Stuff about Things: An Art History Podcast

What in the mundi  is the deal with the Salvator Mundi? Is it really a painting by Leonardo da Vinci? This episode explores a painting that was, for a hot second, one of the most famous paintings in the entire world. If not the most famous, then it was definitely the most expensive, selling in 2017 for a still record-setting price of 450 BILLION DOLLARS. Come for some stuff about Leonardo da Vinci and billionaire shenanigans, stay in spite (or perhaps because?) of the pencil mustaches and pink showgirl squirrels.

If you enjoy the episode, don’t f...

Ciphers, cosmology, cryptology — oh my! This long-awaited episode delves into the pages and the mystery of what some have called the most mysterious manuscript in the world: the Voynich Manuscript, now in the collection of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. Come for the discussion of a medieval plumbing fantasy, stay in spite of the limp vellum and the parts where Lindsay sounds a little like Daffy Duck. Time markers: Narrative opener - 6:50 Introduction to manuscript - 12:00 Wiflrid Voynich - 35:58 Contents of manuscript - 1:01:05 Early History - 1:42:35 Cryptographic Attempts - 2:00:45 Conclusion - 2:33:00 Sources - 2:46:30 .

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Come to learn about the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner and her museum, stay in spite of the purring and the ludicrous number of chimneys. C’est mon plaisir. See images and sources over at StuffAboutThingsPodcast.com. And if you're feeling spicy, you can buy Lindsay (that's me) a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/stuffaboutthingspodcast. All contributions are deeply appreciated and go towards the maintenance and production of the podcast. If you enjoy the episode but you cannot / don't want to buy a coffee (fair enough!), please consider leaving a rating or a review instead, if your listening platform allows fo...

**busts through wall** SHE’S BACK WITH A HALLOWEEN TREAT! That is, if you’re into 3.5-hour podcast episodes about stolen art. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, mostly because it never ends. This episode covers all 13 works stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in March 1990. Come for rarely shared information about 13 fascinating works of art and glace plombier, stay in spite of the amateur audio editing and frequent use of “Of the 13 works stolen from the Gardner Museum…” to open individual sections. What can I say? When you write and record separate sections over the course of 3...

**PART II is still coming! It'll be worth the wait. Should be up by late September-ish** IT’S HAPPENING. That’s right. I’m (finally) doing it. You asked, and I have answered. Put on your cop costumes, stick on that wax mustache, and buzz that buzzer. We’ve got some heistin’ to do. Except not, because we care about art and museums and, y’know, the law. Please join me for my longest episode ever. Come for the heist, stay in spite of at least three Bobbys. And don’t forget to buy me a couple of “coffees” at coff.ee/stuffab...

Anne of Cleves or Anne of Catfish? This minisode pays homage to Anne of Cleves, wifey #4 to King Henry VIII—namely the portrait of her by Hans Holbein the Younger. Was Anne really the most unattractive of Henry’s wives? Did Holbein really pull one over on his murdery boss by engaging in too much Renaissance face-tuning? How many people died as a result? Come for the thumb ring, stay in spite of Henry VIII's weird definition of "sister." 

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Sheltered Swan" by Sascha Ende

Kevin MacLe...

THE QUEEN IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! This episode is a deep dive into one of the few oil paintings that can claim TikTok fame: the Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche, which has been a beloved fixture of the National Gallery in London for decades. Come for the so-called Nine Days’ Queen, stay in spite of the 15-minute tangent about the Third Act of Succession.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

Kevin MacLeod:
"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Li...

This episode is a deep dive into the so-called “Holy Grail of Shipwrecks”: the San Jose Galleon. Come for the Dutch gin bottles and hypothetical emeralds, stay in spite of the monster demon fish (dolphins) and my meltdown over dodgy research methodologies.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

 "Enigmatic and Alluring" by Universfield (Freesound)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

An ancient shipwreck, filled with magnificent treasures from around the world--every maritime archaeologist's dream, right? But when does dream become delusion? Join me for the podcast's longest (!) ever (!!) episode (!!!), during which we take a DEEP DIVE (ha) into Damien Hirst and the 2017 Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable exhibition. Come for the blow-by-blow of the documentary, stay in spite of my wine-induced gullibility. shownotes: https://stuffaboutthingspodcast.com/2024/08/19/episode-41-damien-hirst-the-wreck-of-the-unbelievable/

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under...

**insert Jaws theme song here** A new episode swimmin’ straight for you! This one features the classic trio: sharks, death, and formaldehyde. That is to say, it is a deep dive (ha) into Damien Hirst’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, AKA The Shark One. Come for facts about optimal methods for shark taxidermy, stay in spite of the bleeped f-bombs. Please note that this track contains the occasional spot of spicy adult language. Those words have been superficially bleeped, but if listened to on 1.25x or 1.5x speed, the bleeps become ineffective.

🌊🗿 🌊🗿🌊 The emojis say it all: this episode is a deep dive into the monolithic moai of Rapa Nui—also known as Easter Island. Come for the in-depth discussion of how generations of Rapanui (i.e. the people of Rapa Nui) made and moved moai; stay in spite of the bad puns about 🌋 volcanoes 🌋. The wave noises are courtesy of Tim Kahn via FreeSound.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

As R.L. Stein would say, “Say 🧀 and ☠️!” In this episode, it’s more like “The 💀👻 say 🧀!” This episode explores the strange world of spirit photography, a whacky offshoot of early photography that had its heyday in the 1860s and 1870s. Come for the lite sarcasm regarding Spiritualism, stay in spite of the primordial ooze.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Ahoy hoy! A new minisode is upon thee: the early history of photography! Come for the history, stay in spite of the science (or vice versa). Episode 38 will follow in about 3 weeks. Until then, your girl is headed on vacation.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

All aboard! This minisode covers a trifecta of Titanic gemstones and the diamond links that may--or may not--bind them. Come for information about a movie prop and its replicas, stay in spite of the very bad dramatic rendition of the interlude from Britney Spears's 2000 masterpiece of a music video, Oops I Did It Again!

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Marilyn Monroe and Madonna told me so! That is… unless those diamonds are cursed! This episode is a deep-dive into the Hope Diamond, a 45.52 carat blue diamond in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Come for an almost too-thorough history, stay for stories about a blingy great dane named Mike.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episodes is a deep-dive into the mysterious (and, as of 1945, missing) Amber Room. Come for the in-depth research into the Amber Room's 300-year existence, stay in spite of the unhinged reference to the lickability of its peanut-brittle-esque panels.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This minisode delves into the million-year-old material that is amber. Come for the references to Jurassic Park, stay in spite of me using the word "excrete."

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Bonjour, mes bijoux! Yes, that's you--my jewels. Speaking of a jewel... this minisode celebrates an art historical jewel known as the Clothilde Missal, an early twentieth-century illuminated manuscript by Clothilde Coulaux in the collection of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Come for the jewel-toned escapism into an idealized version of the Middle Ages, stay in spite of the toxic white lead.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org...

This episode covers the wonderful, majestic, so-detailed-it-almost-hurts Book of Kells, from cover to cover and page to page. Come for the resolution to Episode 34's reference to "pendulous breasts," stay in spite of a rant about mis-matched mustache and beard colors. Slainte, friends!

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Dia dhuit! That means "hello!" in Old Irish. This episode is the first in a two-part series on the world's most famous book: The Book of Kells. Part I focuses on the uncertain history of the book, a history that may (or may not, but probably does...) go back 1,200 years. That's real old, y'all. Come for the into-the-weeds tramp through the book's history, stay in spite of Scottish women throwing chairs.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed...

This minisode is dedicated to the illuminated manuscript, an art form whose heyday stretched from the 5th to the 15th centuries. Come for the cover-to-cover breakdown of the manuscript production process, stay in spite of the Silence of the Calves joke.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This half-hour ‘sode discusses the exciting discovery of a previously unknown self-portrait by Van Gogh, which he painted on the back of his painting known as Head of a Peasant Woman in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. Come for the knowledge, stay in spite of your hypothetical broken ankle.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Did you know that there are TWO Starry Nights? Well, you do now! This minisode covers the harrowing, fascinating, and infuriating story of Van Gogh's drawing of Starry Night. Come for the intrigue, stay in spite of the bad Russian pronunciation.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Art history nerds, lend me your… ear? Because there’s a new episode in town! This episode is a one-and-a-half-hour deep dive into the life of Vincent Van Gogh and one of his most famous works: The Starry Night! Come for the bashing of Paul “Googy” Gauguin, stay in spite of the ear-severing and alleged paint-eating. Edit 8/9 - Small corrections made to the episode. Gustave Courbet's L'Origine du monde is at the Musée d'Orsay, not the Louvre; Van Gogh died at an inn attended by doctors, not a local hospital; and Van Gogh: A Life was written by both Stev...

Howdy, you rootin' tootin' listener! This episode is the second in a two-part series on the Benin Bronzes, a group of a few thousand objects looted from the Kingdom of Benin in 1897. This episode covers the 1897 Benin Punitive Expedition, the subsequent scattering of the bronzes throughout the world, demands for the bronzes to be sent back to Nigeria, and why museums are saying “no” (or, in some cases, “NEIN!”). Come for the commentary about why eight British dudes need 250 African soldiers to carry their bags, stay in spite of the sarcasm sneezes.

Music credits:

"Success Dream"...

Ahoy, there! This episode is the first in a two-part series exploring the Benin Bronzes, a body of several thousand objects in bronze and brass that were looted from the Kingdom of Benin by the British in 1897. In this episode, we explore the historical and cultural context in which these magnificent bronze works were created, used, and beloved before talking about the bronzes themselves: what do they show? For what purposes were they made? What in the heck is lost wax casting? Come for the knowledge, stay in spite of my terrible pronunciation of Edo words/names.

...

