https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/art/RSS feed for ArtenThu, 22 Oct 2026 15:30:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-canadian-artist-jean-paul-riopelle-was-completely-absorbed-by-the-act-of-painting-his-abstract-works-finally-have-their-own-home-in-a-quebec-museum-180989735/Home to the world’s largest public collection of his artworks, a new pavilion at Quebec's Musée National des Beaux-Arts showcases the more than 50-year career of Riopelle, who was a key member of the avant-garde Automatistes movementThu, 22 Oct 2026 15:30:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-canadian-artist-jean-paul-riopelle-was-completely-absorbed-by-the-act-of-painting-his-abstract-works-finally-have-their-own-home-in-a-quebec-museum-180989735/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-exactly-were-the-first-humans-to-be-captured-in-a-photograph-standing-three-obsessed-filmmakers-solved-the-nearly-200-year-old-mystery-180989727/The sleuths spent two years digging into archives and building 3D models of 19th-century Paris. The location is now immortalized by a bronze plaque celebrating the historic site and the "poetic" early photographWed, 21 Oct 2026 16:29:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-exactly-were-the-first-humans-to-be-captured-in-a-photograph-standing-three-obsessed-filmmakers-solved-the-nearly-200-year-old-mystery-180989727/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/she-painted-first-known-self-portrait-an-artist-at-work-and-signed-it-nearly-500-years-ago-who-was-catharina-van-hemessen-180989724/Few women worked as professional artists in the 16th century. A new exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, seeks to restore this Flemish painter to the pantheon of art history giantsWed, 21 Oct 2026 16:01:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/she-painted-first-known-self-portrait-an-artist-at-work-and-signed-it-nearly-500-years-ago-who-was-catharina-van-hemessen-180989724/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-turned-ancient-myths-into-supremely-human-works-of-art-an-upcoming-exhibition-traces-the-inspiration-he-took-from-antiquity-180989705/"Rembrandt and the Ancients" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will unpack an "underexplored but vital" part of the Dutch master's career, putting his paintings and drawings in conversation with the antecedents that inspired themFri, 16 Oct 2026 20:16:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-turned-ancient-myths-into-supremely-human-works-of-art-an-upcoming-exhibition-traces-the-inspiration-he-took-from-antiquity-180989705/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madrids-renewed-and-expanded-sorolla-museum-lets-the-paintings-of-the-spanish-master-of-light-reemerge-into-public-view-180989701/Dedicated to the works of Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, the museum is centered around his historic home and studio. The first phase of its yearslong renovation is complete, featuring expanded exhibition spacesFri, 16 Oct 2026 18:01:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madrids-renewed-and-expanded-sorolla-museum-lets-the-paintings-of-the-spanish-master-of-light-reemerge-into-public-view-180989701/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venetian-artist-canaletto-merged-fantasy-and-architectural-detail-in-this-previously-unseen-sketch-heading-to-auction-this-month-180989692/The 18th-century painter was a key practitioner of "capriccio" artworks, which blended scenes of everyday life with bold, out-of-place structures. This work was not known to exist for centuries and could now fetch up to $80,000Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:03:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venetian-artist-canaletto-merged-fantasy-and-architectural-detail-in-this-previously-unseen-sketch-heading-to-auction-this-month-180989692/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-stunning-winners-of-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-contest-capturing-the-splendor-and-drama-of-nature-180989681/These 19 recognized images highlight the diversity across our planet and the value in appreciating and protecting the natural worldWed, 14 Oct 2026 20:50:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-stunning-winners-of-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-contest-capturing-the-splendor-and-drama-of-nature-180989681/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-vincent-van-gogh-painting-has-not-been-seen-in-public-for-over-60-years-it-is-now-poised-to-set-a-record-at-an-upcoming-auction-180989680/The