Art
Lucas Cranach’s Gothic Carnality
Where did Cranach’s nudes come from?
Weekend
Art
Let Us Now Praise Humble Artists
In this time of self-isolation and social distancing, shouldn’t the art world consider celebrating artists who don’t require expensive materials or run up high production costs?
Art
Required Reading
This week, Leonardo's "Last Supper" + social isolation, thoughts on minimalism, Tiger King mania, an indigenous perspective on coronavirus, and more.
Music
In a Time of Crisis, the Beat Goes On
Some people turn to relaxing music in a crisis. Others need chaos to drown out everything else. I need both, preferably at the same time.
Books
Jonas Mekas's Diary Reveals His Uncertain Sense of Self
This first volume of the filmmaker's journals charts his progress from immigrant life in Williamsburg to the center of the American avant-garde.
Art
Botticelli’s Perfect Beauty
A new series explores intimate encounters with a single work of art. This week, we look at Sandro Botticelli's "Paradiso" (1480–1495).
Art
The End of the Art World as We Know It
An international art world that has called persistently for radical socioeconomic change is now faced with it.
Art
When a Square Is Not Just a Square
Like his best works, Sean Scully’s “Black Square” is oddly exhilarating, especially because it is initially grim.
Art
Ways of Traveling
“MARFA,” a wall piece by Greg Colson, is a street map in the purest sense, and highly impractical.
Art
Required Reading
This week, a world expert on grief, drone innovations in the time of quarantine, Terrence McNally's fascinating life, how to properly wash your hands, and more.
Music
Selena Gomez Gets Into Her Groove
Gomez's songs fit standard teenpop/R&B codes while excising the genre’s usual false cheer to achieve a cold minimalism.
Books
Stéphane Mallarmé Created an Ideal Book Never Meant to Be Published
The French poet juxtaposed the details of printing and production in a book that he imagined as a theatrical production.