How composer Philip Glass turned the life of despotic bigot Walt Disney into an opera

Philip Glass's new opera for the English National Opera, The Perfect American, dares to reveal the man behind the myth

Amy Winehouse artist paints controversial topless portrait of Angelina Jolie after her double mastectomy

Inspiring: The painting portrays actress Angelina Jolie topless following her double mastectomy in February after finding out she carried the high risk BRCA1 gene

Pooch paw-traits: Ever-growing collection of photographs which reveal the different characteristics of New York's dogs

Dogs

David Hockney says he nearly gave up painting after the sudden death of his assistant left him unable to draw

David Hockney

The artist has spoken for the first time of his inability to draw after his young assistant died after collapsing at Hockney's home in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, in March.

The masters return: So much for the expectation. How does what we actually see measure up?

ART HOUSE: The exhibition at Houghton in Norfolk features Van Dyck portraits of Henry Danvers in the Marble Room

The cream of Sir Robert Walpole's art collection - a selection of just over 40 works - has returned to Houghton.

A classic! Concert tribute to Valery Gergiev the maestro at 60

Conductor Valery Gergiev acknowledges the audience's applause after the concert at the Barbican Hall

Mr Gergiev, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, planned the programme for the special Gala at London's Barbican Hall, and described the evening as 'full of joy'.

Constable's cathedral 'masterpiece' is saved for the nation in £23.1million Tate deal

Best of British: The Tate have announced that they bought John Constable's Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows

Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows by John Constable was bought for £23.1million in a deal arranged by the Tate museum and four other galleries around the country.

The road less travelled: Spectacular images capture super-fit runners in some of the world's most unforgiving terrains

Majestic: Ted Mahon descends Grant Swamp Pass during the Hard Rock 100 endurance race near Silverton, Colorado

They include Grand Canyon runner Max King who pushed his body to extremes in an attempt to cross the 5,250ft canyon twice.

Stunning sunrise and sunset pictures capture the silhouettes of some of South Africa's most recognisable animals

Photographer Andrew Schoeman, 40, captured these stunning images of mammals and birds prowling the wilds of South Africa but appearing as silhouettes against the contrasting background of the setting and rising sun

Photographer Andrew Schoeman, 40, captured these stunning images of mammals and birds prowling the wilds of South Africa but appearing as silhouettes against the contrasting background of the setting and rising sun.

Daredevil photographer gets so close to Hawaiian lava flow that his shoes and tripod MELT

Lava Preview

Photographer Miles Morgan has spent the past several years scaling active volcanoes on the Hawaiian Islands in the company of experienced professionals from a local photography company (pictured) to capture the flow of red-hot lava and thick clouds of smoke and ash blotting out the sun.

Kling-on to King Kong! Australian stunt artist hangs on for dear life 300m above Melbourne for new tourist show

King Kong

Fortunately for the population of Melbourne, the vertigo-enducing image is a publicity stunt for a new musical production of King Kong, which open's next month. It pays tribute to the iconic ending of the 1933 film (pictured, top left). The furry hand was hoisted to the 88th floor of Eureka Tower, a 297.3-metre skyscraper located in the Southbank precinct of the city.

Snooker fruity: Artist goes completely potty with banana-shaped pool table

The curved 8.5ft-long games table in bright yellow adds a unique new dimension to the game

British artist Cléon Daniel from Dorset came up with the idea for the 8.5ft-long bright yellow games table during a train ride. It took around nine months to complete.

Huge Banksy mural worth £1million removed from crumbling building... so the artwork can be painstakingly restored

Crumbling: The giant Banksy artwork on a Grade II listed building in Liverpool

The giant rat, which was created by Britian's most famous street artist, has been eroding for years, with large parts having peeled off with the plaster or vanished on rotted wood.

Ronnie

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