Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Arts

The red wedding dress from Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)" is among the outfits on view at the exhibition.

At New Exhibition, Taylor Swift’s Outfits Never Go Out of Style

Dresses, props and other ephemera from the pop star’s many personal reinventions go on display

One of the vessels excavated from the funerary site in Carmona, Spain

New Research

What Did the Ancient Romans Smell Like?

Scientists have analyzed the composition of a 2,000-year-old perfume unearthed in Carmona, Spain

The Classis museum of Ravenna in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna became a shelter for those displaced by last month's severe flooding.

Italy Raises Museum Prices to Help Fund Flood Relief

Recent storms damaged museum collections and turned some cultural institutions into shelters

Rosalind Franklin's work was vital to the discovery of the structure of DNA, but her role went largely unrecognized at the time. 

Art Meets Science

New Musical Spotlights Rosalind Franklin’s DNA Discoveries

“Double Helix,” a fictionalized account of Franklin’s groundbreaking work, premieres this week

The exterior of Club Ebony, taken before the renovation

Club Ebony, Historic Stop Along the Chitlin Circuit, Reopens

The legendary Black-owned nightclub hosted the likes of Tina Turner, Ray Charles and more

This seascape, originally thought to be the work of John Constable, will be featured in the new exhibition.

Every Piece in This Exhibition Is a Fake

A new show at London’s Courtauld Gallery will explore the value of counterfeit art

The first step in the restoration process will be stabilizing the Tanner house's roof and walls.

Henry Ossawa Tanner Was One of the First World-Famous Black Artists. Now, His Home Is in Danger

The Philadelphia row house hosted generations of Black scholars and leaders

Researchers examined ten paintings—including Two Russian Ships of the Line Saluting (1827) by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg—and found that seven included traces of proteins associated with brewing beer.

Art Meets Science

Danish Golden Age Painters Used Beer Leftovers to Prep Their Canvases

Researchers are finding yeast and grain in the works of 19th-century artists in Denmark

Matisse's former apartment overlooks the French Riviera.

Henri Matisse’s Stunning Apartment Overlooking the French Riviera Is for Sale

The French artist spent his final years making art from his home in the city of Nice

Tina Turner performing in Illinois in 1987

Women Who Shaped History

Tina Turner, Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Left an Indelible Mark on Music History

The barrier-breaking singer, who died this week at 83, influenced countless musicians who followed in her footsteps

Natasha Poonawalla arrives on the red carpet in a sari for the Met Gala in May 2022.

The Evolution—and Reinvention—of the Sari

“The Offbeat Sari” explores the traditional garment’s role in fashion, protest, sustainability and more

Pop artist Andy Warhol sits in front of artworks at his studio, the Factory, in New York City in 1983.

Supreme Court Rules That Andy Warhol Violated a Photographer’s Copyright

Experts are debating what the case will mean for the future of fair-use law

A Glasgow restaurant recently had to edit an advertisement including an image of Michelangelo's David after it was rejected due to nudity.

Glasgow Subway Ad Censored for Featuring Michelangelo’s ‘David’

Citing modesty concerns, an ad firm rejected a poster depicting the Renaissance sculpture

Mitzi Avila, who owns Cookies and Chill bakery in Austin, Texas, made a dessert version of Thomas Glassford’s Siphonophora and Teresita Fernández’s Stacked Waters.

These Artworks Are Good Enough to Eat—Literally

The Blanton Museum in Austin asked bakers to create edible versions of pieces in its collection

A sheet displaying some of the tattoo designs visitors can pick from during the "Poor Man's Rembrandt" project

To Reach New Audiences, This Museum Is Offering Rembrandt-Inspired Tattoos

The “Poor Man’s Rembrandt Project” will allow visitors to forge a permanent connection with the 17th-century artist

A Minnesota man has been indicted in connection with the 2005 theft of a pair of Judy Garland's ruby slippers, seen here when they were recovered in 2018, along with the single red sequin that was left at the scene of the crime.

Someone Stole Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers in 2005. Now, a Minnesota Man Has Been Charged

While the “Wizard of Oz” shoes were recovered several years ago, authorities hadn’t previously named any suspects

This stainless steel scuplture was one of 12 artifacts stolen from the Kelham Island Museum.

‘Irreplaceable’ Artifacts Stolen From a Museum in Sheffield, England

The 12 items are part of the region’s rich history as a metalworking capital

Pablo Picasso's 1900 painting Le Moulin de la Galette, which originally contained a small lapdog

Cool Finds

Small Dog Wearing Red Bow Found Hidden in Picasso Painting

The Spanish painter decided against keeping the cute canine in the foreground of “Le Moulin de la Galette”

Experts at Freeman’s, a Philadelphia auction house, say that the windows were crafted by Tiffany Studios around 1904.

Cool Finds

Bought for $6,000, Grime-Covered Windows Are Actually Tiffany—and Worth Up to $250,000 Each

When a Philadelphia church sold its stained glass windows to a collector, nobody knew how valuable they were

Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and his wife Jaapgen Carels, as painted by Rembrandt in 1635

Cool Finds

Auctioneer Unearths ‘Exceptionally Rare’ Rembrandt Portraits Lost Since 1824

The two small paintings depict a husband and wife who were personally close to the Dutch master

Page 43 of 66