Tim Brinkhof
Tim Brinkhof is a Dutch-born, New York-based journalist reporting on art, history, and literature. He studied early Netherlandish painting and Slavic literature at New York University, worked as an editorial assistant for Film Comment magazine, and has written for Esquire, Film & History, History Today, and History News Network.
The Netflix show about a Birmingham crime family and their personal demons concluded earlier this month.
The architecture and infrastructure found may well have required the greatest amount of skilled labor of any construction from the same time period in the entire continent.
Unlike other world rulers, Genghis Khan was laid to rest not inside an elaborate mausoleum but an unmarked grave somewhere in Mongolia. Maybe.
In the Canaan religion, Yahweh was a lesser god, who was assigned the land of Israel. Here’s how he became “God Almighty.”
Digital nomads can fully immerse themselves in their surroundings while advancing their career and stimulating the local economy. But there is one potential downside.
The answer to this question depends on how you define “freedom.”
For centuries, men prevented women from writing music. These classical composers broke with social norms and made their mark on history.
Detective fiction reveals how a particular society or time period looks at crime and criminal justice.
Until recently, video games were accused of killing brain cells. Now, researchers are trying to understand how they help players get smarter.
Before the war, medical experts treated the body as a sum of its parts. Conditions like wound shock and brain damage called for a change in perspective.
Privateers pillaged British merchant ships in the name of liberty — and profit.
Bernini created art for 8 different popes. In the process, he helped reinforce and redefine Christianity’s visual culture.
Human sacrifice appears to be as old as humanity itself. Still, experts disagree on how and where the practice first originated.
To the ancient Greeks, exotic animals were proof of mythological creatures. To the ancient Romans, they were oddities and adversaries.
Were Hitler’s SS henchmen willing executioners fueled by racial propaganda or mindless servants vying for promotions?
Paintings played an important role in these ancient civilizations. Unfortunately, pigment is not nearly as durable as marble.
Speculation about the existence of aliens goes all the way back at least to the Greek philosophers. Their arguments will sound familiar.
Many contemporary composers live in the shadow of Bach and Beethoven, even though they’re just as interesting to listen to.
The so-called “court painter of Silicon Valley” was shaped by her youth in communist Poland but looks forward to a future ruled by celebrity robots.
The Mayan calendar is revered for its impeccable accuracy. Now, a recent excavation in Guatemala reveals how the system developed over time.
It doesn’t matter how ridiculous a lie is. As long as it is repeated often enough, some people will believe it.
A toxicological study shows that the victims of human sacrifice consumed coca leaves and ayahuasca before they were killed, but not for reasons we originally thought.
Some question the ethics of sanctions aimed at cancelling Russian art and culture and punishing ordinary citizens.
“Immodest Acts” tells the story of Benedetta Carlini, a lesbian nun who claimed to be a mystic visionary but failed to convince the leaders of her faith.
Archaic humans ventured into Eurasia in waves, not always successfully. They may have started their journey in North Africa or West Asia.
The Assam stone jars were described as early as 1929. Almost a century later, archaeologists still puzzle over their placement and purpose.
Frank Slater’s book “Practical Portrait Painting” reveals the secrets of masters old and new, from Leonardo da Vinci to Augustus John.
The “Clovis First” hypothesis for human settlement of North and South America has just been debunked. Where do we go from here?
Most cities reeked of death, defecation, and industrial waste. Still, focusing only on stench means turning a blind eye (or nose) to the many other smells that helped shape human history.
From Brahms to Tchaikovsky, here’s a curated list of composers whose music has shaped the classical canon.