First of the year’s art and furniture auctions and Orpens for sale in London

It’s 50 years since the philanthropist’s extraordinary donation. Now his library is showcasing its treasures

Museum curators increasingly trying ‘rapid response collecting’ to obtain items used in major events just after they happen

Ocean liners were showcases of style, produced by some of the great artists of the age

Queen Victoria among the many admirers of 19th-century Irish artist Andrew Nicholl

Opera found itself at the centre of a struggle between internationalism and Englishness

London is ‘haemorrhaging talent’, say recruiters. Are the Irish part of the brain drain?

Obituary: Liam Flynn – born 1969 – died April 8th, 2017

Train your eye before investing in antiques

Irish trainer leads the way with 14 runners for famous steeplechase

Test for Corbyn as Hunt to become director of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum

A new exhibition about the decade celebrates Britain when it was at its most thrilling

A new film looks into the late star’s Victoria and Albert Museum’s exhibition that drew in 312,000 visitors

“I have a distinct memory of the intrigue I felt – aged about nine – attending a country house sale with my mother”

London Letter: Exhibitions at two galleries are taking a look at how Britain views itself

Lots including signed speeches and wedding dress on sale at Christie’s on December 15th

Kipling was one of the earlier fans of this enamel technique, and the story of its rise mirrors that of Victorian explorers

Five years after his death, exhibitions and books are throwing the spotlight back on the designer’s genius and troubled life

The so-called ‘superfood nutrition extractor’ has spawned a large community of devotees with its claims to break down food at the molecular level. But does it work?

Sotheby’s to sell another Irish “find” in London sale of Old Masters

Scaling down doesn’t have to mean cramped or uncomfortable, as some of the world’s leading architects demonstrate in imaginative and clever designs

Wedgwood Museum became liable for a £134m pension fund hole in 2009

It is getting harder to sell alcohol – unless perhaps you are a late-night takeaway

SNP looks to independent future to arrest city’s slow decline

Patricia O’Reilly on the enigmatic couple whose meeting inspired her novel

Forget Big Ben and Madame Tussauds: if you’re a style lover, here are the places you should visit and the things you should do

A manufacturing hub in Seattle shows the potential for former Waterford Crystal workers

Rough Magic and Opera Theatre Company have been awarded €230,000 from Sky Arts to stage a Marxist opera. Are Brecht and Weill camera-ready, and what’s in it for Sky?

Who needs good handwriting in our keyboard-tapping world? Everyone, according to research that proves writing by hand engages the brain. Programmes such as Handwriting Without Tears could help

The three Jameson sisters, Kristin, Andrea and Tara, are the ninth generation direct descendants of John Jameson, whose name is synonymous with Irish whiskey. Home is a rambling mansion in Co Waterford

It could have been yet another music memorobilia show, but the V&A exhibition elevates David Bowie into museum material