In modern retellings of the Arthurian legends, the wizard Merlin is usually portrayed as a wise mentor and omniscient greybeard, but in the "Life of Merlin", written by Geoffrey of Monmouth around 1150, the most legendary wizard of all times and peoples a

In modern retellings of the Arthurian legends, the wizard Merlin is usually portrayed as a wise mentor and omniscient greybeard, but in the "Life of Merlin", written by Geoffrey of Monmouth around 1150, the most legendary wizard of all times and peoples appears as a madman, an eccentric hermit prophesying in the depths of the Caledonian Forest. And this image seems far more real and earthly. After all, refinement very often knocks the ground from under our feet, while excessive romanticisation of classic heroes hopelessly distances us from the author's intent

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Three white ventilation pipes of the Centre Pompidou with graffiti, in front of scaffolding covering the facade.

The Centre Pompidou in Paris is closed for renovation until 2030

My beloved Centre Pompidou is now wrapped in scaffolding. Until 2030, Paris has one fewer brilliant place of pilgrimage. But, honestly, every time I glance at it in passing, I am afraid: what if it never reopens?

James Heath's 1806 engraving after Fuseli showing Patroclus's shade before Achilles

The engraving by the celebrated English master James Heath, executed in 1806 after an original drawing by the eminent Swiss-British artist Henry Fuseli, re-creates one of the most mystical and poignant scenes of Book XXIII of the Iliad. It is the moment when the Greek hero Achilles tries

Oil painting of a chestnut horse in a halter standing in three-quarter view against a dark brown background, with thick, loose brushstrokes.

New exhibition on animals in the work of the artist opens at the Eugène Delacroix Museum

The Eugène Delacroix Museum has unveiled a new small-scale thematic display devoted to animals in his work

Bronze cover of Salvador Dalí's “Book of the Apocalypse” stolen from museum in Issoire

A French museum has once again fallen victim to a brazen theft. On the night of Sunday, the cover of a book created by Salvador Dalí was stolen from a small private museum of modern art in the town of Issoire in central France. The cover weighs around 150 kilograms,

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The Centre Pompidou in Paris is closed for renovation until 2030

James Heath's 1806 engraving after Fuseli showing Patroclus's shade before Achilles

New exhibition on animals in the work of the artist opens at the Eugène Delacroix Museum

Bronze cover of Salvador Dalí's “Book of the Apocalypse” stolen from museum in Issoire