Tim Brinkhof

Tim Brinkhof

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. 

A man in a green suit standing in an art gallery, using a spray bottle to clean a large painting of three hands reaching towards each other.
“I believe that in the future, there will be a Francis Bacon of AI art,” Saltz tells Big Think. “We just haven't seen that artist yet.”
a map of the world with all the major cities.
The fellowship's journey through Middle-earth mirrors the modernization of the English countryside.
An American flag and a decorative shield with a peace symbol, evoking a sense of paranoia, in front of the United States Capitol building under a cloudy sky.
Although social paranoia is more common than clinical paranoia, studies suggests that American society isn’t any more conspiratorial than it has been in the past.
A vintage photograph depicting a chaotic beach landing with soldiers in motion, blurred figures, and smoke clouds across the dune, evoking a sense of urgency and battle.
“Dune: Part One” screenwriter Eric Roth spoke with Big Think about the challenges of bringing Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic to the big screen.
Collage of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
Autocrats like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin fear democracy, yet go to great lengths to present themselves as democratic leaders.
A painting of lord Rama, a major deity in Hinduism and a key figure in the monomyth, depicted with a bow and arrow set against a dynamic sky background.
Joseph Campbell argued that nearly every myth can be boiled down to a hero’s journey. Was he right?
A piece of paper with numbers written on it.
These scrolls are the only remaining intact library of ancient Rome — and they will crumble at a touch.
A painting of a group of boats in a body of water.
Big Think spoke with historian Marc-William Palen about the egalitarian aims of the free-trade movement in past centuries.
An animated collage of images showcasing a person skillfully drawing with a pencil.
Big Think spoke with animator and animation historian Tom Sito about the cyclical evolution of animation.
A man standing next to a boat made of bananas at Uros.
The Uros of Lake Titicaca live on floating islands made from reeds. How did they get there?
The golden Buddha statue at McDonald's towering beside the iconic McDonald's sign.
Adrie Kusserow, an anthropologist and scholar of Buddhism, shares how her study of the religion and its history has reshaped her view of the world — and herself.
A model of the Colossus depicting the grandeur of ancient Rome.
Archaeologist Bernard Frischer spent decades uploading the ruins of the Eternal City to the cloud. Here’s what it looks like.
A man in a military uniform wearing a hat resembling Napoleon.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a man of many faces. European historian Michael Broers explains which are featured on the silver screen and why.
A bust of Marcus Aurelius placed next to a clock.
Like many of us, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius hated waking up early, but his stoic philosophy always helped him get out of bed.
A somber painting of a man standing alone in a tranquil field.
Omer Bartov, who spent decades studying the unspeakable horrors of genocide, shares how his studies have impacted his own mental health.
A painting presents a group of people at a table, leaving room for interpretation and inviting viewers to formulate hypotheses about their interactions and relationships.
A sober look at a wild conspiracy theory that argues the Middle Ages never happened.
A piece of wood with words written on it, discovered near Vesuvius.
The volcano’s historic eruption preserved an ancient library, but rendered its content illegible. A public competition aims to change that.
Two navajo men in military uniforms working on a radio.
The tonal Native American language differentiates words based on pitch and makes Spanish conjugation look like child’s play.
A painting of a woman and two children.
You've certainly seen the paintings — but they don't depict what you think they do. Benjamin Moser discusses with Big Think.
Roman dictator
Long before the birth of Julius Caesar, the Roman Republic appointed all-powerful dictators to protect their state in times of crisis. They were remarkably self-restrained and obedient to the Roman Constitution.