Artist guides

From Ansel Adams to Zao Wou-Ki, enjoy our series of expert guides to the some of the most important artists in history, whose works are offered at auction by Christie’s

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Magdalena Abakanowicz: ‘The godmother of installation art’ The acclaimed Polish artist, whose work is offered in London, will be celebrated in a major retrospective at Tate Modern this year. Curator Ann Caxon explains why	Ansel Adams: 10 things to know A guide to the photographer who found glory in the American West — illustrated with works offered online until 8 April
‘I didn’t need to use words, but colours and lines’: The painterly poetry of Etel Adnan ‘When I die the universe will have lost its best friend, someone who loved it with a passion,’ declared the Lebanese-born poet and abstract artist	‘I have been thinking about Josef and Anni Albers for four decades’ Bauhaus artists Josef and Anni Albers shared an obsession with geometric form. Jonathan Bastable visits their foundation in Connecticut and talks to its head
Studio visit: Darren Almond The contemporary photographer discusses exposure, light, and capturing a moment, in the studio that has become his window onto a nocturnal world	Playful, ambiguous, sensuous — the alluring art of Jean Arp A guide to the poet, painter and sculptor described as ‘one of the most innovative and inexhaustible artists of his time’
Studio visit: Pablo Atchugarry The Uruguayan sculptor talks Carrara marble and Michelangelo in his adopted home of Lecco on the shores of Lake Como	10 things to know about Milton Avery The artist’s combination of representation and abstraction has left an indelible mark on Post-War American painting
Gillian Ayres: Pleasure and paint A 2015 interview with the British abstract artist at her home in the remote southwest of England. By Rachel Cooke	The Ming-dynasty prince who became one of China’s most important artists Specialist Liz Hammer guides us through the life and work of the artist-monk who outwitted the Qing dynasty rulers to leave an extraordinary legacy
Cars, dogs and ‘cheering up’ the universe: the Futurist visions of Giacomo Balla The Italian artist — now being celebrated in Rome on the 150th anniversary of his birth — embraced Divisionism, Futurism and Socialism	Studio visit: Rina Banerjee The Indian-born, New York-based artist talks about her work and shows us around her studio space in Brooklyn
A guide to collecting Banksy The life and art of the world’s most famous street artist. Illustrated with upcoming lots offered at Christie’s	Jean-Michel Basquiat: ‘Painter to the core’ From graffiti renegade to New York Times cover star, the life and career of a 20th-century icon. Illustrated with works coming to Christie’s
From the city to the sea — the life and art of George Bellows The Ashcan School artist whose subjects ranged from New York’s working classes to the Maine coast. Illustrated with works offered in American Art on 22 May	Peter Blake: The people’s painter His place in the pantheon of pop culture is assured, but Sir Peter Blake has never stopped working. Here, he tells Rachel Cooke about his beginnings, his future plans and a new exhibition of his portraits
10 things to know about Alighiero Boetti The colourful life and times of the Italian conceptualist, featuring standout works from his Arte Povera days, as well as his ‘Arazzi’ and ‘Tutto’ series	The ‘painting-objects’ of Agostino Bonalumi Why the Milanese artist deserves to be regarded alongside Fontana, Burri and Manzoni in the annals of Italian post-war art
10 things to know about Fernando Botero A guide to arguably South America’s most famous artist, whose work addresses everything from domestic life to bullfighting	Is Frank Bowling Britain’s greatest living abstractionist? A deep dive into the life and work of an artist who was sorely overlooked before his enormously popular retrospective at Tate Britain
‘The pavilion lends itself to opulence — and my exhibition is very bling’: Sonia Boyce The artist representing Britain at the Venice Biennale on why her exhibition will be filled with ‘a lot of colour, a lot of light and a lot of sound’	The ‘social abstraction’ of Mark Bradford An introduction to the Los Angeles artist who is spoken of in the lineage of America’s great Abstract Expressionists
Brancusi — the high priest of modernism A primer on the Romanian-born sculptor who settled in Paris and pushed his medium to the brink of abstraction	10 things to know about Bill Brandt The life and work of the pioneering Anglo-German photographer, illustrated with works offered in our MoMA: Bill Brandt online sale, 16-24 January
10 things to know about Marcel Broodthaers An introduction to the groundbreaking Belgian artist, poet and filmmaker — the self-proclaimed ‘King of Mussels’	Collecting guide: The Brueghel dynasty As works by Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Jan Brueghel the Elder come to auction, we unpick art history’s most tangled family tree
Rembrandt Bugatti: He knew ‘more animals than Noah’ The elder brother of Ettore Bugatti, the auto pioneer, spent his days at Antwerp Zoo sculpting its inhabitants. Ten of his works are offered in December	‘Beautiful romantic dreams’ — the art of Edward Burne-Jones Expert insights on an artist who arrived in the second wave of Pre-Raphaelites, and who sought to re-enchant a wearied world
Alberto Burri: ‘Artist, poet, and creator of the new’ A profile of the Italian artist who inspired Arte Povera and ‘changed art’ with his use of unconventional materials	The master of slowness: An oral history of Pol Bury Pol Bury pushed boundaries and defied convention. Ten years after his death, we asked experts and friends for their memories
10 things to know about Alexander Calder An introduction to the American great who began ‘drawing in space’ before changing our world with his invention of the mobile	Cao Fei and her journey to a parallel universe The Chinese multimedia artist talks to Tianyue Jiang about making art in a virtual world — and designing the 18th BMW Art Car
10 things to know about Henri Cartier-Bresson One of the greatest 20th-century photographers, Cartier-Bresson bore witness to events that shaped history, from Spain’s Civil War to the death of Gandhi	10 things to know about Enrico Castellani An essential guide to the pioneering Italian artist hailed by Donald Judd as the ‘father of Minimalism’
‘A radical response to what sculpture can be’: 10 things to know about Lynn Chadwick The artist’s strikingly original, geometric bronze figures made him one of the leading lights of post-war sculpture	10 things to know about Marc Chagall The life and work of the Russian artist who was born Moyshe Segal and became one of the key figures of 20th-century art
The prints of Marc Chagall: ‘Something would have been lacking in my life if… I had not at a certain stage become involved in engraving and lithography’ Although he came to printmaking relatively late, by the end of his life the artist had produced more than 1,000 lithographs and over 500 etchings	Thomas Chippendale Snr: ‘The Shakespeare of English furniture makers’ As a historic piece from Harewood House comes to auction, experts discuss the life and legacy of Britain’s greatest cabinet-maker
Christo’s towering ambition As the world mourns the death of the the Bulgarian-born artist, we look back on a 2018 interview with Christie’s in which he reviewed his extraordinary career	10 things to know about Giorgio de Chirico The maverick Italian artist adored by the Surrealists and revered by Andy Warhol, whose great loves were Greek myth and Nietzsche
10 things to know about poet and painter Chu Teh-Chun A guide to the Chinese artist who was a peer of Wu Guanzhong and Zao Wou-Ki, and celebrated for his elegiac paintings that reconfigured Western abstraction	George Condo — the latest hero of American painting A guide to the artist who came of age alongside Basquiat and Haring, and whose sometimes shocking work is more coveted by collectors than ever before
What this oil sketch of Salisbury Cathedral tells us about the life and art of John Constable Constable produced more than 300 images of the medieval city and its surroundings — including an oil sketch never previously seen at auction	Joseph Cornell: Outside the box Known for his exquisite shadow boxes filled with ephemera, Joseph Cornell experimented extensively in a career that brushed against both Surrealism and Pop Art
Studio visit: Michael Craig-Martin The former Goldsmiths professor remembers the ‘wonderfully exciting’ YBA years — and discusses his own studio practice	The life and art of Edgar Degas A closer look at the life and work of an artist widely regarded as the French Impressionist par excellence, illustrated with standout lots offered at Christie’s
Energetic, violent and complex — The art of Delacroix A closer look at the last painter of the Grand Style, revered during his lifetime as France’s greatest artist	10 things to know about Paul Delvaux A survey of the Belgian painter who filled his canvases with skeletons, train stations and naked women, and was declared a heretic by the Pope
The enduring legacy of Le Bateau Lavoir How a run-down factory building in Paris’s 18th arrondissement became the unlikely birthplace of Modern art	Richard Diebenkorn: West Coast to the world A guide to the American artist who sustained virtuosity in a range of styles, from abstraction to figuration — and back again
