Author Interview: Paul Fisher's "The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World"

There are lots of questions that come up in every art history classroom. We hear them over and over again. What is art, really, and how can you define it? Why is the Mona Lisa smiling? What happened to the Winged Victory's arms? And then there's one that you'll hear, or that you'll even think yourself, especially if you are a fan or scholar of Renaissance art.  Why, people ask. Why are Michelangelo's women so... un-womanly? //SUBSCRIBE and review us on iTunes HERE!  And follow us on Twitter and on Instagram for more artsy goodness: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artcuriouspod/                                                                  Twitter: https://twitter.com/artcuriouspod Looking for a transcription of this episode? Check it out here. Not to be used for distribution or any other purpose without permission.  Want even MORE information? Check out the links below: Jill Burke's blog: Men With Breasts (Or Why Are Michelangelo's Men So Muscular?) Part 1 Jill Burke's blog: Men With Breasts (Or Why Are Michelangelo's Men So Muscular?) Part 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Sep 201637min

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, had an image problem: she was seen as frivolous, silly, and out-of-touch. In order to combat her poor press, the royal court commissioned a series of portraits of the queen to make her more relatable and sympathetic. Such images act as excellent propaganda machines, giving Marie Antoinette a much-needed positive spin. But what is even more marvelous is the backstory of the artist who created these portraits-- because the painter who was chosen to portray the highest woman in the land was… another woman. Talk about a revolution.  In the third episode of the ArtCurious Podcast, we'll look at the lucky and semi-charmed life of Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, one of the most popular painters of 18th-century France and the official court painter of Marie Antoinette.  //SUBSCRIBE and review us on Apple Podcasts HERE!  And follow us on Twitter and on Instagram for more artsy goodness: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artcuriouspod/                                                                  Twitter: https://twitter.com/artcuriouspod Looking for a transcription of this episode? Check it out here. Not to be used for distribution or any other purpose without permission.  Want even MORE information? Check out the links below: Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun's memoirs  She Painted Marie Antoinette (and Escaped the Guillotine) The Praise and Prejudices Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun Faced in her Exceptional 18th-Century Career Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 Sep 201649min

Vincent Van Gogh's suicide is a huge part of the mythology surrounding him: as much as the famous tale of the cut-off ear is. This so-called "tortured genius," it is said, was so broken down by life and failure that he had no choice but to end his life. Right? But in 2011, two Pulitzer Prize-winning authors published a book titled Van Gogh: The Life that stunned the art world. Therein, Gregory White Smith and Stephen Naifeh state that the artist didn't actually commit suicide. No, they say: he was actually murdered.  //SUBSCRIBE and review us on iTunes HERE!  And follow us on Twitter and on Instagram for more artsy goodness: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artcuriouspod/                                                                  Twitter: https://twitter.com/artcuriouspod Looking for a transcription of this episode? Check it out here. Not to be used for distribution or any other purpose without permission.  Want even MORE information? Check out the links below: Van Gogh Museum: 125 Questions Van Gogh Museum: The End of a Difficult Road Vincent Van Gogh's Letters available online in their entirety CBS News: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh (video) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Aug 201656min

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Aug 201652min