Dutch Post-Impressionist painted "Chestnut Trees in Blossom" during the highly productive yet tragic final months of his life. It is heading to auction as part of a "legendary" private collection which also includes works from Cézanne and RenoirWed, 14 Oct 2026 17:28:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-vincent-van-gogh-painting-has-not-been-seen-in-public-for-over-60-years-it-is-now-poised-to-set-a-record-at-an-upcoming-auction-180989680/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-unprecedented-trove-of-ancient-wooden-tools-uncovered-at-a-rock-shelter-in-spain-show-neanderthals-were-skilled-woodworkers-180989668/Wooden objects usually decompose quickly, but periodic flooding and minerals in the water helped preserve those at a site called Abric Romaní. Archaeologists documented nearly 600 wooden objects—or their imprints—and 13 were clearly shaped by human handsTue, 13 Oct 2026 17:00:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-unprecedented-trove-of-ancient-wooden-tools-uncovered-at-a-rock-shelter-in-spain-show-neanderthals-were-skilled-woodworkers-180989668/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-the-help-of-family-wealth-and-instagram-gen-z-is-spending-big-in-the-art-market-180989664/According to a new survey, high-net-worth 20-somethings are emerging as the most active members of the global art trade, outspending other generations by wide margins. Their habits are changing how the art world worksTue, 13 Oct 2026 15:19:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-the-help-of-family-wealth-and-instagram-gen-z-is-spending-big-in-the-art-market-180989664/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-digital-swamp-coming-to-new-york-citys-moma-is-made-to-envelop-you-in-nature-with-the-help-of-cutting-edge-technology-180989652/"Wetland" is the latest installation of a high-tech traveling exhibition designed by Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen. It recreates the overlooked ecosystem with the help of folklore, soundscapes and video game softwareFri, 09 Oct 2026 20:39:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-digital-swamp-coming-to-new-york-citys-moma-is-made-to-envelop-you-in-nature-with-the-help-of-cutting-edge-technology-180989652/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jmw-turner-painted-this-breathtaking-roman-landscape-nearly-200-years-ago-if-you-look-closely-you-can-still-see-his-fingerprints-180989659/The Romantic painter completed "Rome, From Mount Aventine" in the 1830s. It became his most expensive artwork in 2014, and it's expected to sell for another record-breaking sum in DecemberThu, 08 Oct 2026 18:56:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jmw-turner-painted-this-breathtaking-roman-landscape-nearly-200-years-ago-if-you-look-closely-you-can-still-see-his-fingerprints-180989659/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-pulled-off-another-shocking-art-heist-in-france-this-time-they-took-a-330-pound-bronze-book-cover-designed-by-salvador-dali-180989638/The volume, "Livre de l’Apocalypse," was a "masterpiece" collaboration of 14 artists and writers. It is one of the heaviest and most expensive books ever madeThu, 08 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-pulled-off-another-shocking-art-heist-in-france-this-time-they-took-a-330-pound-bronze-book-cover-designed-by-salvador-dali-180989638/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stanley-kubricks-personal-archive-is-going-up-for-auction-including-the-ax-from-the-shining-and-the-star-child-from-2001-a-space-odyssey-180989632/The legendary director’s on-set chair, annotated scripts and props give a glimpse into the meticulous moviemaking process behind films like "Full Metal Jacket" and "Eyes Wide Shut"Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:48:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stanley-kubricks-personal-archive-is-going-up-for-auction-including-the-ax-from-the-shining-and-the-star-child-from-2001-a-space-odyssey-180989632/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-icebergs-is-one-of-frederic-edwin-churchs-most-spectacular-paintings-for-decades-no-one-knew-where-it-was-180989587/In the 1970s, the administrator of a boys' home in England wound up finding the missing 19th-century piece and bringing it back into the spotlightTue, 29 Sep 2026 17:40:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-icebergs-is-one-of-frederic-edwin-churchs-most-spectacular-paintings-for-decades-no-one-knew-where-it-was-180989587/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-claude-monet-paint-the-same-scenes-over-and-over-again-the-impressionist-artist-was-obsessed-with-capturing-the-fleeting-nature-of-time-180989563/An