Will your biographer say you died from "amorous excesses"? Are you saving yourself for unicorn hunting? Have you ever heard of death by spiked wheel? You have now! In this episode, we dive deep into an alleged Raphael masterpiece known as the portrait of a Young Woman with a Unicorn. Come for the art historical facts, stay for the excursus on the benefits of hosting a two year old's birthday party. **contains mild language and innuendo**

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin...

All hail the queen of monsters, Niki de Saint Phalle! This episode is a deep dive into Niki de Saint Phalle, her career, and the culmination of her life’s work: the Giardino dei Tarocchi, or Tarot Garden. Come for the facts, stay in spite of the bad puns. #nikidesaintphalle #tarot #giardinodeitarocchi #tarotgarden #nana #monumental #sculpture #tinguely #modernart #arthistory #arthistorian #arteducation #pesciafiorentina

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/li...

Columns, thorns, and superscriptions, oh my! This episode is a deep-dive--not into the Tiber River but rather the almost 2000 year history of the Ponte Sant'Angelo in Rome, Italy. It includes background on the bridge's ancient past, a little dip into the biography of Gianlorenzo Bernini, and even an excursus on the bridge's appearance in cinematic masterpieces (ahem...)such as Angels & Demons. Come for the angels, stay in spite of my professed desire to become enmeshed in a murder-mystery situation.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro...

Good God, dear Basil! There is a podcast episode about your portrait of Dorian Gray! Just kidding. Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray aren't real, but Oscar Wilde, Ivan Albright, and the many Pictures of Dorian Gray certainly are! This episode is a deep dive into Ivan Albright's sickeningly masterful Picture of Dorian Gray, which the artist painted for the 1945 movie adaptation of Irish author Oscar Wilde's classic novel. Come for the portraits, stay for my take on supernatural Egyptian cats that drive movie plots! Happy listening. **At some point, I do refer to Wilde as being British. My apologies...

Lambeau, Lombardi, and Leaps! This episode finishes the two-part series on the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field Stadium, from 1959 to today. Note: edited as of 11/19/2020 to remove a meaner-than-necessary jab at Brett Favre that I felt bad about in retrospect. Sorry, #4.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Meat packing! Hot pretzels! Stock options! As a podcast love letter to my hometown, this episode (part one of two) covers the early history of the Green Bay Packers, including the first iteration of what will eventually become known as the famous... the infamous... Lambeau Field Stadium. Come for the history, stay for the declarations of me not being a "football scientist."

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org...

Ghosts, glass, and guns, oh my! The Winchester Mystery House stands as one of the greatest houses in American history... and not just because it is allegedly haunted. Join me for this deep dive into the house and its history, including that of its patroness, Mrs. Sarah Winchester. Come for the spirits, stay for the stories!

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Napoleon! Barack Obama! Charles I! LL Cool J! What do all these dudes have in common? They were all painted (more or less) by contemporary artist, Kehinde Wiley. This episode is a deep dive into how Kehinde Wiley is working to make art history a more inclusive space, one work of art at a time. #BlackArtistsMatter

Plague! Corpse dismemberment! Pretty costumes! Derpy greyhounds! Necrotic Herbs! This episode has a little bit of everything. It takes you on a journey through five centuries to discuss the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s obsession with Boccaccio’s story about a young woman named Lisabetta and her most beloved pot o’basil. Come for the learning, stay in spite of my telling you how to carry the body of a full-grown man up dorm stairs. NOTE: As of 2025, this track is 5+ years old (!!!). If the presentation style isn't your thing, consider listening to one of the newer episodes.

Music credit...

Mineralogists! Lapidary tools! The human crrrrrranium! This episode is an art historical deep-dive into the origins of the so-called "crystal skulls" and the people who made them famous.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Eggs! Bricks! Spine o' the fish! This episode covers a biggie, both figuratively and literally! Brunelleschi's dome for the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy. With this project, Brunelleschi pulled off the impossible, utilizing 4 million bricks to build what remains the world's largest masonry dome. Come for the dome, stay for the random story about the martyred, seemingly fire-proof Saint Reparata. Happy listening!

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0<...

Heads on sticks! Heads in wax! Heads in trunks! This hour-long episode is a deep dive into the life and work of Anna Maria Grosholtz... though you may call her Madame Tussaud. This episode covers it all—from little Marie’s birth in 1761 to the present-day process of making a new celebrity waxworks! Come for the wax heads, stay in spite of the bad French accent.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
...

Clocks, candy, and human connection, oh my! This episode is a deep-dive into the work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, a Cuban-born American artist active in the 1980s and 1990s. FGT was known for his use of "non-traditional" materials and his artistic engagement with the HIV/AIDs epidemic. This episode touches on a little on it all. Come for the knowledge, stay for the random digression into the dangers of beaded curtains.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under...

Steel, drunken brawls, creeper derricks, oh my! Episode 17 is a deep dive into the development, design, and construction of Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. Come for the facts, stay for (or in spite of) the bad jokes! Happy listening.

Music credits:

"Success Dream" (Hooksounds.com)

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/