How to appear wise: Mr Porter’s cheat sheet illustrated by Vincent Mahé

“There are few things worse than the sensation, mid-conversation, of a trapdoor opening beneath your feet as you’re suddenly confronted with the murky waters of your own ignorance,” writes Dan Davies in a tongue-in-cheek column for Mr Porter, perfectly illustrated by Vincent Mahé.

Vincent’s new illustrations for Mr Porter show a parade of pretension and pretty poor attempts to sidestep faux pas, from mistaking a fire extinguisher for a sculpture to being caught checking Instagram in a meeting. “The piece works well within the space,” is one of the phrases suggested to help you navigate the contemporary art gallery. “My four-year-old could have done that,” is discouraged. Avoiding both would probably serve you well.

With past commissions including work for Vanity Fair and The Wall Street Journal, Vincent previously caught our eye for his illustrated biography of architect Le Corbusier in French weekly Télérama. Using his signature red and blue palette, and a style that favours thick outlines and minimal detail, here, Vincent proves once again that he is well-equipped for the world of editorial illustration.