This is one of those paintings that you stand before and wonder at just how an artist achieved such mastery of paint. This might seem a conventional state portrait of a Pope, but take your time to look more carefully – and prepare to be amazed…

This week’s painting is fascinating in a number of ways – the perspective, the lighting, the repeated motif of the curl are but three things to look at. Plus it is one of the first representations of an urban working class.

This episode of Discovering Art focuses on a painting that contains many cultural elements: music, ballet, opera, real-life characters, mid-19th century France, theatre and, of course, art.

That just about sums up the trip Phil Grabsky has just completed to the other side of the world to help launch the new season of EOS films – commencing with David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts…

“OK, America, it has to be said that you still don’t know what good coffee is (in hotels at least) nor bacon nor apples (import them from Britain please!)”

There are over a thousand film festivals a year – so that’s three a day. No doubt that figure is increasing all the time. So how and why does a filmmaker attend a festival?