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Arts

Argentine officials host a press conference in front of Portrait of a Lady, which had been stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

Journalists Stumble Across Real Estate Listing With a Photo of a Nazi-Looted Painting Hanging Above the Couch

The family of a Nazi official has turned in “Portrait of a Lady,” an 18th-century artwork by the Italian painter Giuseppe Ghislandi. The painting had been stolen from a Jewish art dealer during World War II

Johannes Vermeer's signed painting The Guitar Player (left) and its mysterious doppelgänger (right) are on display together for the first time at London's Kenwood House.

Did Vermeer Make a Copy of His Own Painting? A New Exhibition Invites You to Be the Judge

Two nearly identical artworks, at least one of them by the renowned Dutch master, hang side-by-side for the first time in three centuries

Adapted kitchen utensils on display at the V&A

From Fashion to Fidget Spinners, This London Exhibition Celebrates Disabled Design, Innovation and Joy

“Design and Disability” features 170 objects created by disabled artists, designers, photographers, inventors and more

Wright designed the house to resemble the shape of a ship.

Florida’s Only Private Home Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Is Officially on the Market

Built in 1954, the Spring House is located on the outskirts of Tallahassee. The 2,040-square-foot residence is a rare example of the renowned architect’s hemicycle design

Banksy's Piranhas will move into storage ahead of its 2026 debut at the London Museum's new location.

Banksy Transformed This Police Box Into a Piranha Tank. Soon, the Artwork Will Go on Permanent Display in London

The piece was part of the anonymous artist’s animal series that appeared around the city last summer. In 2026, it will make its debut at the London Museum

The Virgin and Child With Infant St. John the Baptist in a Landscape (The Alba Madonna), Raphael, circa 1520

America’s Largest-Ever Exhibition on Raphael Will Open at the Met Next Year

More than 200 of the Renaissance master’s works will be on display in the landmark show, which debuts in March 2026

The plaster artifact is about one foot long, seven inches wide and one inch thick.

Cool Finds

This Christian Cross Found in Abu Dhabi Illuminates the Lives of Monks Who Lived 1,400 Years Ago

Researchers discovered the intricately decorated artifact at an archaeological site near a seventh-century C.E. monastery on the island of Sir Bani Yas

E.Y. “Yip” Harburg's sketch for the lyrics of “Over the Rainbow"

Want to See the Original Lyrics for ‘Over the Rainbow’? All You Need Is a Library Card

The Library of Congress has acquired a collection of musical manuscripts and other rare artifacts connected to “The Wizard of Oz”

Fewer Americans are reading for pleasure.

Reading for Pleasure Has Declined by a ‘Deeply Concerning’ 40 Percent Over the Past Two Decades

Between 2003 and 2023, the proportion of Americans who read for fun on a given day has been steadily falling, a new study suggests

Some scholars argue that the sprawling medieval tapestry is too fragile to be moved.

French Official Rules That 1,000-Year-Old Bayeux Tapestry Isn’t Too Fragile to Travel to London

The 230-foot-long medieval tapestry is scheduled to go on view at the British Museum next year, but critics worry that transporting the delicate artifact is too risky

Bloom patterns resemble flowers as they unfold.

New Research

College Sophomore Discovers New Origami Pattern That Could Be Used to Build Telescopes and Satellites

Based on the work of a student at Brigham Young University, origami theorists have unlocked a new set of patterns that could change space exploration

The flip-flop mosaic decorated the floor of a cold pool room in the villa's bath complex.

Archaeologists Are Investigating an Ancient Mosaic Depicting Sandals That Look Strangely Like Modern Flip-Flops

The colorful artwork decorates the frigidarium of the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Sicily

The book is on view inthe Central Library's lobby.

Someone Returned a Library Book That Their Grandmother Checked Out Eight Decades Ago

The San Antonio Public Library received the book in the mail along with a letter: “I hope there is no late fee for it because Grandma won’t be able to pay for it anymore”

The Chapel Choir of the University of Exeter performed the monastic songs from the Buckland Book.

Cool Finds

Hear the Long-Lost Chants of English Monks Whose Monasteries Were Dissolved by Henry VIII

A university choir has revived music found hiding in plain sight in a book once used by monks at southern England’s Buckland Abbey

The Iowa State Fair butter cow has been carved annually since 1911.

How Life-Size Cows Made of Butter Became an Iconic Symbol of the Midwest

The Iowa State Fair has featured a bovine butter sculpture for more than 100 years. Now, the tradition is part of the “State Fairs” exhibition at the Renwick Gallery

Experts have announced 6,212 new additions to the Cambridge Dictionary.

‘Delulu,’ ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Tradwife’ Are Among More Than 6,000 Words Added to the Cambridge Dictionary

Many of the additions reflect how internet culture has changed the English language in recent years

The bronze, curving panel is meant to resemble a sheet of paper coming out of a printer.

Nobody Has Been Able to Solve the CIA’s Famous ‘Kryptos’ Sculpture. Soon, the Solution Will Be Sold to the Highest Bidder

Three of the four messages carved into the sculpture have been deciphered, but the final puzzle has left amateur sleuths stumped. In November, the solution could fetch up to $500,000 at auction

These custom copper stools from Price Tower were sold in 2024 and later purchased by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy.

Custom Furnishings From Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper Have Been Preserved for Posterity

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy hopes to return the 11 artifacts to the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Rothko used the tall space to work on his paintings for the Rothko Chapel.

The New York City Studio Where Artist Mark Rothko Worked Is for Sale

The private unit takes up the second and third floor of the carriage house, which was originally an equestrian training space. The apartment is listed at $9.5 million

Wildlife officials in Oregon are using drones with speakers to deter wolves from attacking cattle.

Drones Are Blasting Iconic Argument From ‘Marriage Story’ to Scare Wolves Away From Cows in Oregon

Scarlet Johansson and Adam Driver’s charged dialogue is playing from speakers attached to drones as wildlife officials get creative in their efforts to stop wolves from killing cattle

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