I've written one thread every day for 133 days. Here are fifty of the best:

The Danger of Minimalist Design (& the death of detail) A short thread...

Have cars ruined cities?

You'd probably believe me if I said this painting was done in 2022. Actually it's from 1566. So let's explore the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, an inventive painter centuries ahead of his time: (they get even stranger than this...)

An introduction to Art Deco architecture:

Don't fear the semicolon. Here's how to use it:

A day in the life of a WW1 soldier. Thread:

The Ancient Greeks had two words for time: 1. Chronos = sequential, quantitative time 2. Kairos = fluctuating, qualitative time Here's why you need to understand kairos...

In 1823 Francisco Goya painted Saturn Devouring His Son on the walls of his own house. Why?

An example of architecture from every single country in the world, in alphabetical order. Starting with Afghanistan's Minaret of Jam. 1/196

Analysing one of the greatest speeches in history: Pericles' funeral oration in 430 BC. We will look at the rhetorical devices used by Pericles to intrigue, inspire, and persuade his audience. You can use these techniques in emails, over a drink, or in your job.

If you study these 13 maps for just a couple of minutes each, you'll understand history much better. Starting with... the migrations of prehistoric humanity.

This is what you would learn if you went to university in the 12th century. Could modern schools and universities learn something from it? A Thread.

Has the world become less colourful? (This graph shows the colour of objects over time)

Have you ever wondered why older places look so much more interesting? It's not just because they're old. It's because of something called "vernacular"...

This painting is from 1833. It's by Thomas Cole, an artist of extraordinary imaginative power. But The Titan's Goblet isn't even his masterpiece...

Where have all the serifs gone?

A brief guide to Soviet architecture:

Why Beauty Matters (and how it has been destroyed by "usability") A short thread...

Over 1,000 years ago, it was the closest painting has ever come to poetry... An introduction to traditional Chinese landscape art:

Being wrong is a good thing. More than good, it's vital. So here's a short guide on how to be wrong (and why you should want to be):

This is why you read history. An important warning for the modern age from Thucydides, writing in the 5th century B.C. A short thread:

An introduction to the vocabulary of classical music:

The Middle Ages were way more colourful than you realise. This is how the Gothic cathedral in Amiens, France, originally looked:

15 pieces of classical music you instantly recognise but don't know their names: Starting with Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by JS Bach (1704)

One tweet biography of every English & British monarch since Alfred the Great in 886: 1/63

Michelangelo's David was unveiled on this day in 1504. For 418 years it has been one of the most famous statues in the world. But why? What's so special about David?

The Problem with Inspirational Quotes (and why the 21st century is full of them)

Are video games art?

This painting is over 200 years old. It's by William Blake: the most radical, terrifying, and visionary artist you'll ever know...

How to recognise the classical orders of columns:

22 ways to become a better artist, according to Leonardo da Vinci. Thread:

Beauty isn't subjective. (it's objective, just not how you think) A short thread...

How to have a successful career in Ancient Rome. A guide:

If you're having a slow Tuesday, here are 12 pieces of classical music to turn it around: Starting with... the final movement of Bruckner's 8th Symphony (1890)

There are over 130 million unique books in the world. You can read any of them, but you can't read all of them. So choose wisely. Here are 23 you might want to consider (and why):

The Danger of Cheap Design (and why ugliness isn't just an aesthetic problem)

We are living in the Digital Dark Age. 99.9% of the world's information is stored digitally, and one day it might either be lost or inaccessible...

This is The Fall of Babylon, from 1819. It's by John Martin, a painter whose vision of apocalypse and catastrophe was uniquely terrifying...

The Importance of Beauty in the Ordinary (and the danger of things being bland) A short thread...

This line is so memorable for a reason. It's a perfect use of antimetabole: the repetition of a phrase in successive clauses, but with its word order reversed. Here are 8 more rhetorical devices to make your writing or speaking more memorable:

A brief introduction to Baroque architecture: The most dramatic, ornate, and extravagant architectural movement in history?

The Problem with Modern Art:

Ten of my favourite epic poems. A recommended reading list:

Have you ever walked through a park or forest and realised you don't know what all the different trees are called? Well here's how to recognise 13 common trees: (and get more in touch with the natural world)

Humans have always been frightened of death, but in the 21st century we are particularly fearful. Let's go on a short journey through art, history, & philosophy to learn why we shouldn't be. 16 ways to embrace your mortality.

A deep-dive on the Capriccio, one of the most beautiful & fascinating genres of art. They are landscape paintings of imaginary or altered places, usually focussing on architecture. A Thread.

How to write like George Orwell:

A beginner's guide to opera:

For all now wondering how it works. A guide to constitutional monarchy:

A beginner's guide to the terminology of church architecture. Thread: