One of the big advantages of being an art critic is that you never have to think about presents. I don’t mean we never give any – art critics may be savage, ruthless and cruel, but we’re not ogres! No. We give presents. But we don’t have to think about what to give because we always give the same thing. Art. =>

Our critic, the son of a cleaner and a milkmaid, says the claim that art history is only for toffs is rubbish. Civilisation cannot be understood without it, so scrapping the subject at A-level is a swipe at universal values =>