Art & Artists

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Statue of Liberty-West

A relentless self-promoter, Houdini appeared in several films. Performing his daring escapes for the screen, he had hoped that he could slow down his packed schedule. His showmanship did not translate in film, and his movies proved to be failures. (Library of Congress)

Houdini Revealed

Some 80 years after his death, Harry Houdini is back in the public spotlight. This photo essay sheds light on the escape artist's life

Thomas Buechner's portrait of Bill Zinsser.

Two Men and a Portrait

One wondered how an artist brings paint to life. The other showed him

Chihuly's Walla Wallas (2005).

The Nature of Glass

Prolific sculptor Dale Chihuly plants his vitreous visions in a Florida garden

Tempered chaos is key for painter Maggie Michael (in her Washington, D.C. studio). "In control or out of control; loved or loving; sexual or violent; my work relates to different aspects of our humanness," she says.

Artist on the Rise

Contemporary artist Maggie Michael shakes up abstract painting by giving control a chance

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The Deciding Moment

A newly published scrapbook of Henri Cartier-Bresson's early photographs is changing some notions about how he worked

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Hot Topics

An ice-diving course in Svalbard, Norway in only the tip of the Smithsonian science iceberg

Stencil by Banksy on the waterline of The Thekla

Graffiti: A Second Look

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One Man's Trash

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Invented Worlds

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Snubbing the Icons

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Digital Sculptures

Designs for Living, from A to Z

Edward Bernard's "Orbis eruditi", comparing all known alphabets as of 1689

An Alphabet of Pictures

At a time when women were defined by their husbands and judged by the quality of their housework, Margaret Bourke-White set the standard for photojournalism and expanded the possibilities of being female. (Self-Portrait, 1943, Margaret Bourke-White, 19 1/8" x 15 1/4" Vintage gelatin silver print from the Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Collection)

A Life Less Ordinary

One of Life magazine's original four photographers, Margaret Bourke-White snapped shots around the world

"War Thoughts at Home" is only one small part of a much larger research project, says Stilling.

Frost Bite

A recently discovered poem by Robert Frost has brought fame—and controversy—to an English student

Many artists throughout history, including Van Gogh, Cellini, and Michelangelo, have led lives worthy of tabloid headlines.

Artists Behaving Badly

Temperamental masters of the art world

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What's Up

Visual music, Macbeth and people wearing hats

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Comic Phyllis Diller's Cabinet Keeps the Jokes Coming

The stand up comic's archive holds a lifetime of proven punch lines

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Operatic Entrance

As Paris feted Queen Elizabeth II, photographer Bert Hardy found a circumstance to match her pomp

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