Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Credit: Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) At the toughest, most turbulent time of his life, the Impressionist painter was supported by an unlikely soulmate, Joseph Roulin, a postman in Arles. A new exhibition explores this close friendship, and how it benefited art history. …

Getty Images Stylish and experimental, Breathless heralded a new era of film-making when it was released 75 years ago. In 1964, its director told the BBC why he broke every rule he could. Jean-Luc Godard was crystal clear about what he planned to do with his feature-length film debut, Breathless …

Disney The live-action version of the classic fairy-tale animation sounded like a surefire hit. But even before it’s reached cinemas, the response to it has been loud and often hostile. You wouldn’t think that the war in Gaza would have much impact on a Disney remake. But the live-action Snow …

Natassja Ebert Wynton Marsalis says his approach to performing was influenced by his father (Credit: Natassja Ebert) Wynton Marsalis made history when he became the first musician to win classical and jazz Grammy Awards in the same year. He tells the BBC’s Katty Kay about jazz’s unique connection to liberation …

Getty Images In 11th-Century England, a dark-skinned saint with a promiscuous past became a boundary-breaking cultural and religious icon. A new study is hoping to reassert her place in history. She was old. She was dark-skinned. As a young woman, she had been promiscuous and enjoyed sex. But after rejecting …

Vince Jones (Credit: Vince Jones) In pockets of the British countryside, it’s possible to stumble across clusters of beautifully designed, Scandi-style cabins. These aren’t a product of the latest trend for off-grid retreats, but were created half a century ago by a pair of Welsh architects, Hird & Brooks. How …

Alamy (Credit: Alamy) The recent discovery of an art forger’s workshop reminds us of the long history of fraudulent artworks – here are the simple rules to work them out. It’s everywhere: fake news, deep fakes, identity fraud. So ensnared are we in a culture of digitised deceptions, a phenomenon …

Serenity Strull/ BBC/ Getty Images From the catwalk to the red carpet, the jacket-and-necktie combo is back for women – it’s a statement of power and authority, say fans of the look. The jacket-and-necktie combination has been a staple of male dress for centuries, but it’s always been most striking …

Alamy (Credit: Alamy) The Nazis carried out the final “liquidation” of the Kraków Jewish ghetto on 13 March 1943, an act of violence that shocked a factory owner into becoming a saviour. These events were depicted in Thomas Keneally’s novel Schindler’s Ark and Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List. But in …

Jack Flynn (Credit: Jack Flynn) The legendary actor tells Katty Kay that his parents would have much rather he became an accountant or insurance broker, but finally came around when they saw him perform on stage. With a shelf filled with awards, including Screen Actors Guild trophies, Emmys, a Golden …

Nicholas Barber and Caryn James A24/ Alamy/ TIFF/ MUBI (Credit: A24/ Alamy/ TIFF/ MUBI) In one of the most exciting and dramatic awards seasons ever, the field is wide open in several fields. BBC film critics give their expert predictions for the major Academy Awards categories. TIFF Anora (Credit: TIFF) …

Alamy/ Getty Images/ Netflix (Credit: Alamy/ Getty Images/ Netflix) Meghan’s new Netflix series in which she offers cooking and home tips arrives next week. She’s just the latest high-profile woman to present herself as a lifestyle guru – and divide opinion in doing so. The Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle show …

Getty Images (Credit: Getty Images) Douglas Adams’s epic series of comic novels, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is loved by scientists and tech executives, including Elon Musk. In 1986, the author talked to the BBC about the unlikely origins of a wildly successful multimedia franchise. Imagine waking up on …

Getty Images (Credit: Getty Images) This year’s show featured a bizarre James Bond tribute – while failing to duly honour visionary director David Lynch. That choice spoke to the awards’ profound identity crisis. Early on in Sunday’s three-and-three-quarter hour Academy Awards ceremony, there was a tribute to the James Bond …

Alamy (Credit: Alamy) Are you warm, cool or neutral? How the retro trend of “getting your colours done” made a comeback with personalised colour analysis on social media – and how your perfect colours can “spark careers, conversations and connections”. Do you have cool or medium undertones? Does red brighten …

Lucia Iuorio/ Netflix (Credit: Lucia Iuorio/ Netflix) Lampedusa’s mid-20th-Century novel The Leopard became a bestseller, then a revered film – and is now a lavish Netflix series. Its withering takedown of society’s flaws and hypocrisies still hits home today. “Dying for somebody or for something, that was perfectly normal, of …

Emmanuel Lafont (Credit: Emmanuel Lafont) Forty years ago, Northern English poet Harrison published a powerful work inspired by vandalised gravestones in his hometown Leeds. Then, when it was screened on TV in 1987, a national furore erupted. “FOUR LETTER TV POEM FURY” thundered the front page of one British newspaper, …

Vanessa Tignanelli (Credit: Vanessa Tignanelli) The enigmatic musician has released one of the most raved-about LPs of recent times. But they’ve done it without marketing or interviews – and you certainly won’t find it on Spotify. Of all the musical acts that emerged last year, none was more fascinating – …

Natassja Ebert (Credit: Natassja Ebert) From making history as Vogue’s youngest-ever fashion editor to creating a gown fit for a Kennedy wedding – which would end up covered in grass stains – Vera Wang chronicles her career’s surprising trajectory and shares some of her hard-won lessons as a woman at …