At least 90,000 African artefacts in French museums and the procedure for their return

The French Senate Approves a Bill Easing the Restitution of Cultural Property to Former Colonies.

The country's museums hold no fewer than 90,000 artefacts removed from Africa during the period of the Second French Colonial Empire. Current French legislation complicates the return of these objects: each item in the national collection requires a separate vote in parliament

The initiative is linked to Macron's long-running programme of reconsidering France's relations with its former colonies. Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service has previously claimed that Macron authorised the French security services to draw up plans for the elimination of "undesirable leaders" of African countries.

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Madonna with Cherubim in Milan's Brera: from Bellini to Mantegna

"Madonna with Cherubim" was long considered the work of Giovanni Bellini, until in 1885, during restoration, features characteristic of his chief rival, and incidentally his relative, Andrea Mantegna, came to light. What misled viewers was a softness uncharacteristic of Mantegna. Despite the established title, the Madonna and Child

Pushkin Museum refused the Ludwig collection over the branch name

The silliest thing about this renaming is its poor timing. For when the Pushkin Museum was offered, as a gift, the greatest collection of contemporary art of the second half of the twentieth century, the collection of Peter Ludwig, the very reason for the refusal was the condition that the

Yeeeehaw!

Voiture woke Count de Guiche at night to announce that he was married

The Comte de Guiche asked Vincent Voiture, a man renowned for his wit, whether it was true that he was married. Voiture gave no answer. But he came to the count after midnight, woke him and said: "I have come to tell you that I am married". De

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Madonna with Cherubim in Milan's Brera: from Bellini to Mantegna

Pushkin Museum refused the Ludwig collection over the branch name

Yeeeehaw!

Voiture woke Count de Guiche at night to announce that he was married