Friday Links: sleeping pills, funerary cards, and Banksy

Photographer: Robert Howlett | Isambard Kingdom Brunel, builder of the Great Eastern | ca. 1857-1858 | George Eastman House, eastmanhouse.org

Some stories we’ve been reading this week:

• A castle in southern Spain has recently become the target of ridicule on social media after its restoration. To our eyes it’s not as bad as the “Monkey Jesus” travesty of 2013, but judge for yourself.
• The Surrealists believed in painting their dreams, but we suspect they would look askance at the artists today who make work under the influence of Ambien.
• When Pablo Picasso died 43 years ago, he left behind some 45,000 works. The heirs are still fighting out the details.
• These hand-painted headstone sample cards are clearly not the work of the Spanish master, but they’re still oddly fascinating.
• London scientists believe they have identified secretive street artist Banksy through geographic profiling.
• And here’s an illustrated paean to a great art teacher.