most famous drag queens.

The Zine That Documented Drag’s Campy Coming of Age

The queer publication shone a joyous light on an underground culture during the darkest days of the HIV/AIDS crisis

The marble tablet celebrates the achievement of about 30 Greek youths. 

Cool Finds

2,000-Year-Old ‘Yearbook’-Like Tablet Celebrates a Group of Ancient Greek Grads

Attikos and his friends were ready to become full Athenian citizens

Macintosh computers—and the company that created them—changed the PC world.

New Polish Museum Bytes Into the History of Apple Products

Over 1,000 artifacts get to the core of the iconic brand’s popularity

Rendering of the International African American Museum

A Museum Exploring the African American Experience Is Coming to Charleston

Slated to open early next year, the space will explore the legacy and contributions of enslaved people and their descendants

The 21-year-old suspect, Brian Hernandez, broke into the Dallas Museum of Art around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Trending Today

Man Breaks Into Dallas Museum of Art and Damages Artworks Valued at Up to $5 Million

Brian Hernandez broke ancient Greek artifacts and a contemporary ceramic piece

Georgia O’Keeffe poses at her home, Ghost Ranch, in New Mexico. The artist often drew on imagery of the American Southwest in her work. 

One-on-One

Unvarnished Photos of Georgia O’Keeffe Show the Elusive Painter in Her Element

Never-before-published photographs offer an intimate look at the iconic artist

Images from eight decades of the queen’s life were projected onto the megaliths this week.

Images of Elizabeth II Graced Stonehenge This Week—and Pagans Aren’t Happy

Projections on the Neolithic stones have proven controversial before

The Mona Lisa is the most popular painting at the Louvre in Paris.

Disguised Protester Smears Cake on High-Tech Glass Protecting the ‘Mona Lisa’

It’s the latest in a long string of attempts to vandalize the world’s most famous painting

Translator Daisy Rockwell and author Geetanjali Shree hold their International Booker Prize awards.

For the First Time, a Hindi Author Has Won the International Booker Prize

A novel about borders garnered Geetanjali Shree the prestigious award

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