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Artists

Researchers uncovered this image of a woman under The Fifth Season (1943) using infrared reflectography.

Cool Finds

A Mysterious Portrait Was Discovered Beneath a René Magritte Painting

Researchers found the image using infrared reflectography, and they think it may depict the artist’s wife, Georgette

From his home in Ontario, Samuel Peralta displays a sample gold NanoFiche—similar to the smaller, nickel-based NanoFiche that will be traveling to the lunar surface.

The Lunar Codex Will Archive the Work of 30,000 Artists—on the Moon

A series of time capsules will honor and preserve contemporary art from around the globe

Captivity, 1974 is a quilted version of a photo taken of Tyler after his initial arrest.

He Was Wrongfully Imprisoned for 41 Years. Now He Has His First Solo Exhibition

In “We Are the Willing,” quilter Gary Tyler revisits his time in prison and explores his newfound freedom

Pepón Osorio, El Chandelier, 1988

Pepón Osorio Pushes the Bounds of Public Art

The Puerto Rican artist emphasizes community in installations crafted from everyday objects

Tony Bennett painting in June 1971

Tony Bennett’s Passion for Art Lives On in His Paintings

Smithsonian curators reflect on the beloved crooner’s legacy as a musician and visual artist

The Tusk Gorilla Trail features 15 life-size sculptures decorated by prominent artists and public figures.

Why a Trail of Life-Size Gorilla Sculptures Popped Up in London

The statues seek to raise awareness of wildlife conservation efforts in Africa

The secretive street artist Banksy painted this graffiti mural in London in 2008.

Cool Finds

Is This a Recording of Banksy’s Voice?

A new podcast claims to have unearthed a short interview with the artist that aired on NPR in 2005

A portrait of the Ramesses II (left) and researchers Philippe Walter and Catherine Defeyt using portable X-ray fluorescence equipment to take measurements (right)

New Research

X-Rays Uncover the Secrets of 3,000-Year-Old Egyptian Paintings

A new study provides insight into how tomb painters altered their work over time

The exterior of 57 Great Jones Street, which actress Angelina Jolie has rented to house her new venture

Angelina Jolie Will Rent Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Former Studio

The famous 20th-century artist originally rented the space from Andy Warhol, his friend and mentor

In the exhibition, Basquiat’s art and objects are described not in esoteric art world terms but in loving, even playful ways, often from the perspective of his sisters, Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux

For Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Family, This Exhibition Was a Means of Grieving

Visitors to “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure,” now in Los Angeles, walk through the late artist’s studio and connect with him on a personal level

An animated rendering of one of Leonardo's designs for a flying machine

Explore Animated Models, Digitized Sketches and More in Leonardo da Vinci’s Largest-Ever Online Retrospective

The new Google Arts & Culture hub features high-resolution scans, 3D renderings and artificial intelligence experiments

The artist’s rendering of the USS Indianapolis. Smith often draws highly detailed features, such as the guns, separately and only later places them onto the larger work.

A Veteran’s Artistic Tribute to Naval Might and Sacrifice

JD Smith has dedicated himself to creating incredibly detailed and historically accurate renderings of warships that fought in World War II

A free exhibition in Washington, D.C., shows 12 pages from the multi-volume collection of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks called the Codex Atlanticus.

Leonardo da Vinci Sketches Go on Display in the U.S. for the First Time

Pages of the “Codex Atlanticus” provide a rare glimpse into the Renaissance icon’s imagination and scientific prowess

Bisa Butler selects fabrics that symbolically honor and protect her subjects.

Material Wealth

The Genius Behind Bisa Butler’s Vibrant Quilts

The renowned artist’s exuberant portraits celebrate Black history and take the form to a new level

Left to right, Butler’s larger-than-life fabric depictions are inspired by African American stories she’s compelled to share. Marzan links fibers from plants indigenous to Hawaii and other Pacific islands into astonishing shapes. Arnold builds on thousands of years of felt-making in creations that allude to community and nature, such as a flowing river.

Material Wealth

Meet the Artists Reinventing American Fiber Art

These innovative creators are quilting, weaving and felting dramatic pieces that bring American fiber arts to unexplored heights

The original stencil for Banksy's Girl With Balloon is among the items on display in a new solo show at Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art.

Rare Banksy Solo Exhibition Opens in Glasgow

The secretive street artist has officially authorized the show, which features never-before-seen stencils

The Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where prosecutors allege suspects stole Andy Warhol’s La Grande Passion and Jackson Pollock’s Springs Winter in 2005

Suspects Finally Charged for Museum Robberies Spanning 20 Years

Prosecutors allege that nine thieves stole art by Warhol and Pollock, among other valuable items

The Green Bank Telescope at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia was one of three observatories to receive the transmission created by artist Daniela de Paulis.

Art Meets Science

Could You Decode a Message From Aliens?

An artist is challenging researchers and amateurs alike to practice parsing an extraterrestrial communication

“From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya With Ayana V. Jackson” is currently on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art through April 2024 (above: When the Spirit of Kalunda Comes So Does Kianda, Ayana V. Jackson, 2018-2022).

Meet the Inhabitants of the Mythic World of Drexciya

Artist Ayana V. Jackson creates an undersea realm honoring those who jumped or were thrown overboard during the trans-Atlantic slave trade

Françoise Gilot in her art studio circa 1982 in La Jolla, California

Françoise Gilot, Whose Art Transcended Her Relationship With Picasso, Dies at 101

Her artistic career began before she met Picasso—and flourished long after she left him

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