Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ Is a Masterpiece
When the elements combine, you get a film as welcome and rare as a perfect Christmas morning.
In Philanthropy: The Mellon Foundation’s $500M Pledge to Reimagine Monuments and More
The New York-based nonprofit is doubling down on its 2020 Monuments Project initiative with another $250 million.
The Best Under-the-Radar Cocktail Bars for a Relaxed Night Out in New York
Amid New York’s bustling nightlife scene, sometimes all you want is a quiet spot to catch up with friends over
Arts
See All
The Definitive Collection of Soccer-Themed Artwork Is Heading to Auction
With depictions of scenic grassy playing fields to action-packed tackles, a Bonhams auction next month will highlight artwork featuring the sport of soccer.
The Best Holiday Gifts for the Art Lovers and Artists On Your List
Shop all the best presents for the art lover in your life.
Royal Velázquez Portrait Expected to Shatter Auction Records
A portrait of the Spanish Queen Isabel de Borbón could more than double Velázquez’s current auction record.
Experiencing the Intimate Distance of Ofelia Rodríguez
The show of more than seventy works by the artist is on view at the Bristol gallery through January 14.
Sukanya Rajaratnam On Curating for Younger Collectors and More
Observer recently caught up with White Cube’s new global director of strategic market initiatives.
Lifestyle
See All
Bausch + Lomb CEO Brent Saunders Buys Cher’s Former Miami Beach Home for $35.4 Million
The waterfront property was initially listed for $42.5 million.
Kylie Jenner’s Style Evolution
See all of her most memorable fashion moments.
Ski, Savor and Sojourn: How to Plan the Most Unapologetically Aspen Experience
Here, the fusion of luxury and heart-pounding ski action sets the stage for an unparalleled winter experience.
Jet Set: The Best Travel Gifts
From a wanderlust-worthy coffee table book and the coziest travel pants to high-tech gadgets and packing essentials, these are the best travel gifts to buy your loved ones this year.
The Best Holiday Gifts for the Bar Cart
Bar cart gifts are always a hit.
Business
See All
Hedge Fund Billionaire Ray Dalio Discusses A.I. and Its Role in Global Economy
The Bridgewater founder said A.I. is just as much “part of the whole evolutionary process” as any new technological invention.
Elon Musk Escalates War With X Advertisers in Explosive Interview
Musk characterized advertisers who quit X as blackmailing him with money.
ChatGPT’s One-Year Anniversary: How the Chatbot Changed OpenAI and the Internet
It has been a fruitful yet chaotic year for OpenAI and its leadership team.
Josh Jackson’s Paste Magazine Buys Jezebel From G/O Media in All-Cash Deal
Jezebel’s new owner said he won’t change the publication’s feminist identity.
Jamie Dimon Still Believes In the Value of Physical Banks: ‘People Like to Visit Their Money’
The nature of banking branches has changed over the past decade, but there’s still a place for them in an increasingly online society, Jamie Dimon said.
Power Lists
See All
The Digital Innovators Reshaping the Art World
What constitutes mainstream art is changing before our eyes, thanks to art world pioneers creating, collecting, sharing and selling a growing body of works that exist on the Blockchain. There are thousands of talented women and men creating amazing art in this space working alongside dedicated collectors and platform givers to increase the visibility of and demand for generative pieces, NFTs and other digital works. Our Digital Innovators Power List celebrates ten influential operators whose high-profile contributions in this space are changing the narrative—and the flow of capital—around digital art.
The Authorities Transforming Art as an Asset Class
By some estimates, the world’s private art collections are worth between $2 and $3 trillion, but the role of art in investment portfolios has tended to be ambiguous. As more collectors focus on financial gains, prominent innovators in and outside of finance are creating clarity and transforming art’s place in the modern portfolio.
The Most Influential People in the Art World Today
The women and men on Observer’s 2023 Business of Art Power List have their fingers on the pulse of the art market, and they’re unflinchingly optimistic. In the face of market contraction, ongoing uncertainty about the role of major cultural institutions and everything else that’s happening in the art world, these power players find inspiration in everything from art’s philanthropic potential and growing reach to the rapidly changing narratives around what art is and who it’s for. In short, they’re the people wielding outsized influence on art’s present and its future.
Entertainment
See All
What to Watch on Streaming This Week: December 1-7
Holiday cheer, sci-fi adventures and video game fun await the eager streamer this week.
