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Composite of Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (left) and Henry Taylor's From Congo to the Capital and Black Again (Credit: The Museum of Modern Art, New York/ Auru00e9lien Mole/ Henry Taylor Courtesy the artist)

'Hideous': The controversy over Picasso's most shocking paintingLes Demoiselles d'Avignon was met with horror, then revered. A century later, the piece was reinterpreted by US artist Henry Taylor, and Picasso's masterwork remains contentious – why?

A still showing a group of boys in the jungle looking dishevelled taken from Lord of the Flies (Credit: Netflix)Lord of The Flies' study of hate and division has never been more relevantWilliam Golding's story of boys descending into violence is a 20th-Century classic. Now Adolescence writer Jack Thorne is behind a new TV version speaking to a rancorous world.

Caravaggio's Medusa (Credit: Getty Images)The ancient wisdom in Ovid's 2,000-year-old talesMetamorphoses, an ancient compendium of Greek myths, has surprising parallels with contemporary concerns, from climate change to gender-based violence.

Spotlight

Black and white image of Agatha Christie smiling at the camera (Credit: Getty Images)

A rare interview with the elusive Agatha ChristieHer murder mysteries have captivated audiences for more than a century, but 50 years after her death, she remains an enigma. A BBC profile from 1955 reveals some of her secrets.See more

Around the world

A black and white image shows a couple in the corner of a booth in a small Paris cafe with their faces close together as if they are about to kiss(Credit: Estate Brassai/ Succession Philippe Ribeyrolles)10 intimate images of a lost, decadent 1930s ParisMoving "from the slums to the exclusive salons", Brassaï captured the brothels, gay bars and backstreets of Paris's hazy night-time in its radical inter-war years.

A composite of Heidi Klum at the 2026 Met Gala and Veiled Vestal by Raffaelle Monti (1846-47) that inspired her look (Credit: Getty Images/ Metropolitan Museum of Art)The artworks that inspired eight Met Gala looksFrom Heidi Klum as a veiled Vestal virgin to singer Ciara as a gold-encrusted bust of Nefertiti, here is the art behind the fashion at the Met Gala.

Crop version of what is reportedly a young Jane Boleyn sketched by Hans Holbein the Younger (Credit: Alamy)The truth about Tudor England's 'most hated woman'Was 16th-Century aristocrat Jane Boleyn a treacherous, "sex-mad" spy – or was she a convenient scapegoat? A new book explores her story.

Documentaries

Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of LoveVenus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love

The World's Greatest PaintingsThe World's Greatest Paintings

Ancient Treasures with Bettany HughesAncient Treasures with Bettany Hughes

Art That Made UsArt That Made Us

Mozart In LondonMozart In London

Becoming Frida KahloBecoming Frida Kahlo

Shakespeare: Rise of a GeniusShakespeare: Rise of a Genius

The Romantic RevolutionThe Romantic Revolution

Art history

Side-by-side image of monotoned and coloured versions of Raphael's Portrait of a Young Woman with a Unicorn (Credit: Alamy/ Galleria Borghese)

Why this 16th-Century painting isn't what it seemsOverpainted images hidden inside Raphael's 16th-Century Portrait of a Young Woman with a Unicorn show how the image of the ideal woman has been carefully controlled by men.

These artworks are by women - men got the credit

Has pop art icon Keith Haring been 'sanitised'?

The tragic romance hidden in a 19th-Century painting

'An enormous inner desolation': The darkness behind LS Lowry's city scenes

Watch

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Why dancing is key to our humanityWhat can our long love affair with dance teach us about ourselves?See more

Classical music

Margot the dog listens attentively as a TV behind her can be seen playing a classical piece (Credit: Serenity Strull)The music that keeps animals calmYou can find many different playlists for dogs and cats online. However, not all styles of music are effective.

Janet Leigh screaming in the shower in Psycho (Credit: Alamy)How the Psycho music score changed film foreverAlfred Hitchcock's grisly horror might not have become a classic without composer Bernard Herrmann's disturbing score.

A view of the inside of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris with people seated inside the nave during a mass (Credit: Getty Images)Does Notre-Dame still sound the same?Performers and visitors to the famous gothic cathedral in the midst of the River Seine may find some subtle differences to the way sound bounces around its walls.

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch holding a photograph of herself when she was younger playing the cello (Credit: Getty Images)How music saved a cellist's life in AuschwitzAfter being sent to the Nazi death camp in 1943, Anita Lasker survived by playing in its women's orchestra. In 1996, she spoke to the BBC about her ordeal.

Tom Hulce and cast in a scene of Amadeus (Credit: Alamy)The most misunderstood Oscar winner everMiloš Forman's best picture-winning Amadeus is often accused of historical inaccuracies – but the film's critics could be missing the point.

