Stories of Art Archiv

Why has The Scream become one of the most famous artworks in the world? And what happened when this ghoulish image was stolen - not just once, but twice? Join Alastair and James as they explore the remarkable story and surpising afterlife of Edvard Munch's enigmatic portrait of despair. If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode: Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893, The National Museum, Oslo Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503-19, Musée du Louvre, Paris Edvard Munch, Morning, 1884, KODE, Bergen Edvard Munch, The Sick Child, 1885-86, The National Museum, Oslo Edvard Munch, Ashes, 1895, The National Museum, Oslo Edvard Munch, The Dance of Life, 1899-1900, The National Museum, Oslo Edvard Munch, Love and Pain (Vampire), 1895, Munch Museum, Oslo Edvard Munch, Evening on Karl Johan, 1892, Bergen Kunstmuseum, Bergen Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893, Munch Museum, Oslo Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1910, Munch Museum, Oslo Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1895, Private Collection Edvard Munch, Despair (Sick Mood at Sunset), 1892, Thiel Gallery, Stockholm Edvard Munch, Despair, 1894, Munch Museum, Oslo Andy Warhol, The Scream (after Munch), 1984, Museum of Modern Art, New York Recommended Reading Heidi Bale Amundsen (editor), Edvard Munch: The Scream, 2024 Sue Prideaux, Edvard Munch: Behind The Scream, 2005 Thanks to the Munch Museum. ————————— Follow Stories of Art on Instagram: @storiesofart.heni For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Social Producer: Grace Dewar Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

What makes Georges Seurat's masterpiece 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -1884' so revolutionary? What does the picture mean? And why did it become so famous? Join Alastair and James as they explore the mysteries of one of the most beguiling paintings in the history of art.  If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode: Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grand Jatte - 1884, 1884-86, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Georges Seurat, Bathers at Asnières 1884, The National Gallery, London Georges Seurat, The Diner, 1883-84, Private Collection Georges Seurat, Embroidery; The Artist's Mother, 1882-83, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, La Grande Odalisque, 1814, Musée du Louvre, Paris Eugène Delacroix, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, 1854-61, Saint-Sulpice, Paris Pierre-Cécile Puvis de Chavannes, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, c.1869, The National Gallery, London Georges Seurat, Madame Seurat, the Artist's Mother, 1882-83, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Georges Seurat, House at Dusk (La Cité), 1881-82, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Georges Seurat, Aman-Jean (Portrait of Edmond François Aman-Jean), 1882-83, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Georges Seurat, Seated Boy with Straw Hat, study for Bathers at Asnières, 1883-84, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven Georges Seurat, Bathers (Study for "Bathers at Asnières"), 1883-84, National Gallery of Art, Washington D. C. Georges Seurat, Horse and Boats (Study for "Bathers at Asnières"), 1883-84, National Gallery of Art, Washington D. C. Georges Seurat, Boy from Behind, c.1893, Private Collection Arnold Böcklin, Isle of the Dead, 1880, Kunstmuseum, Basel Georges Seurat, The Couple: Study for La Grande Jatte, 1884, The British Museum, London Georges Seurat, La Grande Jatte, 1884, Private Collection Georges Seurat, Monkey, 1884, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Georges Seurat, The Channel at Gravelines, Evening, 1890, Museum of Modern Art, New York Recommended Reading: Alastair Sooke, Seurat: Bathers at Asnieres, 2025 Robert Herbert, Seurat: 1859-1891, 1991 Karen Serres, Seurat and the Sea, 2026 ————————— Follow Stories of Art on Instagram: @storiesofart.heni For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Social Producer: Grace Dewar Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

What does the Bayeux Tapestry tell us about the events of 1066? Did King Harold really get an arrow in the eye? And does the Tapestry really depict a bizarre medieval sex scandal?  Join Alastair and James as they tell the story of Bayeux Tapestry and explore what it tells us about the power of art to shape the historical imagination.  Follow Stories of Art on Instagram: @storiesofart.heni If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode: The Bayeux Tapestry, 11th century  Recommended Reading: The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unravelling the Norman Conquest by David Musgrove and Michael Lewis, 2026 For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Laura Sovilla Social Producer: Grace Dewar Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

How did Vincent van Gogh find his signature style? And what inspired him to create his famous sequence of Sunflowers paintings in 1888? Join Alastair and James in the second of four episodes charting the life and work of Vincent van Gogh, as they explore a period of extraordinary creativity in the artist's career. Follow Stories of Art on Instagram: @storiesofart.heni If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode: Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait as a Painter, 1888, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Adolphe Monticelli, Sunset, c. 1882-84, The National Gallery, London Utagawa Hiroshige, Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge and Atake, 1857 Vincent van Gogh, Père Tanguy, 1887, Musée Rodin, Paris Vincent van Gogh, Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin, 1888, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Vincent van Gogh, A Pair of Shoes, 1888, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait Dedicated to Paul Gauguin, 1888, Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Harvard Vincent van Gogh, The Yellow House, 1888, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Vincent van Gogh, Café Terrace at Night, 1888, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night Over the Rhône, 1888, Musée d'Orsay, Paris Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888, The National Gallery, London Vincent van Gogh, Vase with Five Sunflowers, 1888, destroyed 1945 Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1889, Sompo Museum of Art, Tokyo Vincent van Gogh, Three Sunflowers in a Vase, 1888, Private Collection Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888, Neue Pinakothek, Munich Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1889, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1889, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Thanks to Thames & Hudson for Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters, 2022 For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

Why are the paintings of Vincent van Gogh so universally popular? And how close did Vincent come to being a preacher instead of an artist? Join Alastair and James in the first of four episodes charting the life and work of the man who has come to define our idea of the struggling, tortured artist - Vincent van Gogh. If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode: Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889, The Courtauld Gallery, London Vincent van Gogh, Pollard Birches, 1884, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Vincent van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Thanks to Thames & Hudson for Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters, 2022 For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

David Hockney, who died last week, was a giant of British art. In this special episode, Alastair and James pay tribute to the late, great artist. Photo Credit: Jean-Pierre Goncalves De Lima Artworks in this episode include: David Hockney, We Two Boys Together Clinging, 1961 David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020 David Hockney, Mother, Bradford. 19 Feb 1979, 1979 David Hockney, J-P Gonçalves de Lima, 11th, 12th, 13th July 2013, 2013 David Hockney, The Big Hawthorn, 2008 David Hockney, Winter Timber, 2009 David Hockney, Beverly Hills Housewife, 1966-67 David Hockney, A Bigger Splash, 1967 David Hockney, Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, 1970-71 David Hockney, Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1968 Piero della Francesca, The Baptism of Christ, c.1437-45 David Hockney, My Parents, 1977 David Hockney, My Parents and Myself, 1976 David Hockney, Pearblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986 (Second Version), 1986 David Hockney, A Year in Normandie, 2020-2021 David Hockney, Bigger Trees Near Warter, 2007 David Hockney, Delphiniums on My Garden Table, July 2025, 2025 For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 News of Hockney's Death 00:03:06 An Artist of Joy 00:08:45 A National Treasure and Cultural Icon 00:15:06 California and Double Portraits 00:21:11 Yorkshire Landscapes 00:27:06 How to Look

The Sistine Chapel ceiling is arguably the most famous work of art in the world, but why was Michelangelo so reluctant to take on the commission? And just what is it about his art that has led so many regard him as a genius? Join Alastair and James in the third of four episodes charting the remarkable life and work of Michelangelo. Artworks in this episode include: Attributed to Daniele da Volterra, Portrait of Michelangelo, c.1545, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Raphael, Portrait of Julius II, 1511, The National Gallery, London Michelangelo, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508-1512, Vatican CIty Michelangelo, Moses, 1513-15, Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome Michelangelo, The Awakening Slave, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Michelangelo, The Bearded Slave, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Michelangelo, Atlas, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Michelangelo, The Rebellious Slave, 1513-15, Musée du Louvre, Paris For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Commission 00:03:56 The Sistine Chapel Building 00:07:58 Michelangelo's Reluctance 00:18:14 Early Struggles 00:30:14 The Creation of Adam 00:44:16 Moses 00:58:42 The Unfinished Sculptures

