A question is a way in
Remarkable pictures.
Worth a second look.
Start with something you can see. Then follow the evidence, the technique and the story behind it.
Arnold Böcklin / 1880
An arrival with no next scene
Why does this tiny boat hold the whole painting together?
Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts / c.1670 (museum range 1668–1672)
The front that pretends to be a back
What would you expect to find if you turned this painting around?
Johannes Vermeer / c.1670–72
A room gathered inside a sphere
Why does a small hanging sphere matter more than its size suggests?
Paul Cézanne / c.1893
The table that will not line up
Why does the fruit feel solid on a table that seems unstable?
Vincent van Gogh / 1888
A colour we no longer see
What happens when a painting's colour relationships change over time?
Paul Klee / 1925
A world revealed through darkness
Can taking paint away make a picture feel more full of possibility?
J. M. W. Turner / 1839
A sunset in the wrong direction
Why change a real journey to make a farewell?