10 things to know about Peter Doig Ben Luke surveys the influential oeuvre of the Canada-raised, London-schooled and Trinidad-based ‘painters’ painter’	10 things to know about Jean Dubuffet Hailed as one of the giants of Modernism, the artist who fell in and out of love with painting and coined the term Art Brut
Marlene Dumas: ‘I use every kind of trick to get attention… you are forced to say yes or no’ With two of Dumas’s works featuring in our Art of Literature exhibition, we survey the provocative South African’s career	10 things to know about Albrecht Dürer Alastair Smart traces the extraordinary life and work of perhaps the finest printmaker in the history of art, featuring works offered online throughout July
How Albrecht Dürer’s travels around Germany and Italy were the making of his career Dürer’s ‘wandering years’ not only helped the artist disseminate his prints, but also inspired his fusion of Northern European and Italian traditions	10 things to know about William Edmondson An introduction to the Outsider artist taking the art world by storm
‘Ghastly devils and obscene monsters’ — a guide to James Ensor A primer on the Belgian artist described as ’a creator of fantastical sights, sometimes horrible, sometimes burlesque’ — featuring works offered at Christie’s	Max Ernst: 10 things to know His haunting paintings explore the human subconscious, but Ernst was also a fabulous colourist and a brilliant technician
10 things to know about Walker Evans Ahead of our online sale, Walker Evans: An American Master, we trace the life and career of the forefather of the American documentary tradition	Lucio Fontana: A Primer Angela M.H. Schuster examines the work of the multi-faceted founder of Spatialism and the man who created the endless void
‘Painting should be sexy’: the art of Günther Förg By embracing materials for their own sake, the German artist Günther Förg broke thrilling new ground for abstraction	Collecting guide: Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita Specialist Aisi Wang guides us through the life and art of one of the finest — and most flamboyant — Japanese artists of the 20th century
Frankenthaler in Venice John Elderfield talks to Sarah Crompton about curating a Venice exhibition that shows the artist in all her glory	The Year of Lucian Freud Alastair Smart makes the case, based on two major exhibitions in 2019, a long-awaited biography and a market that remains ‘phenomenally strong’
Pedro Friedeberg: Inventor of alternative realities The Mexican artist discusses his influences, painting on mannequins and works offered in the Latin American Art sale in May	Artist guide: Elisabeth Frink A primer on the sculptor whose art encapsulated mankind’s existential crisis in the post-war era
V.S. Gaitonde: A primer An introduction to one of the most valuable modern Indian artists at auction, a reclusive philosopher who was revered as a master	The ‘double life’ of Alberto Giacometti The curator of the first exhibition to focus on the artist’s portraits talks to Florence Waters about where his iconic figures came from — and how Giacometti has ‘led people astray’
The stuff of Giacometti’s genius The complete reconstruction of Alberto Giacometti’s studio in a new Paris institute is one of three major ongoing celebrations of the artist’s work this summer	Brothers by design: Alberto and Diego Giacometti The competitive but loving bond between the two artists is explored in Alberto and Diego Giacometti: Masters of Design
My London: Gilbert & George The artists explain why London is the new Babylon, and share their thoughts on being the Pearly Kings of art and why they'll never leave the city	The bitterness and brilliance of Arshile Gorky The painter had a short and tragic life, but his brilliance and influence are undisputed — as his Venice retrospective demonstrates
Antony Gormley: ‘I’d like to make sure that in this last period I make things that can be part of everyday experiences… rooted in a community and a place’ As he nears the age of 72, the British sculptor is more passionate than ever about making art that connects with people and places	My London: Antony Gormley The sculptor discusses being brought up by nuns and monks, why sculpture 'stands outside the nature of time' and London's 'critical mix of comfort and disturbance'
10 things to know about Goya Goya’s work not only chronicled his conflict-ravaged times, but saw him enshrined as both the last of the Old Masters and the father of modern art	Boris Grigoriev: A primer The Russian artist is enjoying renewed popularity after being largely forgotten in his homeland for decades. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s
