Each week, we scour the internet for the most significant, surprising, and outrageous art news—helping you stay informed (and sound smart). Have a suggestion? Let us know on social media (@meetmeural) with the tag #thisweekinartnews. (See all installments.)

1. “How art deals with disaster, from Guernica to the climate crisis” by JJ Charlesworth, CNN Style

This article makes quick work of the history of art born from disaster, cutting to the chase in the second sentence: “What good can this do?” It’s a quick but sweeping piece, stitching together modern takes on climate change, Susan Sontag’s criticism of “art’s claim to moral purpose,” and some of the more memorable painters who turned disaster into art—namely Picasso and Francisco de Goya. The last line is the clincher: “The question … is whether [works inspired by disaster] inspire a sense of how catastrophe might be overcome, or whether they ultimately reinforce our sense-paralyzed passivity when faced with images of human tragedy.”

2. “How Electricity Transformed Paris and Its Artists, from Manet to Degas” by Sarah Dotson, Artsy

Talk about a light bulb moment. Those fearing the effects of new technology on art today should look no further than this piece, from Artsy, which sends us back to the late 19th century. In the heyday of Manet, Degas, and Toulouse-Lautrec, a new kind of technology was transforming art—and life as we know it. Given how obsessed the day’s artists were with capturing light, there’s no wonder why this development was so monumental. If the proliferation of electric light was delayed just a decade more, it’s possible we wouldn’t have Toulouse-Lautrec’s wonderful depictions of the Moulin Rouge with us today. (And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.)

3. “‘The Last Leonardo’: One painting’s multi-million pound journey” by John Williams, The Independent

You’re likely either entirely sick of this story or can’t get enough of it. If you’re in the latter camp, you might be interested in Ben Lewis’ new book, The Last Leonardo: The Secret Lives of the World’s Most Expensive Painting. In an interview with John Williams at The Independent, Lewis talks about the book’s inspiration, Max Beckmann, the sucker who sold Salvator Mundi for $1,175 in 2005, and more.

4. “Behind Basquiat’s ‘Defacement’: Reframing a Tragedy” by Siddhartha Mitter, The New York Times

These days it seems like every corner of the art world is trying to get a piece of the Basquiat action—from major retrospectives to exhibitions in surprising venues. One new show, however, stands out for a certain “freshness” not found anywhere else. At the top floor of the Guggenheim you’ll find an exhibition oriented around just one work, “The Death of Michael Stewart,” which Basquiat painted on the wall of Keith Haring’s studio. Depicting police brutality in a way that still resonates with current events, Basquiat transcends his own time. It’s also worth noting that the museum itself has been, admittedly, “slightly off-tempo” in its (often slow) efforts to increase diversity.