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PODCAST

Stories of Art

Stories of Art brings together art historian Dr. James Fox and art critic Alastair Sooke to uncover the most inspiring and compelling stories from the history of art. From the lives of the world’s greatest artists to the turning points that changed art, to the hidden histories of great masterpieces, James and Alastair are your guides to the extraordinary characters and fascinating stories that have shaped art history. Full of insight, expert opinion and humour, Stories of Art is the ultimate

arts visual arts

All Episodes

73:00

William Hogarth: The First Modern Artist (Part 1)

Stories of Art ·

2026/10/05

How did William Hogarth transcend his humble origins to become one of the wealthiest artists in 18th century Britain? And in doing so, did he invent a new kind of art? Join Alastair and James as they chart the life and times of that most English of artists - William Hogarth.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: William Hogarth, The Painter and his Pug, 1745, Tate, London William Hogarth,

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80:03

Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights

Stories of Art ·

2026/09/28

Is The Garden of Earthly Delights the strangest painting in all of art history? Is Bosch's bizarre masterpiece a vision of paradise or apocalyptic doom? And what's with all the giant fruit? Join Alastair and James as they dive headlong into the weird and wonderful world of Hieronymus Bosch.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: Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1490-1500, Museo del

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67:58

Lee Miller: Witness to the Holocaust (Part 2)

Stories of Art ·

2026/09/21

How did Lee Miller find her way into Hitler's apartment on the day his death was announced? And did what she witness in the Nazi concentration camps change her forever? Join Alastair and James as they conclude the story of one of art history's most remarkable photographers - Lee Miller.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: Lee Miller, The Deputy Bürgermeister's daughter (Regina Lisso),

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58:04

Lee Miller: The Supermodel Surrealist (Part 1)

Stories of Art ·

2026/09/14

How did Lee Miller transform herself from Jazz Age beauty to Surrealist photographer in 1930s Paris? And what lay behind her extraordinary capacity for reinvention? Join Alastair and James as they tell the first part of the remarkable story of the American model, artist, photojournalist and celebrity chef Lee Miller.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: Lee Miller and David E. Scherman, Lee Miller

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71:38

1066 and All That: The Bayeux Tapestry

Stories of Art ·

2026/09/07

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

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67:09

Vincent van Gogh: Endgame in Auvers (Part 4)

Stories of Art ·

2026/08/31

Did Vincent van Gogh intend to kill himself? How would his art have developed if he had lived even just a few months more? And what role did his sister-in-law, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, play in establishing his reputation? Join Alastair and James as they chart the final, tragic years in the life and art of Vincent van Gogh.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

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56:09

Vincent van Gogh: Disaster in Arles (Part 3)

Stories of Art ·

2026/08/24

What led to Vincent van Gogh's breakdown in December 1888? What role did Paul Gauguin play in Vincent's mental health crisis? And just how much of his ear did Vincent cut off? Join Alastair and James as Stories of Art transforms into a true crime podcast and delivers a blow-by-blow account of one of the most infamous events in the history of art.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

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55:58

Vincent van Gogh: Becoming Vincent (Part 2)

Stories of Art ·

2026/08/17

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

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64:51

Vincent van Gogh: The Outcast (Part 1)

Stories of Art ·

2026/08/10

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

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48:32

Alberto Giacometti: The Rise of Stick Man (Part 2)

Stories of Art ·

2026/08/03

How does the art of Alberto Giacometti manage to encapsulate the angst of the human condition? And did he really have an affair with one of the greatest film stars of the 20th century - Marlene Dietrich? Join Alastair and James as they wrestle with the mysterious power that lies at the heart of Alberto Giacometti's art. 'Alberto Giacometti. Faces and Landscapes of Home', Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz, 13 December 2025 – 28 March 2026 If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can

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51:57

Alberto Giacometti: The Boy from the Mountains (Part 1)

Stories of Art ·

2026/07/27

Why do many regard the Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti as the greatest sculptor of the 20th century? And why did he spectacularly fall out with the leader of the Surrealist movement, André Breton? Join Alastair and James as they explore the austere and often bizarre world of Alberto Giacometti.'Alberto Giacometti. Faces and Landscapes of Home', Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz, 13 December 2025 – 28 March 2026 If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your

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68:24

Vermeer's First Masterpiece: The Milkmaid

Stories of Art ·

2026/07/20

Who was Vermeer? And why is his painting of a humble kitchen maid considered one of the greatest achievements of the Dutch Golden Age? Is The Milkmaid laden with hidden religious and erotic meanings, or simply a perfectly realised depiction of everyday life? Join Alastair and James as they unravel the many mysteries of Vermeer's first masterpiece.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: Johannes

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56:26

Frida Kahlo: A Star is Born (Part 3)

Stories of Art ·

2026/07/13

What led to Frida Kahlo's early death? And with Frida mania in full swing, have we now reached peak Frida? Join Alastair and James in the final episode on the life and work of the great Mexican artist, as they explore her difficult final years and her extraordinary afterlife. Frida: The Making of an Icon is on at Tate Modern, London until 3rd January 2027. 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

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65:28

Frida Kahlo: The Elephant and the Dove (Part 2)

Stories of Art ·

2026/07/06

How did Frida Kahlo manage to emerge from the shadow of her husband, the artist Diego Rivera? And how did a dog with a sock in its mouth lead to the discovery of an affair? Join Alastair and James in the second of three episodes about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, as they explore her tumultuous life in the 1930s and the development of her singular style of art. Artworks in this episode include: Frida Kahlo, Frieda and Diego Rivera, 1931, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Frida

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50:24

Frida Kahlo: The Girl on the Bus (Part 1)

Stories of Art ·

2026/06/29

How did a bus crash change the course of art history? And what is the truth behind Frida Kahlo's family origins? Join Alastair and James as they embarked on a new three part series on the life and work of one of the world's most celebrated artists - Frida Kahlo. Artworks in this episode include: Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940, Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art, Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait (With Velvet Dress), 1926,

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61:48

Michelangelo: The Master of Rome (Part 4)

Stories of Art ·

2026/06/22

Why was Michelangelo's Last Judgement seen as so controversial in his lifetime? And what, ultimately, has been his influence on the history of art? Join Alastair and James as they tell the story of the last few extraordinary decades in the life of Michelangelo. Artworks in this episode include: Michelangelo, The Laurentian Library, 1525-50 Copy after Michelangelo, Ganymede, 16th Century Luca Signorelli, The Damned in Hell, 1500-03, Orvieto Cathedral, Orvieto Michelangelo, The Last Judgement,

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33:03

David Hockney Tribute

Stories of Art ·

2026/06/17

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

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63:21

Michelangelo: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Part 3)

Stories of Art ·

2026/06/15

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

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63:58

Michelangelo: The Making of David (Part 2)

Stories of Art ·

2026/06/08

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

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60:03

Michelangelo: The Birth of a Genius (Part 1)

Stories of Art ·

2026/06/01

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.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

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