The intimate Michelangelo

by James Hankins

On “Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman & Designer” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

La Rochefoucauld: maximum maximist

by Joseph Epstein

From the archives: On Falsehood Disguised: Unmasking the Truth in La Rochefoucauld by Richard G. Hodgson

Cézanne’s maxims

by Bob Kirsch

From the archives: Cézanne’s self-reflective maxims translated from French.

The art world’s “hidden enemy”

by Julia Friedman

On accusations of ideological impurity and the abrogation of the presumption of innocence in the art world.

Andrew Wyeth forever

by James Panero

On the career of Andrew Wyeth and the travelling exhibition, “Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect.”

December 2017

Notes & Comments

Is civilization overrated?

On a bit of Rousseauvian nonsense taken up by the modern academy.

A love affair for the ages

On The New York Times’s series of essays on Communism.

Features

Art: a special section

The intimate Michelangelo

by James Hankins

On “Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman & Designer” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Art: a special section

Cedar Grove, restored

by Michael J. Lewis

On recent restorations of Thomas Cole’s house in Catskill, New York, and Olana, the house of Frederic Edwin Church.

Art: a special section

Harrie T. Lindeberg & the American country house

by Peter Pennoyer

On the architect Harrie T. Lindeberg’s innovative yet historically minded approach to houses.

Art: a special section

Adventures in Moominland

by Dominic Green

On “Tove Jansson,” at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.

Art: a special section

Highland time

by Benjamin Riley

A review of Highland Retreats: The Architecture and Interiors of Scotland’s Romantic North by Mary Miers.

Art: a special section

The necessity of Rodin

by Eric Gibson

On four exhibitions across the world that commemorate the centennial of Auguste Rodin’s death.

Art: a special section

Superstorm Sandy

by Karen Wilkin

A review of Calder: The Conquest of Time: The Early Years: 1898-1940 by Jed Perl.

Art: a special section

Andrew Wyeth forever

by James Panero

On the career of Andrew Wyeth and the traveling exhibition, “Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect.”

Poems

In Europe

by Jack Hanson

Darn

by J. P. Grasser

Baume du Doge

by Moira Egan

Letter from Barcelona

The Catalan problem

by Gerald Frost

On recent political developments in Catalonia.

Reconsiderations

A cycle of madness

by David Guaspari

A new look at Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman.

Theater

Unlikely complications

by Kyle Smith

On M. Butterfly at the Cort Theatre, The Last Match at the Laura Pels Theatre & The Portuguese Kid at City Center.

Art

Murillo’s strange conceits

by Andrew L. Shea

On “Murillo: The Self-Portraits” at The Frick Collection.

Exhibition note

by Franklin Einspruch

On “Modigliani Unmasked” at the Jewish Museum.

Music

New York chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

On recent classical music performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

The media

New directions in scandalology

by James Bowman

On scandal-driven hypocrisy in the media.

Verse chronicle

Hobson’s choice

by William Logan

On recent poetry by C. K. Williams, Michael Longley, Simon Armitage, Brenda Shaughnessy & Robert Pinsky.

Notebook

The art world’s “hidden enemy”

by Julia Friedman

On accusations of ideological impurity and the abrogation of the presumption of innocence in the art world.

Week in review

by Andrew L. Shea

December 08, 2017

On Dominic Green in the Journal, Karen Wilkin on Graham Nickson & more.

The Other Queen in London

by Paul du Quenoy

December 08, 2017

On Rossini’s Semiramide at the Royal Opera House.

London hears a stunning double role debut

by Paul du Quenoy

December 05, 2017

On Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at the Royal Opera House.

A new generation of talented writers needs your support

by The Editors

December 05, 2017

The Critic’s Notebook

by The Editors

December 05, 2017

On French fiction, Spanish painting & more from the world of culture.