10 things to know about George Grosz The chronicler of Weimar Berlin’s seamy side and a satirical thorn in the side of the Nazi regime	Andreas Gursky: ‘I pursue one goal — the encyclopaedia of life’ Ralph Rugoff, director of the Hayward Gallery, on the first UK retrospective of the German photographer’s work
10 things to know about Grace Hartigan An essential guide the painter who followed 'no rules' and was arguably the most celebrated female artist of her day	For Hans Hartung, art was the truest expression of his freedom After fighting with the French Foreign Legion during World War II, the French-German artist expressed his emotions through abstract works of rare power
The sensuous, modern forms of Barbara Hepworth Barbara Hepworth's sculptures are an exploration of abstraction through empty space and a reimagining of the Cornish landscape	Studio Visit: Todd Hido We catch up with the photographer behind the wheel of his car as he seeks to add to his celebrated series, Homes at Night
Sharks, sheep, spots, skulls and sunken treasures As a number of Damien Hirst works come to market in March, we look over a spectacular body of work by the artist, collector and provocateur	The A-Z of David Hockney To mark David Hockney, a full career retrospective, opening at Tate Britain, we present a handy alphabetical overview of the British artist’s life and career
Feelings in colour — Howard Hodgkin’s graphic works A guide to the prints of Howard Hodgkin, illustrated with works offered at Christie’s	10 things to know about Hokusai An essential introduction to the artist who created the most recognisable Japanese art work ever made
The ‘secret fame’ of Peter Hujar Insights into the life and art of the photographer whose raw, honest images captured the creative spirit of 1980s New York's downtown scene	Studio visit: Huang Yuxing The Beijing-based artist on the studio as a place of purification, and why he believes ‘fluorescent is the colour of our generation’
Studio visit: Hwang Yong-Yop A conversation with the 86-year-old Korean painter, for whom memories of dictatorship and war remain potent sources of inspiration	LOVE story: the many sides of Robert Indiana In the 1960s Robert Indiana made LOVE, a work that seemed to embody 1960s idealism. But there was also a darker side to this painter of the American dream
‘Wow — that’s Judd!’: How the father of Minimalism came to revisit and embrace colour This March sees the first US retrospective of Donald Judd in 30 years, revealing aspects of the artist’s practice that may surprise those who think they know it well	An imaginary Russian reality: In conversation with Ilya and Emilia Kabakov One of the most influential partnerships in contemporary art talks to Izabela Grocholiski about life under the ‘Soviet reality’
Wassily Kandinsky: The road to abstraction The Moscow-born artist is widely acknowledged as one of the fathers of abstraction. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s	‘I told you I’m a mad fool!’ — Anish Kapoor’s Venetian palace After a gruelling two years, Anish Kapoor is nearly ready to unveil his foundation’s new home: a freshly restored palazzo in Venice
10 things to know about KAWS A guide to the artist KAWS who is taking the art world (and retail) by storm with his cartoon-like figures and collaborations with Uniqlo and Supreme	God’s own Pop artist In 1960s Los Angeles Sister Corita Kent’s vividly coloured prints stirred up the Catholic church and gained national fame
Kim Whanki — a pioneer of Korean abstraction A new collector’s guide to the Korean artist regarded as the godfather of the monochrome movement, Dansaekhwa	Collecting guide: Per Kirkeby One of Denmark’s most celebrated artists experimented constantly in his efforts to discover what art could be
Making her mark: the kaleidoscopic works of Gloria Klein Gloria Klein's vibrant body of work is as fresh and relevant today as it was nearly 50 years ago	Yves Klein: ‘He had no limit’ Daniel Moquay, head of the Klein archives in Paris, discusses the French artist’s spirituality, his relationship with the colour blue — and his love of judo
Jeff Koons: ‘I love how art can change your life’ Jeff Koons wasn’t always convinced that he could make it in the art world. Now even his critics admit he’s a superstar	10 things to know about Yayoi Kusama A closer look at the extraordinary life and career of the woman behind the dots
‘Re-enchanting the familiar and the functional’ — Les Lalanne A guide to the husband-and-wife team François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne — illustrated with works offered at Christie’s	Gustave Le Gray: The pre-Impressionist photographer The story of photographer Gustave Le Gray and this stunning image of ships in the port of Le Havre, taken 160 years ago
Flawless, timeless glamour — The art of Tamara de Lempicka A guide to the artist who captured inter-war high society in an Art Deco style that oozed cool chic and elegant sensuality	Studio visit: Dylan Lewis The leading contemporary sculptor shows us around his studio and the incredible sculpture park he has created in South Africa
Jean-Etienne Liotard’s Portrait of Philibert Cramer — a masterpiece of the Enlightenment Still owned by the descendants of the sitter, this depiction of Voltaire’s publisher is a sublime example of why Liotard was sought after by princes, popes and kings	Lin Fengmian: 10 things to know about his art and life We assess the legacy of this charismatic pioneer of Chinese modern art, a revolutionary who taught Wu Guanzhong and Zao Wou-Ki among many others
The seismic power of Liu Wei The Chinese artist talks to E Jane Dickson ahead of his latest abstract pieces being shown at the 2019 Venice Biennale	‘My ambition was to put the industrial scene on the map’ — A guide to L.S. Lowry An in-depth look at Britain's most famous Modernist painter. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s
Studio visit: Ma Xinle The Chinese artist, whose painting The Nine Galloping Horses was presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II, reveals how he absorbs influences from both East and West	10 things to know about René Magritte A primer on the great Belgian Surrealist, featuring works offered at Christie’s London in March
10 things to know about Robert Mapplethorpe The New York photographer whose controversial images fuelled a national debate on the boundaries of art	Agnes Martin: Philosopher, artist, pioneer, recluse Memories of an artist whose paintings ‘should extend your perception to the awareness of beauty around you’
Vibrancy, harmony, sensuality — The art of Henri Matisse From his love of textiles to his mastery of colour in his paintings, prints and drawings. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s	10 things to know about Syrie Maugham A guide to the life and times of the interior designer once known as ‘The Princess of Pale’, illustrated with pieces offered in New York on 12-13 December
Don McCullin: War and peace The photojournalist tells Jonathan Bastable how his present work helps him to manage memories of the past	Collecting guide: Fausto Melotti The life and work of the multi-talented Italian sculptor who also embraced design, mathematics, music and poetry
‘Like Gauguin in reverse’: how Beatriz Milhazes went from the Tropics to Europe and back again, before taking on the world Beatriz Milhazes’s paintings are brilliantly evocative of Brazil — while also showing the influence of European art	‘A loving dialogue’: Joan Miró’s adventures in printmaking A guide to the Catalan’s prolific and endlessly creative printmaking oeuvre, illustrated with works offered at Christie’s
The paintings of Joan Miró The Spanish artist left an indelible mark on the very idea of art. Illustrated with works offered in The Art of the Surreal	The enduring allure and eroticism of Amedeo Modigliani Curator and historian Phyllis Tuchman examines the magical charm of one of Modernism’s cherished masters
László Moholy-Nagy and the redemptive power of art Curator Carol S. Eliel illuminates the life of the peripatetic Hungarian-born artist and hero of design from Berlin to London and Chicago	Monet: The man and his masterpieces A deep dive into the life of Impressionism’s founding father, illustrated with masterpieces offered at Christie’s
10 things to know about Henry Moore Everything you need to know about the life and career of the great British sculptor — featuring upcoming lots at Christie’s	The ‘small gestures and silent perfection’ of Giorgio Morandi A tour of the artist’s former home and studio in Bologna, and the reasons he is described as ‘arguably the greatest Italian painter of the 20th century’
‘No one represents Impressionism with more refined talent or with more authority’ — 10 things to know about Berthe Morisot The extraordinary life of the trail-blazing artist described by her contemporaries as the quintessential Impressionist	Studio visit: Ryan Mosley Meet the British artist who once worked for the National Gallery in London — where he was disciplined for sketching the art
‘One of the finest American painters of the 20th century’ One of the founders of Abstract Expressionism, Robert Motherwell was also one of its most articulate spokesmen — featuring works from the Dedalus Foundation	From war horses to royalty: the art of Sir Alfred Munnings The British artist is best known for his depictions of horses, but was also a skilled portraitist. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s
