There are two facts that even your average school child can tell you about Vincent Van Gogh: he cut off his ear and he killed himself. But now two Pulizer Prize-winning authors have a new book that throws that second fact into question. If Vincent Van Gogh didn't kill himself what are they going to tell us next, that Pluto isn't a planet? more ›

An angry Frenchman is suing the Metropolitan Museum of Art over their Paul Cézanne painting Madame Cézanne in the Conservatory. He says the painting, which they acquired in 1960, rightfully belongs to his family. The museum does not agree. The 1891 masterpiece, valued between $50 and $70 million dollars, was a bequest to the museum from Stephen C. Clark (an heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune). But Parisian Pierre Konowaloff argues it was never rightfully his to give away in the first place. more ›

Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for three decades, has announced his retirement; he’ll be leaving as soon as a successor is found. The 71-year-old French born Harvard graduate called it a “wrenching” decision but finally concluded that “to stay much further would be to skirt decency.” more ›

(directed by David Yates) more ›

The 29th Annual Museum Mile Festival is tomorrow, with more creativity than you can imagine concentrated in a festival on 5th Avenue (from 82nd Street to 105th Street). From the Met to El Museo del Barrio you'll be able to find waived museum admissions. more ›

Claude Monet, forger of French impressionism - and artist of choice amongst college girls everywhere, will have over 60 of his masterpieces on view at the Wildenstein & Co. gallery starting tomorrow (and running through June 15th). more ›

Absinthe, The Green Devil or as Ernest Hemingway described it – “that opaque, bitter, tongue-numbing, brain-warming, stomach-warming, idea-changing, liquid alchemy” – to this day has an air of mystery and danger surrounding it. Historical anecdotes, urban myths and its illegal status in a host of countries (including the US) make it all the more alluring. Tell us we can’t have something and suddenly we want it. Why is it really illegal here, we wondered? What exactly is it and what were its powers that made the likes of Van Gogh, Picasso and Wilde avid enthusiasts? And where could we get some (for research purposes, of course.)? more ›

Whoa-- that was quite a night. If, like us, you've just woken up with a pounding hangover and a foul sugar-coating covering your tongue, we sympathize. Here are some highlights to remind you of how you spent the night-- add yours in the comments if you want us to link to them. more ›

During this week we were reminded of a few things: New York bars don't close for anyone's holidays, apples and honey go very well with Manhattans, and we should probably pick up some kosher wine in case family drops by. After moving recently, we realized we must have had this idea every year since, oh, 5761, because there were a half dozen not-exactly-empty bottles of Manischewitz. We've never even had good luck adding it to sangria - it's a problem. more ›

The Google search for Vincent van Gogh. Jonathan Richman sang about Van Gogh and Robert Altman made a movie about Vincent and brother Theo. And the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, which can be for a European vacation or a vacation for the mind at your office desk.
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So if the heat gets to be too much for you this weekend, Gothamist suggests you escape to a nice air conditioned theater. more ›