1+ hour, 16+ min ago  (1827+ words) Few artists would turn down the honour of painting a reigning monarch but David Hockney did just that, declining several requests to capture the late Queen's likeness because, he said, he only painted people he knew well. In Hockney's view,…...

3+ hour ago  (1727+ words) Celebrated British artist David Hockney has died aged 88, his publicist has confirmed. Hockney was best known for his important contribution to English pop art - and for his avid passion for smoking - and was one of the country's most famous modern…...

1+ day, 22+ hour ago  (604+ words) An architect behind the restoration of Spain's oldest hotel, which was ridiculed for its 'sodomised gargoyles', has hit back at his critics." Fernando Cobos carried out the works at the Hostal dos Reis Cat'licos in Santiago de Compostela, but sparked…...

3+ day, 22+ hour ago  (726+ words) Historic pottery brand Denby has fired its last pieces in the kiln as 217 years of production came to an end. Founded in 1809, Denby had been producing ceramics from Derbyshire clay but was plunged into administration in March after struggles against…...

6+ day, 4+ hour ago  (1300+ words) Two original Banksy artworks owned by Friends actor Matthew Perry have sold for "975, 000 at auction in the US. Girl with Balloon and Nola went under the hammer on Friday, which featured 127 items from the actor's estate after his death in…...

1+ week, 1+ hour ago  (349+ words) In this magnificent volume, author and journalist David Buckman has done the near impossible. He has managed to combine the 'once-almost-invisible story of the East London Group' of artists into a volume that is both beautifully illustrated and finely researched....

1+ week, 1+ day ago  (842+ words) The government has banned an art collector from selling an 'exceptionally rare' phallic sculpture - because it breaks elephant protection laws. Devon-based expert Victor James was told the 1930s piece falls foul of the UK Ivory Act and therefore cannot be traded…...

2+ week, 3+ hour ago  (851+ words) The subject of one of Lucian Freud's 'defining masterpieces' hopes the portrait will show people that 'big girls can do well' as the painting goes up for auction and could fetch up to "35 million. The painting, Sleeping by the Lion…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago  (423+ words) It is hard to capture the essence of what makes a pub truly great. Is it the landlord who has been manning the bar since the beginning of time (or at least, since the first time you visited), or the…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago  (667+ words) The artwork, titled Girl and Balloon on Found Landscape, will go under the hammer in a glitzy invitation-only sale in New York on May 20, after making its public debut inside Tiffany & Co.'s iconic Fifth Avenue flagship store, The Landmark....