upcoming exhibition at Tate Modern will feature more than 60 artworks created by Monet between the 1870s and 1920s. These pieces reveal how he documented changing light and weather conditionsThu, 24 Sep 2026 15:01:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-claude-monet-paint-the-same-scenes-over-and-over-again-the-impressionist-artist-was-obsessed-with-capturing-the-fleeting-nature-of-time-180989563/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/claude-monets-long-hidden-iris-is-about-to-become-the-most-expensive-painting-ever-auctioned-in-france-180989546/The artwork reflects the famed Impressionist’s later, abstract style. Sotheby’s estimates that it will sell for $25 million to $34 millionTue, 22 Sep 2026 19:12:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/claude-monets-long-hidden-iris-is-about-to-become-the-most-expensive-painting-ever-auctioned-in-france-180989546/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-a-new-endeavor-from-the-creator-of-star-wars-is-a-story-in-itself-180989533/Almost two decades in the making, the institution centers on art that shapes our everyday lives and reveals the craft behind itMon, 21 Sep 2026 17:31:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-a-new-endeavor-from-the-creator-of-star-wars-is-a-story-in-itself-180989533/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pope-leo-xiv-makes-a-splash-for-his-71st-birthday-announcing-a-water-themed-art-exhibition-at-the-vatican-library-180989515/Contemporary sculptures, fish made from typographic elements, centuries-old treatises and historical global cookbooks will feature in the new ‘Catastrophe and Wonder’ art showThu, 17 Sep 2026 19:12:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pope-leo-xiv-makes-a-splash-for-his-71st-birthday-announcing-a-water-themed-art-exhibition-at-the-vatican-library-180989515/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysteriously-stolen-more-than-30-years-ago-and-illicitly-transported-to-the-us-this-300-pound-sculpture-is-finally-back-home-in-france-180989507/Alfred Lepère’s hulking “Faune Chasseur” artwork is once again on display at the Musée de Picardie, in AmiensWed, 16 Sep 2026 15:03:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysteriously-stolen-more-than-30-years-ago-and-illicitly-transported-to-the-us-this-300-pound-sculpture-is-finally-back-home-in-france-180989507/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-romes-largest-fresco-and-mosaic-complex-featuring-depictions-of-a-mysterious-maritime-city-opens-to-the-public-after-2000-years-180989484/The massive artworks, created in the first century C.E., were discovered in the 1990s during excavations of the Baths of TrajanFri, 11 Sep 2026 15:31:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-romes-largest-fresco-and-mosaic-complex-featuring-depictions-of-a-mysterious-maritime-city-opens-to-the-public-after-2000-years-180989484/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-uncover-a-neolithic-sculpture-of-a-human-riding-a-leopard-thats-unlike-anything-we-have-encountered-before-180989477/The artifact was found during excavations at Karahan Tepe, an 11,000-year-old site in southeastern Turkey. Created long before the invention of writing, the 2.3-foot-tall sculpture's purpose is a mysteryThu, 10 Sep 2026 14:09:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-uncover-a-neolithic-sculpture-of-a-human-riding-a-leopard-thats-unlike-anything-we-have-encountered-before-180989477/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-broke-into-a-french-museum-and-made-off-with-renoir-paintings-worth-more-than-25-million-180989462/Early today, burglars stole four artworks from the Renoir Museum, in the French Riviera, only to drop two of them as they escapedTue, 08 Sep 2026 19:21:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-broke-into-a-french-museum-and-made-off-with-renoir-paintings-worth-more-than-25-million-180989462/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-inside-spanish-cave-roman-women-may-have-worshipped-mysterious-goddess-180989414/Best known for its Paleolithic art, Valencia’s Cova de les Dones also contains a Roman sanctuary where researchers say women appear to have played an active role in the worship of a female deityFri, 28 Aug 2026 18:43:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-inside-spanish-cave-roman-women-may-have-worshipped-mysterious-goddess-180989414/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historical-pollution-not-current-industrial-emissions-damaged-worlds-largest-oldest-collection-ancient-rock-art-180989416/Researchers