From Shakespeare to Sunflowers: masters take over the week in art

Exhibition of the week: Shakespeare: Staging the World Popular theatre was Britain's most spectacular contribution to the cultural movement called the Renaissance. For Shakespeare and his rival Christopher Marlowe , the culture of Italy where the Renaissance was centred was the definition of modernity. Shakepeare for instance made the name of the dangerous Renaissance thinker Machiavelli famous in Britain. This exhibition is not just for theatre fans, but for anyone interested in the birth of modern culture. • British Museum , London WC1 until 25 November Other exhibitions this week Metamorphoses: Titian 2012 Modern artists help to celebrate the nation's purchase of two Venetian Renaissance masterpieces. • National Gallery , London WxC2, until 23 September Picasso and Modern British Art The British modernists are dwarfed by Picasso in this show which has some terrific works by him. • Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art , Edinburgh, until 4 November Tino Sehgal Interaction is the action in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall. • Tate Modern , London SE1, until 28 October Turner, Monet, Twombly Luscious survey of pure painting. • Tate Liverpool , Liverpool, until 28 October Masterpiece of the week Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888 Summer blazes so hot in this painting it hurts . Van Gogh's north European eyes are aflame as he settles into a new home in Provence. When Van Gogh, after a difficult struggle to learn art as an adult, went to live in Arles he started to turn his home there into a community for artists and painted this heady work to decorate it. The yellows are invincible, joyous and unbearably intense. • National Gallery, London WC2 Image of the week What we learned this week Why Robert Hughes was Australia's answer to Dante The story of Edinburgh airport's Picasso-based prudishness How artists are taking on the coal industry from a disused mine in Belgium That an 11-year-old saved a £7.8m Manet this week All about one artist's mission to Mars And finally … Share your art on the theme of sport now Post your personal images that sum up what London means to you on the Guardian Art and Design Flickr page Check out our Tumblr Follow us on Twitter