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Critic's Notebook

A free weekly newsletter about arts & culture

Books

Accepting Islamophobia

on Confessions of an Islamophobe by Robert Spencer

reviewed by Andrew C. McCarthy

The chattering classicist

on Antiquity Matters by Frederic Raphael

reviewed by Victor Davis Hanson

Ludicrous, but interesting

on Exact Thinking in Demented Times: The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science by Karl Sigmund

reviewed by James Franklin

For benefit & pleasure

on The Social Life of Books: Reading Together in the Eighteenth-Century Home (The Lewis Walpole Series in Eighteenth-Century Culture and History) by Abigail Williams

reviewed by Henrik Bering

Bookstore

The intimate Michelangelo

by James Hankins

La Rochefoucauld: maximum maximist

by Joseph Epstein

Cézanne’s maxims

by Bob Kirsch

The art world’s “hidden enemy”

by Julia Friedman

Andrew Wyeth forever

by James Panero

December 2017

Notes & Comments

Is civilization overrated?

A love affair for the ages

Features

The intimate Michelangelo

by James Hankins

Cedar Grove, restored

by Michael J. Lewis

Harrie T. Lindeberg & the American country house

by Peter Pennoyer

Adventures in Moominland

by Dominic Green

Highland time

by Benjamin Riley

The necessity of Rodin

by Eric Gibson

Superstorm Sandy

by Karen Wilkin

Andrew Wyeth forever

by James Panero

Poems

In Europe

by Jack Hanson

Darn

by J. P. Grasser

Baume du Doge

by Moira Egan

Letter from Barcelona

The Catalan problem

by Gerald Frost

Reconsiderations

A cycle of madness

by David Guaspari

Theater

Unlikely complications

by Kyle Smith

Art

Murillo’s strange conceits

by Andrew L. Shea

Exhibition note

by Franklin Einspruch

Music

New York chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

The media

New directions in scandalology

by James Bowman

Verse chronicle

Hobson’s choice

by William Logan

Notebook

The art world’s “hidden enemy”

by Julia Friedman

Week in review

by Andrew L. Shea

December 08, 2017

The Other Queen in London

by Paul du Quenoy

December 08, 2017

London hears a stunning double role debut

by Paul du Quenoy

December 05, 2017

A new generation of talented writers needs your support

by The Editors

December 05, 2017

The Critic’s Notebook

by The Editors

December 05, 2017

Stay informed with our weekly email newsletter, “The Critic’s Notebook.”

Subscribe to our
Critic's Notebook

1
Is civilization overrated?

2
The art world’s “hidden enemy” by Julia Friedman

3
La Rochefoucauld: maximum maximist by Joseph Epstein

4
The intimate Michelangelo by James Hankins

5
Accepting Islamophobia by Andrew C. McCarthy

6
The mild-mannered humanist by Bruce Bawer

7
Andrew Wyeth forever by James Panero

8
A love affair for the ages

9
The entertainment state by Mark Steyn

10
On first reading “Paradise Lost” by Michael Auslin

1
Is civilization overrated?

2
Stalin’s ism by Gary Saul Morson

3
The entertainment state by Mark Steyn

4
No idiocy like educated idiocy by Anthony Daniels

5
The art world’s “hidden enemy” by Julia Friedman

6
The genius of capitalism by David Frum

7
Accepting Islamophobia by Andrew C. McCarthy

8
The ambiguities of Milan Kundera by Roger Kimball

9
Rossini’s sins by James Penrose

10
Andrew Wyeth forever by James Panero

1
The case of Stephen Greenblatt by Bruce Bawer

2
Solzhenitsyn’s cathedrals by Gary Saul Morson

3
Inebriates of virtue

4
Is civilization overrated?

5
The case of Stephen Greenblatt by Bruce Bawer

6
The Vatican’s Latinist by John Byron Kuhner

7
The most of Anthony Burgess by Dominic Green

8
Moral homicide: illiberal education in America by Roger Kimball

9
Populism, VIII: The unlikeliest populist by Victor Davis Hanson

10
The agony of Alger by Harvey Klehr

1
Dependence Day by Mark Steyn

2
The case of Stephen Greenblatt by Bruce Bawer

3
Future tense, X: The fourth revolution by James Piereson

4
The house is on fire! by Gary Saul Morson

5
The age of educational romanticism by Charles Murray

6
Solzhenitsyn’s cathedrals by Gary Saul Morson

7
The Fifth problem: math & anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union by Edward Frenkel

8
Inebriates of virtue

9
The architect of the Reich by Michael J. Lewis

10
The state despotic by Mark Steyn