Collecting guide: 11 things to know about Takashi Murakami The visually supercharged world of the Japanese artist loved by A-listers and inspired by everything from anime to Edo period woodcuts	10 things to know about George Nakashima The life and philosophy of the American furniture maker who applied ‘a thousand skills… to shape wood and realise its true potential’
10 things to know about Yoshitomo Nara We examine how the artist’s work blends new and old ideas of Japanese identity — featuring lots offered at Christie’s	‘I only take pictures for money or pleasure’ — 10 things to know about Helmut Newton A guide to the photographer whose eroticised and provocative images subverted traditional conventions of fashion photography
Ben Nicholson: master of ‘clarity and the great art of omission’ In a long life spanning London, St Ives and Switzerland, Nicholson earned acclaim and admiration from the likes of Paul Nash and Piet Mondrian	Emil Nolde — Colour is Life The co-curator of the the German Expressionist’s largest UK show in more than two decades discusses his controversial legacy
Collecting guide: Isamu Noguchi An introduction to the multidisciplinary Japanese-American sculptor-designer, illustrated with some of the 11 works coming to Christie’s in December	10 things to know about Georgia O’Keeffe A closer look at the life, loves and landscapes of the ‘mother of American modernism’
Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva: 10 things you should know The largest collection of works by Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva ever to appear at auction comes to Christie’s on 3 June	Akbar Padamsee: ‘Art for me is to express the invisible’ A tribute to one of the great figures of Indian post-war art, whose career was defined by free-thinking and experimentation
How Irving Penn ‘changed the way people saw the world’ An expert guide to the photographer famed for his Vogue covers, illustrated with works coming soon to Christie’s	The art of living: 10 things to know about Charlotte Perriand A guide to the French designer who worked with Le Corbusier, and counted Fernand Léger and Alexander Calder among her friends
How Niki de Saint Phalle took aim at the patriarchy and sculpted a colourful matriarchy The French-American artist rebelled against artistic tradition and forged her own emancipatory visual language	Francis Picabia: ‘the grasshopper of contemporary art’ The restless Frenchman helped to establish some of the 20th century’s most important art movements in his ceaseless search for the new
Picasso’s prints: An expert guide Specialist Murray Macaulay discusses Picasso’s seven decades of printmaking and why the market is growing so fast	‘He reminded you of one of the prophets’: 10 things to know about Camille Pissarro The story of the only artist to exhibit in all eight Impressionist exhibitions. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s in London
Studio visit: Jonathan Prince As the sculptor’s private selling exhibition opens in New York, he explains how his work reflects ‘the duality of perfection versus chaos’	11 things to know about Richard Prince From ‘Fashion’ to ‘Cowboys’, ‘Upstate’ to ‘Nurses’, the story of one of America’s most important living artists
‘He raises the ghosts of the past’ — a guide to Ganesh Pyne A guide to the quiet life and uncanny paintings of one of India’s foremost modernists, featuring works offered at Christie’s	Studio visit: Fiona Rae In the second of a series of films ahead of the Goldsmiths Gallery Project auction at Christie’s, artist Fiona Rae talks about her recent change in direction, her influences and the YBAs
S.H. Raza in 10 questions The Indian artist whose canvases fused European avant-garde ideas with the spirituality of his homeland. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s	‘We had an etching press behind our kitchen and I suggested that Paula might like to have a go’ — memories of making prints with Paula Rego Paul Coldwell looks back on working with Paula Rego on some of her best-known works, including ‘Nursery Rhymes’ and the ‘Abortion’ series
Before the mirror: Rembrandt’s self-portrait etchings How the Dutch Master’s vision of himself reflected his fortunes through the years — illustrated with works offered at Christie’s	10 things to know about Pierre-Auguste Renoir A guide to one of the founders of Impressionism, who earned acclaim for his paintings of crowded boulevards and sun-dappled parks
Diego Rivera — artist, revolutionary, storyteller Alastair Smart and Virgilio Garza look at the life and art of the great modernist, and arguably Mexico’s finest painter	15 things to know about Norman Rockwell The New England artist’s uplifting images of America are more nuanced than is often understood. Illustrated with works offered in American Art in New York
Auguste Rodin: the father of modern sculpture A guide to the sculptor whose masterworks, The Age of Bronze, The Thinker and The Kiss, revolutionised the medium	Collecting guide: 10 things to know about Jean Royère The French designer’s playful creations have won admirers ranging from Middle Eastern royalty to Kanye West and Jennifer Aniston
10 things to know about Ed Ruscha A primer on the American artist who has been at the forefront of Californian cool since 1963. Illustrated with works offered during 20th Century Week in October	10 things to know about Mahmoud Saïd Valérie Didier Hess, co-author of Saïd’s newly published catalogue raisonné, offers a guide to the great pioneer of modern Arab art
Studio visit: Abolghassem Saidi The 90-year-old Iranian-born artist takes us inside his lofty Paris studio to discuss imagination, composition and harmony	‘No one escapes the spell cast by Tomás Sánchez’ The exiled Cuban artist talks about his lush tropical landscapes, meeting Fidel Castro, and seeing his paintings burned by government authorities
10 things to know about Egon Schiele A quick guide to the short life and profoundly influential career of the enfant terrible of turn-of-the-century Vienna	Mario Schifano: Pop star, rock star, ‘brilliant genius’ The Italian Pop art pioneer who counted Cy Twombly, Jean-Luc Godard and members of the Rolling Stones among his friends
‘When I finish a painting, I’m usually sad’ — Sean Scully As an exhibition of his new works opens at the National Gallery in London, we profile the Irish-born artist celebrated for his ‘Wall of Light’ and ‘Landline’ series	In demand: Sean Scully Loved for his trademark stripes and checks, the artist celebrates his 70th birthday this year with a debut show in Venice, works for a restored 10th century church near Barcelona and major exhibitions all over the world. Claire Wrathall went to meet him in London
10 things to know about Tschabalala Self The Harlem-born artist’s radical works depicting black female forms are breathing new life into figurative art	Amrita Sher-Gil: Revolution personified The short life and extraordinary talent of one of the greatest avant-garde women artists of the early 20th century
10 things to know about the photography of Stephen Shore A guide to the photographer who sold his first images to MoMA at the age of 14, illustrated with works from a dedicated online sale, 22-30 May	At 82, is Arpita Singh ‘the next really big thing’ in Indian art? ‘Her prices are definitely appreciating,’ says specialist Nishad Avari of an artist likened to Marc Chagall
Pierre Soulages: Beyond black As he approaches his 100th birthday, France’s most successful living artist imparts wisdom about the painterly gesture	Francis Newton Souza — The ‘enfant terrible’ of Modern Indian Art Nishad Avari guides us through the life and art of one of India’s most important painters — illustrated with works offered at Christie’s this March
Stanley Spencer: A primer An essential introduction to one of the most extraordinary and best loved British artists of the 20th century	16 things to know about Frank Stella A guide to the artist whose striped works, monumental prints and revolutionary approach to materials have rippled through the world of abstract art
The Stieglitz Circle — icons of American Modernism The artists who brought modernism to America, and whose works feature so prominently in The Michael Scharf Family Collection	‘A collaboration with the city’: Stik and the art of the street One of East London's best-loved street artists opens up about his work
The cool photographic gaze of Paul Strand The New York-born pioneer helped forge photography’s path from documentary to art, and roamed the planet in his quest to understand places and cultures	Studio Visit: Hiroshi Sugimoto We visit the artist in Tokyo, where he discusses his celebrated images of old American movie theatres
A panoramic overview of Hiroshi Sugimoto The Japanese photographer’s work spans decades and, rather than seeking to capture the decisive moment, aims to evoke ‘the infinite and the immeasurable’	Studio visit: Parviz Tanavoli The artist takes us inside his Vancouver studio, discussing lions, locks, and why he has not forgotten his native Iran
Collecting guide: Wayne Thiebaud ‘Thiebaud is one of the most underrated and overlooked painters of recent times,’ says specialist Stephen Jones	Studio visit: Wayne Thiebaud An interview with the much-loved artist, who will celebrate his 100th birthday this year
