Art of History

Free as a Verb: Art, Speech, and Conflict in Antebellum America

What did “free speech” mean before the Civil War...and what did it cost? Today, I'm exploring how Americans have debated the meaning of liberty through words, images, and

The New Modern: The Post-Impressionists

In the final installment of our Impressionism primer, we meet the artists who broke away from light and surface to paint something deeper. From Van Gogh’s turbulent skie

The Real Venus: Simonetta Vespucci (presenting ArtMuse Podcast)

In this feed swap episode with ArtMuse, host Grace Anna dives into the life of Simonetta Vespucci: the Genoese noblewoman often credited as the muse for Botticelli’s The

Breaking the Frame: Rise of the Impressionists

In Part 2 of our Impressionism series, we leave the floating world of Japan behind and step into the bustling studios, salons, and sun-drenched riverbanks of 19th-century

Influencing the Impressionists: Hokusai’s Great Wave

Before Monet painted water lilies or Degas sketched ballerinas, a wave was crashing in from the East. In this episode, we explore how Japanese woodblock prints—especially

Mme. Tussaud, Witness to the Revolution (with Gavin Whitehead)

In this special episode, the host and producer of The Art of Crime, Gavin Whitehead, joins us to explore the fascinating life of Madame Tussaud. Known for founding the w

Lucrezia Borgia: Art, Power, and Legacy

In 1501, Lucrezia Borgia—daughter of the infamous Pope Alexander VI—briefly ruled the Vatican in his absence, a moment as shocking then as it is now. But how did she gain

The Fall of Icarus: A Myth Reframed

Pieter Bruegel the Elder's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus reimagines Ovid's Metamorphoses, transforming the myth of Icarus into a meditation on human indifference and

Art Bite: Queen or Cake?

Inspired by The Rainbow Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I at Hatfield Park, an extravagant cake was recently unveiled by Emma Jayne Cake Design, for Cake International 2024.

Darkness and Desire: Witchcraft in Art

Witchcraft has captivated the imagination of society for centuries, and is today viewed as an enigmatic symbol of limitless power and feminine agency. But this wasn’t alw

Madame X, Unveiled

The story behind John Singer Sargent’s iconic painting, Portrait of Madame X, rarely focuses on on the life of its subject, Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau. A prominent P

In the Margins of History: Washington & Slavery

George Washington was many things: general, president, family man, and slaveholder. This giant of American history had a complex relationship with the enslaved—and often

J.C. Leyendecker: The Making of American Manhood

Artist and illustrator J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951) helped shape modern American visual culture as the mind behind advertising campaigns like the legendary “Arrow Collar

History Daily: The Discovery of China’s Terracotta Army & The Execution of King Louis XVI

I'm on vacation, and I hope you'll get some time away soon, too! Our featured podcast today is one that you'll 100% want to listen to on your summer travels: History Dail

Art Bite: King Charles' New Royal Portrait

The internet has been ablaze with hot takes on King Charles III's brand-new royal portrait by British artist Jonathan Yeo. Does it depict a strong, capable monarch? Or on

Portrait of a Woman: Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (with Bridget Quinn)

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (1749–1803) rose from shopkeeper’s daughter to an official portraitist of the French royal court—only to have her achievements reduced to ash by t

Double Agent: Chevalier d'Éon

The Chevalier d'Éon (1728–1810) is known as a transgender icon, living the first half of their life as a man, and the second as a woman. Theirs is also a life that is rem

Aina: The Forgotten Princess

How did the daughter of an African ruler become goddaughter to Queen Victoria? A young black girl named Aina, later called Sarah Forbes Bonetta (1843–1880), began life in

The Death of Lady Jane

With the tragic demise of Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554) serving as inspiration for countless works of art, it was hard to select just one to focus our attention on. But I di

The Other Side: Women Artists and the Spirit World

Amanda is joined on the podcast for this special episode by Jennifer Higgie, author of The Other Side: A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World.  Uncover the role tha