Stories of Art

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, Hogarth's Shop Card, 1720<...

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 Prado, Madrid
Hieronymus Bosch, Christ Mocked (The C...

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), 1945
Margaret Bourke-White, The Leipzig Suicides, 1945
L...

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 in Hitler's Bathtub, 1945
Lee Miller, Charlie...

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 th...

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 this episode:<...

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 app at any time.

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:
...

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...

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 switch on video in your podcast app at any ti...

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 podcast app at any time.

Artworks in this episode:
...

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 Vermeer, The Milkmaid, 1657-58, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

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 episode: 
Fri...

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 Kahlo, Henry Ford Hospital, 1932, Dolores Olmedo...

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, Private Collection

For more great art content visit www.heni.com...

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, 1535–1541, Vatican City
Michelangelo, Study for The Last Judgement, 1535–1541, The British Museum, London
Etienne DuPérac, Longitudinal Section Showi...

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 H...

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...

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 M...

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...

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 Yo...

Following the death of his lover, did Bacon paint one of the darkest paintings in the history 20th century art? And why is opinion so split on Bacon's late work? Join Alastair and James as they argue it out in the last episode on the life and work of one of art history's most colourful characters - Francis Bacon.

To see the artworks from this episode, click switch to video wherever you get your podcasts.

Artworks in this episode include:
Micheal Andrews, The Colony Room I, 1962, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester
Francis Bacon, Portrait...

Which portrait by the 17th century Spanish master Velázquez inspired one of Bacon's most celebrated works? And why is his painting Two Figures considered a groundbreaking image? Join Alastair and James as they chart Bacon's life and work in the decades after the Second World War.

If you want to see the artworks referenced in this episode - check the images out by switching to video on your podcast app.

Artworks in this episode include:
Francis Bacon, Head VI, 1949, Arts Council Collection, London
Francis Bacon, Painting 1946, 1946, Museum of Modern Art, New York

How did the horrors of the Second World War influence Francis Bacon's first great masterpiece? And what impact did his troubled childhood have on his life and art? Join Alastair and James as they explore the early life and work of one Britain's greatest artists.

If you would like to see the artworks James and Alistair reference in this episode, please switch to video in your podcast app.

Artworks in this episode include:
Francis Bacon, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944, Tate Gallery, London
Francis Bacon, Crucifixion, 1933, Private Collection<...

How did the gruesome aftermath of a shipwreck inspire a masterpiece of Romantic art? And did Théodore Géricault really acquire body parts so he could capture the appearance of rotting flesh? Join Alastair and James as they tell the true story of a doomed ship and an extraordinary painting that laid bare the depths of humanity - The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault.

If you want to see the artworks referenced in this podcast, remember you can switch to video wherever you are listening to your podcasts.

Artworks in this...

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 t...

It’s one of the most recognisable images in all of art history, but who was the artist behind The Great Wave? And how did the military dictatorship of the Tokugawa shogunate create the conditions for his art to flourish? Join Alastair and James as they travel to Edo era Japan to explore the truly extraordinary life and work of Katsushika Hokusai.

If you want to see the artworks being discussed in this podcast, please switch to video in your podcast app at any time.

Artworks in this episode include:
Hokusai, The Great Wave of...

How did Artemisia Gentileschi become the first woman to be elected to Florence's Academy of Arts? And why did she end up in London working as court painter to Charles I? Join Alastair and James as they explore how Artemisia continued to forge her own path in the final decades of her remarkable life.

If you would like to see the artworks being discussed in this podcast, switch to video in your podcast app at anytime.

Artworks in this episode include:
Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, c. 1616, National Gallery, London
...

What lies behind the powerful artworks of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of history's greatest female artists? And how did the trauma of a horrifying rape impact her life and work? Join Alastair and James as they explore the truly extraordinary life and art of Artemisia Gentileschi, today recognised as one of the key figures of the Italian Baroque.

If you would like to see the artworks being discussed in this podcast, feel free to switch to video in your podcast app at anytime.

Artworks in this episode include:
Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Beheading Holofernes c. 1620, Uffizi...

He was the star of the 1980s New York art scene, but was Jean-Michel Basquiat a truly great artist or the product of a booming art market? And why did one of his works sell for more than $110 million? Join Alastair and James as they explore the meteoric rise and tragic fall of one of the most distinctive artists of the 1980s.

If you want to see the artworks being discussed in this podcast, please switch to video in your podcast app at any time.

Artworks in this episode include:

Jean-Michel Basquiat<...

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...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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.

Artworks in this week’s episode include:

Ed...

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 discus...

In 1870s Paris a group of radical young artists led by Monet, Degas and Renoir decide to take on the art establishment and stage their own exhibition, independent of the enormous state-run art show - the Salon. It was a completely new idea that would transform how artists showed their work forever. But first they need to find a venue and recruit more artists to their cause. Then there’s the nagging question - how are they going to pay for it all? And when it finally opens, will anyone come? Join James and Alastair as they tell the st...

In 1870s Paris a group of radical young artists led by Monet, Degas and Renoir decide to take on the art establishment and stage their own exhibition, independent of the enormous state-run art show - the Salon. It was a completely new idea that would transform how artists showed their work forever. But first they need to find a venue and recruit more artists to their cause. Then there’s the nagging question - how are they going to pay for it all? And when it finally opens, will anyone come? Join James and Alastair as they tell the st...

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 deep dive into the history 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 deep dive into the history of art.