Who was Miroslav Tichý? With homemade cameras, the enigmatic Miroslav Tichý photographed women in his hometown over many years. With a number of his works offered in our Focal Points online sale, Chris Mugan presents an introduction to this most singular outsider artist	Francisco Toledo — the life and art of ‘El Maestro’ Christie’s Latin American Art specialist Diana Bramham discusses one of Mexico’s most important contemporary artists
‘Change in my work happens not in revolutions — it’s more evolutionary’ A guide to Wolfgang Tillmans, the German artist whose photographs, ranging from the elegiac to the everyday, reveal an endless curiosity with modern life	Collecting guide: the posters and lithographs of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Toulouse-Lautrec’s modernist posters and lithographs are now celebrated for heralding the birth of graphic design
The life and legacy of J.M.W. Turner We chart the highs and lows in the career of a genius — ahead of the sale of four superb Turner watercolours in New York	Studio visit: Luc Tuymans Rachel Cooke meets the artist in Antwerp ahead of his new show at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice
Daan van Golden: reluctant icon Nine things to know about the Dutch artist who became an idol of the Swinging Sixties, illustrated with works offered in Amsterdam	Flags and façades — a new collector’s guide to Alfredo Volpi Why the Brazilian modernist behind the Bandeirinhas and Fachadas series is now attracting collectors worldwide
The life and art of Édouard Vuillard A guide to the rebellious co-founder of avant-garde artists’ group Les Nabis	My London: Edmund de Waal The potter discusses his studio space, the liberating quality of clay, and how 3am is the time he finds for reading
The fearless Kara Walker New world auction record set for the American artist who will tackle the monumental proportions of Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall later this year	The A-Z of Andy Warhol From Campbell’s Soup Cans to the Velvet Underground, and everything in between — illustrated with stellar works offered this season
‘Get wild’ — 10 things to know about Tom Wesselmann A guide to the Pop artist best known for his big, bold and beautiful nudes and his dynamic still lifes	10 things to know about Edward Weston A primer on the California-based photographer who made the ordinary look extraordinary, whether a pepper, a seashell or a sand dune
Was Brett Whiteley Australia’s greatest ever artist? In the wake of a 2017 documentary and his becoming the most expensive Australian artist sold at auction, the painter’s legacy is being reappraised	Garry Winogrand: ‘The central photographer of his generation’ A guide to the Bronx-born street photographer par excellence who documented turbulent times across the United States in the 1960s and ‘70s
Wu Guanzhong — ‘An artist of feeling rather than fact’ A guide to the artist credited with galvanising Chinese painting in the 20th century, illustrated with works offered at Christie’s	The Wyeth dynasty of painters The name Wyeth does not reference a single artist, but rather three generations of realist painters. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s
‘One of Ireland’s finest modern painters’: a collecting guide to Jack Butler Yeats The lyrical paintings of this quintessentially Irish artist resonated with writers ranging from Samuel Beckett to James Joyce	My London: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye The artist discusses travelling by bus, identity and the ambience of different parts of the city — one in a series of interviews taken from a new book, London Burning: Portraits from a Creative City (Thames & Hudson)
10 things to know about Zao Wou-Ki A closer look at the life and friendships of the Paris-based Chinese artist who bridged the divide between East and West	Zhang Daqian: A guide to China’s most popular artist Christie's specialist offers insights into his life and career, from his brilliance as an innovator and forger to his restless globetrotting lifestyle
Zhang Xiaogang: ‘Painting is a slow process, it takes time to find inspiration’ China’s leading contemporary artist on his career, creative process and the story behind Three Black Songs: Melancholy	Zhu Qizhan: Gentle virtuoso As an exhibition of his work opens at Christie's in New York, we look back on the artist's long and remarkable life
The prints of Zao Wou-Ki Our dedicated online sale of prints by the Chinese-born French artist reveals how his styles and themes evolved across five decades	Home is where the art is: artists’ houses Ten of the world’s most fascinating artists’ dwellings, from Frederic Leighton’s London villa to Georgia O’Keeffe’s studio in New Mexico

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