Caspar David Friedrich

This episode from 2017 covers several moments in history when the world came perilously close to a full-scale nuclear war, due to false alarms or miscommunication.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Holly and Tracy unpack the accusation that Robert Moses purposely built overpass bridges too low for busses to drive under them as a way to keep Black New Yorkers away from Jones Beach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

The second part of our two-parter on Robert Moses looks at the vast amount of power he amassed in New York’s government, and the many controversies that surrounded the second half of his career. Research: “15% OF THE FAIR STILL UNFINISHED; 15 Pavilions and 3 Shows in Amusement Ar ... Show More

Frida Kahlo was a painter who transcended her own work to became an icon. Learn all about her fascinating and inspiring life and work in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Famously temperamental, this musical genius is celebrated today as one of the most influential cultural figures in history. His story has stood the test of time; a difficult childhood, marked by an abusive, alcoholic father, would serve as his inspiration to seek a better life. S ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great German artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) who achieved fame throughout Europe for the power of his images. These range from his woodcut of a rhinoceros, to his watercolour of a young hare, to his drawing of praying hands and his stunning s ... Show More

We continue on Schlegel's "Dialogue on Poesy" (1799) and "Concerning the Essence of Critique" (1804). How can Romantic art always aim at some common source of our humanity yet also require originality? How can having some sort of common mythology help artists be original in this ... Show More

📖 Episode Transcripts in Link Below ⬇️ Today, we’re talking about the life and legacy of one of the most iconic and influential artists of the 20th century—Frida Kahlo. Her death marked the end of a remarkable life filled with creativity, resilience, and passion, yet her impact ... Show More

Frida Kahlo was a painter in the early 20th century associated with the Surrealist movement. While she had some moderate success as a painter during her lifetime, her fame grew in the decades after her passing. Today she is among the most popular figures in art history. She is be ... Show More

Heinrich Campendonk may not be a household name, but he was a part of some of the most influential groups of 20th century modernism. He was a part of The Blue Rider Group then a teacher at The Bauhaus. A few years ago, he grabbed headlines as Wolfgang Betracchi was caught trying ... Show More

On selected fragments from 1797-1801, "Dialogue on Poesy" (1799), and "Concerning the Essence of Critique" (1804). What makes art "Romantic"? Schlegel sees good art as uniquely, authentically reaching out to a divine source that underlies and connects each of us. Get more at part ... Show More

Frida Kahlo was a master of self portraits. Her uncompromising oil paintings, always deeply personal, dealt with identity, the human body and death. It wasn’t until after her own death that she was regarded as a revolutionary artist. In hindsight, it’s easy to see how The Two Fri ... Show More

We bring you a special episode from Sidedoor, a podcast about the treasures that fill the vaults of the Smithsonian. This story is inspired by “Big Band,” a defining work by the painter LeRoy Neiman. Neiman was a character, a cultural gadfly and an omnipresent artist who sat for ... Show More