Art
Stolen glories
Alexander Adams delves into two new books that examine the art theft of occupying armies in two different ages
The Sport of Kings
The Grand National and the culture of horseracing in art and literature
Emerging from the shadow of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
Placing the poems of Pre-Raphaelite muse Elizabeth Siddal in context
The Royal Shakespeare Company at 60: a very happy birthday?
Muted celebrations, concerns of relevance and controversial origins — Alexander Larman delves into the RSC at 60
Mystery of the lost Rembrandt
Michael Prodger tracks the story of a lost masterpiece
The ring master
Bullfighting was a lifelong fascination for Francis Bacon and played an increasingly important role in his work, his high-risk approach matching that of the matador
Gloriously bad company
Do we really need another biography about Francis Bacon? The answer is emphatically yes, says Christopher Bray
Wilde encounters
The rambling and discursive nature of the writing lends Rupert Everett’s book an enjoyable appeal
Research and rescue
The Falkland Islands bids farewell to the RSS James Clark Ross and a Marylebone gallery hosts a virtual exhibition of Antarctic photographs
Monuments to self-expression
Serenhedd James finds folly and ruin frequently go together in Rory Fraser’s new release: Follies
We should have the freedom to criticise Islam
Religious freedom entails the right to criticise a belief system as well as to adhere to it
Poor conduct
Shostakovich: Symphonies 4-6 (Decca)
Nigel’s knees-up
Can Reform become a serious contender for power?
Leader of the year™
Might match-fixing explain Kemi Badenoch’s questions at PMQs?
The art of violence
High jinks in the Groucho Club are small beer when compared to the misdeeds of their artist ancestors
Getting the measure of the Russian bear
A defensive concern under the right conditions can morph into a warrant for brutal expansionism
It’s the economy, stupid
The US election was another reminder of people’s biggest political priority
Anti-extremism or opportunism?
The UK government should be more careful to distinguish criminal activities from legitimate opinion
The case for Badenoch
She has a chance to capitalise on Starmer’s weakness
Hatred without end
A year on from October 7th, mutual dehumanisation and refusal of moral responsibility characterises our “debate” over the Gaza war
Bursting the myth of the “people’s war”
The Home Guard was not a nation-in-arms of the Jacobin kind