say that past exposure to sulfur dioxide is likely to blame for the increased porosity of the Murujuga rock art created by the Ngarda-Ngarli people tens of thousands of years agoFri, 28 Aug 2026 18:04:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historical-pollution-not-current-industrial-emissions-damaged-worlds-largest-oldest-collection-ancient-rock-art-180989416/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/When "Torero" vanished from a Milwaukee art gallery in 2018, the owners didn't know whether they'd ever see it again. The man who found the etching turned it over to the police earlier this monthFri, 28 Aug 2026 15:37:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/yayoi-kusama-created-fantastical-infinity-mirror-rooms-that-became-the-most-famous-backdrops-of-the-art-world-her-work-spanned-from-counterculture-to-cosmos-180989409/The Japanese artist, who died on August 14 at 97, sought solace from hallucinations in her art, developing a visual language of polka dots, pumpkins and mirrors that entranced the worldThu, 27 Aug 2026 15:59:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/yayoi-kusama-created-fantastical-infinity-mirror-rooms-that-became-the-most-famous-backdrops-of-the-art-world-her-work-spanned-from-counterculture-to-cosmos-180989409/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/prehistoric-paintings-walls-caves-have-always-been-moving-with-right-light-some-seem-move-180989276/As archaeologists study the work of ancient artists, they notice that the images aren’t simply static; some are painted into the contours of the rock, and others are set in motion in torchlightThu, 27 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/prehistoric-paintings-walls-caves-have-always-been-moving-with-right-light-some-seem-move-180989276/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-a-selection-of-islamic-masterpieces-from-the-louvre-is-coming-to-the-united-states-see-the-treasures-soon-to-be-displayed-at-the-smithsonians-national-museum-of-asian-art-180989402/Twenty-six works spanning many centuries and regions will form the September exhibition titled "From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art"Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:00:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-a-selection-of-islamic-masterpieces-from-the-louvre-is-coming-to-the-united-states-see-the-treasures-soon-to-be-displayed-at-the-smithsonians-national-museum-of-asian-art-180989402/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rock-art-in-china-has-remained-bright-red-for-nearly-2000-years-how-the-secret-ingredient-might-be-blood-180989389/A new study offers clues about how the Luoyue people created rock paintings in what’s now southern China. The murals have somehow been durable enough to withstand rain, heat, wind and humidity for centuriesTue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rock-art-in-china-has-remained-bright-red-for-nearly-2000-years-how-the-secret-ingredient-might-be-blood-180989389/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/in-some-trattorias-in-italy-diners-can-enjoy-a-meal-and-take-the-plate-it-was-served-on-home-as-a-souvenir-180989386/The Piatti del Buon Ricordo, or “Plates of Good Memories,” tradition dates back to 1964, when a clever marketer came up with it to encourage Italians to travel across the country and taste regional dishesTue, 25 Aug 2026 12:42:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/in-some-trattorias-in-italy-diners-can-enjoy-a-meal-and-take-the-plate-it-was-served-on-home-as-a-souvenir-180989386/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-france-brutal-summer-heat-waves-taking-toll-on-flowers-that-inspired-claude-monet-most-beloved-paintings-180989384/The colorful nasturtiums at the artist's house and gardens have been hit particularly hard this summer as France grapples with a record 52 heatwave daysMon, 24 Aug 2026 20:06:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-france-brutal-summer-heat-waves-taking-toll-on-flowers-that-inspired-claude-monet-most-beloved-paintings-180989384/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/frida-kahlo-home-stunning-antiquities-just-some-offerings-bolstered-mexico-citys-fantastic-museums-180989293/The ancient capital has plenty of artwork and fossils, if that’s what you like. Or tour the writing rooms of a Nobel winner, the fortified home of an exiled Russian revolutionary and towers of skullsMon, 24 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/frida-kahlo-home-stunning-antiquities-just-some-offerings-bolstered-mexico-citys-fantastic-museums-180989293/