In season 11 of ArtCurious, we’re highlighting the lives and work of the women who supported some of the world’s favorite artists. Today, I am so excited to share with you the life of Rose Valland, a great World War Two hero who personally helped save thousands of works of art from being destroyed or lost forever.
Hi there, everyone. It’s Jennifer, your friendly art history podcast purveyor. And I wanted to try something new this summer. I’m going to be releasing short-form, super-casual episodes every Friday to share some of my favorite art history updates and interesting news tidbits. This is in addition to the ArtCurious episodes you know and love and gets you up to date on the latest goings-on in the realm of art history. So let me be your guide to this week in Art History.
In Season 11 of ArtCurious, we’re highlighting the lives and work of the women who supported some of the world’s favorite artists. Today, you know her face, but you might not know her name, or much about her life—meet Anna Whistler, the mother of American painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler.
Want a cool, fun, and funny book about art? How about one about Buddhism? Just want a great read? You’ve got all of it covered with Look, Look, Look, Look, Look Again: Buddhist Wisdom Reflected in 26 Artists. In this book, Kevin Townley Kevin leads you to, invites you in, and sometimes springs upon you, the perennial wisdom in the worlds of artists from Artemisia to Hilma af Klint to Marilyn Minter. (All 26 artists are women.) This book is a mad riot of interconnections: art, Buddhism, mandala principle, spiritual pursuits, growing up goth in the 90s, the theories of Marshall McLuhan, and a mongoose–to name but a few. Listen to our latest interview on ArtCurious, wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
There’s a phrase in the French language that goes, “Cherchez la femme.” In translation, it means “find the woman,” or “look for the woman,” and typically it’s derogatory, a phrase used as an explanation for the reasons why a man may be behaving badly. Cherchez la femme, some say, meaning that “woman troubles” are assumed to be at the core of any man’s real problems. But I like the idea of appropriating the phrase “cherchez la femme” to mean that we’re going to look for the women who made things right in art history, who bolstered and brought attention to some big-name artists.
Welcome to season 11 of ArtCurious, where we’re highlighting the lives and work of the women who supported some of the world’s favorite artists. Today, I am so excited to share with you the life of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, the woman who single-handedly made Vincent van Gogh, her brother-in-law, a household name.
There’s a phrase in the French language that goes, “Cherchez la femme.” In translation, it means “find the woman,” or “look for the woman,” and typically it’s derogatory, a phrase used as an explanation for the reasons why a man may be behaving badly. Cherchez la femme, some say, meaning that “woman troubles” are assumed to be at the core of any man’s real problems. But I like the idea of appropriating the phrase “cherchez la femme” to mean that we’re going to look for the women who made things right in art history, who bolstered and brought attention to some big-name artists.
Welcome to season 11 of ArtCurious, where we’re highlighting the lives and work of the women who supported some of the world’s favorite artists. Today, we’re getting to know Gala Dalí, the notorious wife, muse, and unflappable supporter of the most iconic Surrealist in history.
What a great conversation I had recently with John Higgs about his new book, William Blake vs the World! Poet, artist, and visionary, William Blake is an archetypal misunderstood genius. His life passed without recognition, and he worked without reward, often mocked, dismissed and misinterpreted. Yet from his ignoble end in a pauper’s grave, Blake now occupies a unique position as an artist who unites and attracts people from all corners of society—a rare inclusive symbol of human identity.
Blake famously experienced visions, and it is these that shaped his attitude toward politics, sex, religion, society, and art. Thanks to the work of neuroscientists and psychologists, we are now in a better position to understand what was happening inside that remarkable mind and gain a deeper appreciation of his brilliance. His timeless work, we will find, has never been more relevant.
Welcome to season 11 of ArtCurious, where we’re highlighting the lives and work of the women who supported some of the world’s favorite artists. Today, we’re getting to know Elizabeth Siddal, 19th century muse and model—and poet and an artist in her own right.
A Little Curious provides you with short and sweet bonus content about art history in between our normal episodes, and a couple of times in the middle of Season 11, I’ll pop in here to share some shorter stories about some other amazing women who worked to spread the love of art. I had a long list of ladies whom I wanted to showcase in this season, but I ultimately chose eight of them for my full episodes, but now I get the chance to give you a little peek into the lives of a few others.
So today, it’s time to get a little curious about Claribel and Etta Cone.
Welcome to season 11 of ArtCurious, where we’re highlighting the lives and work of the women who supported some of the world’s favorite artists. Today, meet Berthe Weill, an art dealer who made many artists famous, including some of the biggest names of the 20th century.
