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in Culture (3 stories)
history

Portrait looted by Nazis found in home of Dutch SS leader's descendants

A Stolen Portrait, 80 Years Hidden, Returns to the Light. Justice Is Slow. It Arrives.

What Happened

A portrait looted by the Nazis during World War II has been discovered in the home of descendants of a Dutch SS leader. The artwork, taken from its original owners — almost certainly a Jewish family — survived decades of concealment before being identified and recovered. The discovery is part of ...

What's In Your Control

Whether you learn about the Washington Principles and the ongoing work of art restitution organizations. Whether you support museums and institutions that actively audit their own collections for l...

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arts

Michael Tilson Thomas, Celebrated American Conductor, Dies at 81

Michael Tilson Thomas, 81, Laid Down His Baton. The Music He Made Remains.

What Happened

Michael Tilson Thomas, one of America's most celebrated orchestral conductors, has died at age 81. Known affectionately as "MTT," he served as Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony for 25 years (1995–2020), transforming it into one of the world's premier orchestras. He had been diagnosed w...

What's In Your Control

Whether you seek out one of his recordings today — his Mahler symphonies with the SF Symphony or his work with Bernstein are a good place to start. Whether you support your local orchestra, whose m...

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science

Desmond Morris, whose book The Naked Ape inspired and scandalised, dies aged 98

Desmond Morris, Who Held a Mirror Up to Humanity, Dies at 98. We Saw Ourselves. We Were Uncomfortable. He Was Right.

What Happened

Desmond Morris, the British zoologist and author, has died at the age of 98. His 1967 book The Naked Ape applied zoological observation to human behaviour, selling tens of millions of copies worldwide. It was controversial on publication, challenged by both religious institutions and academic pee...

What's In Your Control

Whether you read The Naked Ape — or re-read it. Whether you remember that a life combining rigorous science and fine art, stretching nearly a century, is an instructive model for a life well constr...

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