Why was Michelangelo's David such a revolutionary work of art? And what happened when Michelangelo and Leonardo went head to head on a commission? Join Alastair and James in the second of four episodes charting the life and work of Michelangelo, who many regard as history's greatest artist. Artworks in this episode include: Michelangelo, David, 1501-04, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Attributed to Daniele da Volterra, Portrait of Michelangelo, c.1545, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. After Leonardo, Copy of The Battle of Anghiari, 17th century, Musée du Louvre, Paris Bastiano da Sangallo after Michelangelo, Copy of The Battle of Cascina, 1542, Royal Academy, London. For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:34 A Block of Marble 00:12:17 Michelangelo Takes on the Challenge 00:16:44 Where to Place David 00:19:50 Moving the Giant 00:22:41 Analyzing David 00:33:22 Michelangelo's Character 00:40:40 Rivalry with Leonardo da Vinci 00:50:20 Pope Julius II and the Tomb Commission 00:55:55 The Great Escape from Rome

Was Michelangelo the greatest artist that ever lived? And where did he learn his unrivalled mastery of marble? Join Alastair and James as they embark on the first of four episodes charting the epic story of the life and work of Michelangelo, known in his lifetime as Il Divino - the divine one. To see images of the works James and Alistair are discussing in this episode, make sure to switch to video in your podcast app. Artworks in this episode include: Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, c.1512, Vatican City Michelangelo, Head of a Faun, c.1489 (lost 1944) Michelangelo, Bacchus, 1496-97, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence Michelangelo, Pietà, 1499, Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Creation of Adam 00:08:58 Early Life 00:18:23 Apprenticeship with the Ghirlandaio Brothers 00:22:10 The Medici Academy and Lorenzo the Magnificent 00:27:03 The Head of a Faun: A Precocious Talent 00:33:47 Crisis and Exile: The Fall of the Medici 00:37:49 The Sleeping Cupid Forgery 00:40:56 Rome and Cardinal Riario 00:44:55 The Pietà 00:55:14 Rising Fame

It's one of the most recognisable artworks of the ancient world, but who was Queen Nefertiti? And how did she and her consort, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, revolutionise the art and religion of Ancient Egypt? Join Alastair and James as they explore the mesmerisingly beautiful Bust of Nefertiti.   To see the images from this podcast, please switch to video in your podcast app, at any time. Artworks in this episode include: The Bust of Nefertiti, c. 1351-34 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky, 1391-53 BCE, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Statue of Amenhotep III, 1391-53 BCE, The British Museum, London Colossal Statue of Amenhotep IV, 1350-33 BCE, The Egyptian Museum, Cairo Colossal Statue of Amenhotep IV, 1350-33 BCE, Luxor Museum, Luxor Akhenaten, Nefertiti and three of their daughters under the Aten, c. 1351-34 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin Bust of Akhenaten, c. 1351-34 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin Plaster Head of an Older Woman, c.1353-36 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Discovery of Nefertiti 00:02:14 The Archaeological Dig at Amarna 00:06:14 Ancient Egyptian Art and Society 00:12:50 Amenhotep IV Comes to Power 00:16:51 The Religious Revolution 00:23:31 A New Artistic Style 00:34:35 The New Capital City 00:46:46 The Bust of Nefertiti 00:57:35 Authenticity Debates 01:04:17 The End of the Amarna Period 01:08:22 The Controversial Journey to Berlin 01:13:37 Modern Legacy

Why is Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji so popular? And just how influential were his images on the development of Western art? Join Alastair and James as they explore the final tumultuous, and endlessly creative, decades of Hokusai's long life. If you would like to see the artworks included in this episode, switch to video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode include: Hokusai, Ejiri in Suruga Province, 1830 Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave), 1831 Hokusai, Fine Wind, Clear Morning, 1831 Katsushika Ōi, Nightscene in the Yoshiwara, 1860 Tsuyuki Kōshō, Hokusai and Eijo in their lodgings, before 1893 Hokusai, Tiger in the Snow, 1849 To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:19 Hokusai's Artistic Credo 00:03:52 36 Views of Mount Fuji 00:14:58 The Great Wave off Kanagawa 00:30:02 Fire and Tragedy 00:39:13 Final Years 00:43:13 Death and Legacy 00:51:41 The Eternal Wave

