José da Silva

José da Silva is the Exhibitions Editor of The Art Newspaper

Exclusive: international museum attendance figures back to pre-pandemic levels

In 2023, many of the world’s major museums equaled—or surpassed—their 2019 attendance figures. However, some UK institutions are still lagging behind, finds The Art Newspaper’s annual survey

An expert's guide to Constantin Brâncuși: five must-read books on the Romanian sculptor

All you ever wanted to know about Brâncuși, from a landmark catalogue to a comic retelling of his run-in with US Customs—selected by the Centre Pompidou curator Ariane Coulondre

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Why Anthony van Dyck was summoned to paint a recently deceased noblewoman

This extract from a new book about works in the Dulwich Picture Gallery by Helen Hillyard and Jennifer Scott reveals the story behind the artist's 1663 portrait of Lady Digby

Helen Hillyard and Jennifer Scott. With an introduction by José da Silva

An expert's guide to Frans Hals: five must-read books on the Dutch Old Master

All you ever wanted to know about Hals, from an 18th-century biography to a 1994 novel of the artist's “lost diaries”—selected by the Rijksmuseum curator Friso Lammertse

Impressionism: still impressive 150 years later

This year's milestone will be celebrated with multiple shows around the globe

An expert's guide to Sandro Botticelli: four must-read books on the Florentine painter

All you ever wanted to know about Botticelli, from a monumental monograph of 1908 to a dynamic account of the artist’s workshop practices—selected by the curator Furio Rinaldi

The top art books of 2023—chosen by The Art Newspaper’s book team

There is something for every art lover among our pick of the publications—from a forgotten 17th-century painter to a lively history of dyes

An expert’s guide to Mark Rothko: five must-read books on the Abstract Expressionist

All you ever wanted to know about Rothko, from the artist's own writings to the most complete study of his famous Seagram Murals

The Queen’s Galleries to be renamed after King Charles III in ‘recognition of the new reign’—despite previous plans not to change their names

The Royal Collection Trust, which runs the museums in London and Edinburgh, declines to give further details on change of heart

An expert’s guide to Lee Miller: five must-read books on the American photographer

All you ever wanted to know about Miller, from a biography and collection of love letters to a book of her recipes—selected by the curator Martin Pel

Anna Maria Maiolino and Nil Yalter awarded Venice Biennale’s Golden Lion for lifetime achievement

The itinerant lives of the Brazilian and Turkish artists chime with the theme of his central exhibition next year

Collectingfeature

How to get started as an art collector

Art is not just for the mega-rich: there are ways to buy good-quality works on a modest budget

An expert’s guide to Paula Rego: six must-read books on the Portuguese-British artist

All you ever wanted to know about Rego, from the best catalogues to a behind-the-scenes dive into her studio—selected by her son Nick Willing

An expert’s guide to Roy Lichtenstein: five must-read books on the American Pop artist

All you ever wanted to know about Lichtenstein, from an encyclopaedic career survey to a collection of his unexpectedly witty mirror paintings—selected by the art dealer Irving Blum

Takashi Murakami: the pop artist on cartoons, capitalism and what he learnt from Star Wars

The Japanese artist, whose latest show opens in San Francisco this month, explains the connection between his colourful aesthetic and darker influences, including natural disasters and the pandemic

Drunkard or genius? London's National Gallery gets up close and personal with Frans Hals

First major survey of Dutch painter in three decades will include reunited panels and monumental paintings

Nine artists recommend their favourite books for summer

From dystopian biography and intelligent plants to “monstrous mothers” and the underwater world, avid readers share their top tips

Compiled by Gareth Harris and José da Silva

Best shows to see in Basel: from sound sculptures to a Basquiat bonanza

An interactive show of multimedia works has opened at Museum Tinguely while the Fondation Beyeler has reunited a series of Basquiat paintings

Basel's got talent? Artists invite visitors to make their multimedia installations sing

At their Museum Tinguely retrospective, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller welcome participants interacting with their works, which combine elements of theatre, video and sound design

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Purple-nosed dogs, a haemorrhoid ‘cure’ and a sunken fleet: a history of dyes as colourful as its subject

Four excerpts from a book by Lauren MacDonald exploring the myths and origins of familiar colours

Lauren MacDonald. With an introduction by José da Silva

Ancient Greek gold coin from Crimea sells for a record-breaking £4.8m

The rare stater depicting a satyr—a "marvel of speaking portraiture"—was once in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum but was sold to raise money for the Soviet government

Book Clubfeature

Anna Atkins and the algae: how the first photobook was made in the mid-1800s

In an extract from an essay accompanying a newly published facsimile, Peter Walther tells the story of how this remarkable publication came about

An expert's guide to Keith Haring: four must-read books on the popular US artist

All you ever wanted to know about Haring, from his personal journals to interviews with the likes of Roy Lichtenstein and Madonna—selected by the curator Sarah Loyer

An expert’s guide to Jean-Michel Basquiat: four must-read books on the American artist

All you ever wanted to know about Basquiat, from his best quotes to an “intimate insight” from his family—selected by the curator Dieter Buchhart

The Met down 1.7 million visitors compared to pre-pandemic level—the biggest drop of any US art museum

The New York institution, usually the most popular art museum in the US, was overtaken in 2022 by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC