Constantin Brâncuși was a Romanian sculptor who made a significant impact on modern art through his abstract sculptures. His passion and dedication to art is legendary. In the autumn of 1903, he began a months-long walk from Bucharest to Paris, where he sought to immerse himself in the avant-garde art scene. Brâncuși's work, characterized by simplified forms ... Show More
Jul 7
Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun Portrait of an Artist
Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun is best known as Marie Antoinette's favorite portrait painter. In this episode, I spoke with Judith Lissauer Cromwell, author of a new biography of Vigée Le Brun. Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun first studied art with her father. Sadly, he passed awa ... Show More
49m 18s
Jun 30
Hieronymus Bosch | The Garden of Earthly Delights (encore)
Hieronymus Bosch was a 15th-century Dutch painter whose fantastical and often unsettling works continue to captivate viewers today. His most famous painting, "The Garden of Earthly Delights," is a triptych that depicts a complex narrative of creation, temptation, sin, and damnati ... Show More
15m 41s
Dec 2024
211. A Beautiful World: The Art of Akbar
As a dyslexic child, Akbar explored his curiosities about the world through visual wonders, and by having literature read aloud to him. As an adult, his love of art evolved as he became the patron of a multicultural group of calligraphers, painters, poets and more. A now renowned ... Show More
49m 19s
May 20
Gaudi (Bonus Episode)
In a long life, spanning the late 19th and early 20th century, Antoni Gaudi created some of history’s best-loved architecture. From his early lamppost designs, through to his great unfinished masterpiece, his unmistakable works are world renowned, inimitable, and iconic to this d ... Show More
44m 8s
Nov 2024
Ronny Quevedo, Imagination in the Age of Reason
Episode No. 680 features artist Ronny Quevedo and curator Jillian Kruse. The Menil Drawing Institute is presenting "Wall Drawing Series: Ronny Quevedo" through August 2025. The work on view, titled C A R A A C A R A, is a site-specific drawing that explores the relationship betwe ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2024
A brush with… Robert Longo
Robert Longo talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work. Born in 1953 in Brooklyn, Longo was a key figure in what was called the Pictures generation of ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 2024
Episode 606 - Dmitry Samarov
Artist Dmitry Samarov returns to the show to bail me out after a stressful couple of weeks and to explore his fantastic new book, MAKING PICTURES IS HOW I TALK TO THE WORLD, a survey of his art from the '80s to today. We talk about the process of selecting pieces for the book, wh ... Show More
1h 35m
Jan 2025
217. Zebras and Zodiacs: Jahangir’s Art Revolution
Often overshadowed by his son’s architectural wonders like the Taj Mahal, Emperor Jahangir was a true connoisseur of beauty.
His reign witnessed a flourishing of art, architecture, and craftsmanship through his patronage of impressive workshops of artists who created vibrant mas ... Show More
50m 20s
Jun 2024
Hiroshi Sugimoto on Photography as a Form of Timekeeping
While he may technically practice as a photographer, artist, and architect, Hiroshi Sugimoto could also be considered, from a wider-lens perspective, a chronicler of time. With a body of work now spanning nearly five decades, Sugimoto began making pictures in earnest in 1976 with ... Show More
1h 14m
Feb 2025
Celebrating 100 Years of Edward Gorey
You’re familiar with Edward Gorey, whether you know it or not. The prolific author and illustrator, who was born 100 years ago this week, was ubiquitous for a time in the 1970s and 1980s, and his elaborate black-and-white line drawings — often depicting delightfully grim neo-Vict ... Show More
35m 22s