Who to Watch: Charles Melton, Star of ‘May December’
The actor shows his talents amongst the likes of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in Todd Haynes’ new melodrama.
Irish Rep Is Having A Friel Day
‘Translations’ is the first of three Brian Friel plays that Irish Rep is staging this season. “It has a kind of politics, but it’s so embracing of human life,” director Doug Hughes says.
Latest
All Latest
Maria Prymachenko’s Show at The Ukrainian Museum Rekindles the Potency of Folk Art
Painted with vivid gouaches and watercolors, Maria Prymachenko’s natural world comes to life in roaring, generous colors.
Charlie Munger’s Top 10 Quotes On Life, Business and Morality
“Always take the high road, it’s far less crowded,” said the late Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman in 2020.
Scythian Gold Returns to Ukraine Over Russian Objections
Nine years after the Russian Federation’s invasion of Crimea, the Allard Pierson Museum of Antiquities has returned more than 500 culturally significant Crimean artifacts to Ukraine.
Bloomberg Media CEO Tapped By Steve Cohen to Run the New York Mets
Bloomberg Media CEO M. Scott Havens will join the Mets to lead business operations starting 2024.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Are Bringing Their Art Collection to the Brooklyn Museum
Titled ‘Giants,’ the show will display works by Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley and others.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Shares ‘Detailed’ Succession Plan In Rare Interview
The chief executive of the world’s most valuable company has no plan to retire just yet but he does have a succession plan in the works.
Unconventional Depictions of Fashion and Beauty Define Deborah Turbeville’s Archive
“If you look at Turbeville, I don’t think people would want to live in her world,” Nathalie Herschdorfer, curator of the exhibit, told Observer.
‘The Inventor’ Review: A Lovingly Animated Leonardo da Vinci Without Much of a Story
If you appreciate stop-motion as an art, ‘The Inventor’ is a must. If you want a good story, maybe not.
You Can’t Take Your Eyes Off Gael García Bernal in ‘Cassandro’
The tenderness of his performance stretches Bernal’s talents to the point of heartbreak.
Joaquin Phoenix Borders on Catatonic in ‘Napoleon’
Through it all, the acting remains muted and forgettable.
3 Tips On Making A Meaningful Impact This Giving Tuesday
Where, how and how much should you give on this day? Here are a few tips.
After Decades of Speculation, Has Banksy Finally Revealed His True Identity?
A resurfaced interview recorded two decades ago sheds some light on the anonymous artist’s first name.
Why A.I. Photography Will Never Eclipse Images Captured By People
A.I. has the potential to transform photography entirely—not necessarily for the better.
‘The Marvels’ Star Iman Vellani on Ms. Marvel, Cat Co-Stars & Superhero Fatigue
From literal cat fights to CGI secrets, ‘The Marvels’ actress had plenty to share about her experience on the big screen.
Art Basel Is Piloting a New Charity-Focused Sales Platform
The marketplace will debut with offerings from Jenny Holzer, Hernan Bas, Katherine Bradford and others.
‘May December’ Review: A Marvelously Messed Up Movie With Perfect Performances
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore anchor this melodrama based on a true story.
Elon Musk Aims to Launch SpaceX Starship Again as Early as December: Images
And highlights from Starship’s second orbital test.
On View Now: Women Making Their Mark
“Making Their Mark” presents more than eighty works from the Shah Garg Collection, by prominent artists such as Simone Leigh, Julie Mehretu and Judy Chicago.
What to Watch on Streaming
See All
What to Watch on Streaming This Week: November 24-30
From a holiday family comedy about accidental body-swapping to an Australian period piece (or two!), these are the best titles to stream in the coming week.
What to Watch on Streaming This Week: November 17-23
Likely award nominees and some fare with genre flair are sure to catch your eye on streaming this week.
What to Watch on Streaming This Week: November 10-16
From the final season of ‘The Crown’ to an intriguing new murder mystery, there’s plenty in this week’s What to Watch.
Reviews
See All
The Met Opera’s ‘Florencia en el Amazonas’ Is Magic Made Real
This Spanish language production takes enchantment seriously.
‘The Treasure of Foggy Mountain’ Review: Please Don’t Destroy Go Long With Mixed Results
On a laughs per minute level, this feature film is a better time investment than an SNL episode. But it’s still a trifle.
‘Rustin’ Review: A Radical Restoration of the Legacy of a Civil Rights Leader
This biopic of Black Queer activist Bayard Rustin—organizer the 1963 March on Washington—is radical not just in its subject, but its structure.