How did Hans Holbein survive the court of Henry VIII when so many around him were executed? What was his influence on how we see the Tudors? Join Alastair and James to find out how Holbein survived one of the most tumultuous periods in English history and emerge as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode include: Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of the Artist's Family, 1528-9, Kunstmuseum, Basel Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors, 1533, The National Gallery, London Remigius van Leemput, after Hans Holbein the Younger, Whitehall Mural, 1667, The Royal Collection Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Christina of Denmark, 1538, The National Gallery Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Anne of Clèves, 1539, Musée du Louvre, Paris To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Holbein's Portrait of Henry VIII 00:01:59 Recap: Holbein's First Journey to England 00:02:46 Return to Basel: The Reformation and Iconoclasm 00:05:44 Family Life and Departure for England 00:10:33 England in Crisis: Henry VIII and the Break from Rome 00:13:35 The Hanseatic Merchants 00:14:32 The Ambassadors: Holbein's Masterpiece 00:25:24 Becoming the King's Painter 00:27:21 The Whitehall Mural: Creating the Iconic Image of Henry VIII 00:34:23 The Pimp's Scout: Painting Potential Brides 00:37:31 Christina of Denmark 00:43:16 Anne of Cleves 00:45:06 Holbein's Genius 00:48:46 Death, Legacy, and the Double Family 00:52:34 Conclusion: The Power of Images

How did Hans Holbein become court painter to Henry VIII, one of the most notorious monarchs in British history? Without his stunning portraits would the Tudor period burn so brightly in the imagination? Join Alastair and James to find out how Holbein, an artist from a small town in southern Germany ended up kickstarting the story of British art. If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode include: Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors, 1533, The National Gallery, London Hans Holbein the Younger, Self Portrait, c.1542-43, Uffizi Gallery, Florence Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1523, The National Gallery, London Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Sir Thomas More, 1527, Frick Collection, New York Hans Holbein the Younger, Study for a Portrait of Thomas More’s Family, c. 1527, Kunstmuseum, Basel To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Ambassadors and Holbein's Legacy 00:04:36 Early Life in Augsburg: A Family of Artists 00:09:54 Moving to Basel 00:12:03 Holbein the Man: Brawls and Beer 00:16:08 The Erasmus Portraits: A Career-Defining Commission 00:26:48 Journey to England: From Basel to the Tudor Court 00:30:13 Tudor England: A Provincial Power with Growing Ambitions 00:34:13 Sir Thomas More: Holbein's First Great English Patron 00:41:12 The Greenwich Revels 00:46:47 Departure from England: An Unfinished Story

When Monet’s Impression, Sunrise was displayed at the First Impressionist Exhibition in 1874 it inspired one critic to scornfully describe the artists on show as ‘Impressionists’. And so the name of one of the most successful movements in the history of art was born. But was the success of the First Impressionist Exhibition more fiction than fact? Was it really a groundbreaking moment in art history or just a chance for some impoverished young artists to make a bit of cash? Join James and Alastair to find out. If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this week’s episode include: Edgar Degas, At the Races in the Countryside, 1869, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Pierre-Auguste Renoir, La Loge (The Theatre Box), 1874, The Courtauld Gallery, London Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise, 1872, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Recap of Part 1 00:00:44 Walking down the Boulevard des Capucines 00:04:27 Inside the Exhibition Space 00:07:37 A Diverse and Eclectic Show 00:10:21 Degas: At the Races in the Countryside 00:13:29 Renoir: The Theatre Box (La Loge) 00:18:09 Monet: Impression Sunrise - The Painting 00:23:33 The Science Behind the Sun 00:28:21 What Makes It Impressionist? 00:31:43 Critical Reception and the Birth of a Name 00:43:38 Financial Failure and Dissolution 00:45:23 Legacy