Callas at 100: 'This is the stuff legends are made of'A look back at operatic legend Maria Callas' lifeGreek-American soprano Maria Callas, hailed as one of the greatest singers in operatic history, remains an icon for young performers today.

More Arts stories

5 hrs agoA black and white photo of a Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane. They are middled-aged and handsomely dressed. Arthur Lucan has short hair and is wearing a blazer coat, cardigan, white shirt and striped tie. To the right, Kitty McShane, with shoulder-length curly brown hair is smiling with lipstick on, a wide-brimmed dark hat and is wearing a stripy, dark coloured blazer jacket and white unbuttoned shirt. A street can be seen behind them.Pulling back the curtain on Hull's theatre historyWe explore Hull's lost Theatre Royals and delve into the archives at Hull History Centre.5 hrs ago

7 hrs agoSam Tutty and Christiani Pitts, both holding cake boxes, in a theatre production. Sam has on a purple tracksuit and Christiani colourful tops and long hair. They are both looking at each other and smiling. Theatres 'excited' by eight Tony award nominationsTwo Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) began as The Season in Ipswich and Northampton.7 hrs ago

1 day agoAn image of a large group of jellyfish in water. The background is green.'World-renowned' photo exhibition returns to cityThe Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is on show at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.1 day ago

1 day agoA billboard decorated with a large billboard, showing large eyes on a yellow face, similar to Spongebob Squarepants'Eye can see you': What's behind the new graffiti craze in Glasgow?In the past few years a series of murals showing eyes have popped up across the West of Scotland. 1 day ago

1 day agoLarge curved bronze sculpture by Henry Moore on a plinth, surrounded by open grass and trees in bright sunlightLargest-ever Henry Moore exhibition opens at KewThe Monumental Nature exhibition includes 30 works across the botanic gardens in west London. 1 day ago

1 day agoMargaret Thatcher in 1987Margaret Thatcher assassination story by Hilary Mantel gets stage premiere in Liverpool In The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, the award-winning author imagined a plot to kill the PM.1 day ago

2 days agoTwo girls with blonde hair, one is wearing a black and white top the other is wearing a red and white checked top 'My accident didn't stop me from doing what I love'Sisters Emily and Olivia work together to produce ceramics. Olivia makes the pots and Emily paints the pots by mouth painting.2 days ago

2 days agoA sculpture depicting Sir David Attenborough wearing a black suit and a white shirt with an animal toy perched on his shoulder. He is perched on a fence which is out of shot. In the background there are some houses.Artist 'not 100% happy' with her Attenborough modelSharon Kulesa wanted to mark his 100th birthday but fears the sculpture does not quite look like him.2 days ago

2 days agoThree people stand in front of a white backdrop with advertising logos on it holding copies of a book and awards. The woman on the left is shorter than the others and wearing in a green pleated dress. She has hair died blonde and black and is wearing glasses and smiling while holding up a blue oblong thing. Next to her is a man in a grey suit with white and blue striped shirt smiling as he holds up a book with blue and turquoise patterned cover and a square box. On his right is a taller blonde woman in a blue and teal pattered dress and teal leather jacket, also holding a similar box.Illustrator part of book-of-year winning teamAlice Cao from Shrewsbury is recognised for her illustrations on a new version of Beowulf.2 days ago

2 days agoA woman with long brown hair and glasses paints a white lion sculpture gold and green.Lion trail to roar across London this summerSeventeen lion sculptures will be installed as part of an art trail to celebrate a summer of sport.2 days ago

3 days agoHenry Moore's statue Reclining Woman: Elbow on a patch of grass next to a path.Henry Moore artwork moves to new Kew Gardens homeReclining Woman: Elbow will be on show from 9 May at Henry Moore: Monumental Nature. 3 days ago

3 days agoA young boy smiling, holding a hand drawn picture of a lizardSix-year-old draws 100 animals for AttenboroughDespite the 94-year age gap, six-year-old Max Evans-Browning calls Sir David his "favourite person".3 days ago

3 days agoVickie Amiralis wearing all black and stood smiling at the camera with a section of the mural in the background over her shoulder.Interactive mural marks 30 years of river trailThe work, in Henley-on-Thames, celebrates the wildlife in and around the River Thames.3 days ago

4 days agoProtest group Pussy Riot at the Venice Biennale'Enjoy the show. Ignore the war': Venice Biennale faces backlash after including RussiaProtests have taken place at the prestigious arts fair over the inclusion of Russia for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 4 days ago

4 days agoA woman with long red hair, a white tank top and black cargo trousers stands on a black stage stage with her arms in the air. To the right singer Ne-Yo, wearing a white vest top, mustard coloured trousers and a brown cowboy-style hat points towards her with his right hand. 'I'll never get over dancing on stage with Ne-Yo'Kirsty Langley says the moment she strutted her stuff on stage in Manchester "hasn't sunk in".4 days ago

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