Five new art books to look out for this spring, including key artist biographies and the tale of an artistic rivalry

Five new art books are set for release this spring, including a biography of 17th-century painter Michaelina Wautier, a study of Louise Bourgeois using unpublished archival material, a dual biography exploring the rivalry between Michelangelo and Titian, a catalog accompanying the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Tate Modern, and a volume on Francis Bacon’s literary influences housed at the Hugh Lane Gallery.

art heist genre film tv books guide

This article from Cultured explores the history and evolution of the art heist genre across film, television, and books. It traces the genre's origins from the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa by Vincenzo Peruggia to its appearance in 19th-century detective serials by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, and later in French New Wave noirs and slick 1990s heist films. The piece highlights recent entries like Kelly Reichardt's film *The Mastermind* starring Josh O'Connor, and compiles a list of key works including *Animal Crackers* (1930), *How to Steal a Million* (1966), *The Thomas Crown Affair* (1968/1999), and *Hudson Hawk* (1991), noting how the genre reflects changing attitudes toward wealth, crime, and the sublime power of art.

salvador dali mustache origin 2628935

Salvador Dalí's iconic mustache, voted the Most Famous Mustache of All Time in a 2010 Telegraph survey, originated in the 1940s after he initially sported a more subdued "Menjou" style in the 1930s. The artist developed his flamboyant upturned mustache, first appearing in his painting *Soft Self-Portrait with Grilled Bacon* (1941), and maintained it with meticulous daily grooming using date-based wax. Dalí treated the mustache as a personal logo and creative symbol, even co-authoring a 1954 book with photographer Philippe Halsman titled *Dalí's Mustache*, featuring 28 surreal photographs.

Bologna Prepares for the Major Children's Publishing Festival: The Director Speaks

Bologna si prepara al grande festival di editoria per l’infanzia. Parla la direttrice

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) has announced the details for its 63rd edition, scheduled to take place from April 13 to 16, 2026, at BolognaFiere. This upcoming iteration will feature Norway as the Guest of Honor under the theme "What if?" and will host 1,500 exhibitors from 90 countries. The fair continues to evolve beyond traditional publishing, integrating transmedia narratives, licensing, and discussions on artificial intelligence alongside major anniversaries for figures like Carlo Collodi, Agatha Christie, and Mitsumasa Anno.

The 10 Best Venice Films

Die 10 besten Venedig-Filme

Monopol magazine has published a ranking of the ten best films set in Venice, timed to coincide with the opening of the Venice Art Biennale. The list includes titles such as Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Honey Pot" (1967), and Kenneth Branagh's "A Haunting in Venice" (2023), highlighting how the lagoon city serves as a central character in action films, comedies, and love dramas.