Carpaccio's extraordinary visual narrative of the life of St. Ursula is one of the most celebrated examples of cyclical Venetian Renaissance painting. Recently restored, the nine large canvases are now on display in the Accademia Gallery of Venice and present a vivid snapshot of life in Venice at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. This podcast will examine the entirety of the cycle and analyze the artistic style of one of the major artistic protagonists of the Venetian Renaissance.
Feb 09, 2022•22 min
At the end of the 15th century, large-scale-cyclical-narrative paintings became quite popular in Renaissance Venice. One of these cycles illustrates in spectacular fashion the legends of the relic of the True Cross that was owned by the Scuola Grande of St. John the Evangelist. This episode examines the three most important paintings of this cycle, which were executed by two of Venice's most important painters.
Feb 02, 2022•25 min
This episode examines the first great Venetian painting of the Renaissance. Although the Venetian school of painting appeared almost a full century after that of Florence, the extraordinary genius of Venetian painters such as Giovanni Bellini rapidly made it the major rival of central Italian Renaissance painting.
Jan 26, 2022•23 min
From Botticelli and the Bonfires of the Vanities, to the extraordinary collection of artists' portraits and self-portraits in the Uffizi Gallleries, to the use of AI in art authentication, to Botticelli's $92M "Portrait of a Young Man with a Medal," to the Virgin Mary's thoughts in Michelangelo's Pietà , this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.
Jan 19, 2022•27 min
This episode examines the only painting by Michelangelo in Florence, and one of only two finished paintings executed by the artist before he decorated the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In many ways the vibrant, expressive colors and sculptural plasticity of the figures in this painting anticipated the revolutionary style of the Sistine ceiling a few years later.
Jan 12, 2022•19 min
In 1504, Florence found its two greatest artists in the city at the same time. Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity to have them test their talents against each other, massive murals were commissioned from each in the great hall of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. This second part of a 2-part podcast will explore what we know about the great murals planned by both artists and that portion that was actually executed by Leonardo da Vinci. Finally, we shall discuss the search for the lost Leonardo ...
Jan 05, 2022•24 min
In 1504, Florence found its two greatest artists in the city at the same time. Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity to have them test their talents against each other, massive murals were commissioned from each in the great hall of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. This first of a two-part series will examine the historical context of the commission and the subject matter of the paintings.
Dec 29, 2021•19 min
When Leonardo began painting the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of the wealthy cloth merchant Francesco del Giocondo, in 1503, little did he know just how much employment he would generate for future art historians. From theories concerning her enigmatic smile, to the painting being a self-portrait of Leonardo in drag, to her possibly being pregnant, just about everything that could possibly have been written about the Mona Lisa seems to have been written about her. In addition to analyzing t...
Dec 22, 2021•31 min
This episode is the third and final part of a three-part podcast on the world's most celebrated statue. From the lack of Goliath's head, to the sling and hard-to-see stone in David's hands, to the expressive body language of the statue, this podcast will examine the unique iconography and local civic value of The David .
Dec 15, 2021•20 min
This episode is the second of a three-part podcast on the world's most celebrated statue. From the original contract drawn up in 1463 - 12 years before Michelangelo was even born! - to Michelangelo's sculptural inheritance and eventual triumphant completion of the statue, to the city-wide commission convened to decide what to do with the great statue, this podcast will examine the history of the commission of The David .
Dec 08, 2021•24 min
This episode is the first of three-part podcast on the world's most celebrated statue. From its original location in Piazza della Signoria, to its move in the 19th century to a newly built museum, to the centuries of erosion and damage that the sculpture has suffered, this podcast examines the provenance of the statue and its state of conservation.
Dec 01, 2021•21 min
The Pietà was Michelangelo’s first “number one hit.” At the ripe old age of 23, he produced one of the greatest statues of all time. The innocence, sensitivity, and technical virtuosity of this particular early work would never be achieved again in Michelangelo’s entire 72-year career. This podcast explores the imagery, meaning and tradition of the “Pietà” subject in art and why Michelangelo’s statue is the most famous interpretation of the subject.
Nov 24, 2021•29 min
Michelangelo arrived in Rome for the first time in 1496 at the age of 21. His first important patron was the fabulously wealthy Cardinal Riario who wanted the young sculptor to carve a statue of the Roman god of wine that he could pass off as an antique. Surprisingly, Riario did not accept the finished sculpture which ended up in the collection of another patron. This episode explores the history, iconography and importance of Michelangelo's earliest-known sculpture commission and why it may hav...
Nov 17, 2021•23 min
From contemporary theories about Brunelleschi's dome, to Ghirlandaio's frescoes in Santa Trinita, to the abandoned design of semi-circular chapels on the outside of Santo Spirito, to Bernini's extraordinary early sculpture of Aeneas, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.
Nov 10, 2021•28 min
This episode explores two of Michelangelo's earliest known sculptures that were produced while the teenage sculptor was still part of the Medici household. The sculptures reflect the influence of Donatello on a young Michelangelo, but also the later sculptor's obsession with the male nude form.
Nov 03, 2021•21 min
Michelangelo Buonarroti’s artistic career spanned more than seven decades, during which time he produced some of the most extraordinary works of art in human history. This episode will examine the early years of the artist from his birth through his apprenticeship to his earliest teachers and his sojourn in the home of Lorenzo "il Magnifico" de' Medici.
Oct 27, 2021•24 min
This episode explores the extraordinary collection of Italian Renaissance paintings in Milan's most important painting museum, which houses masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Piero Della Francesca, Tintoretto, Bellini and Mantegna.
Oct 20, 2021•25 min
This episode addresses the world's most expensive painting that sold for nearly a half billion dollars in 2017. Although the attribution to Leonardo da Vinci is not certain, the astonishing cost, murky provenance and uncertain current location of the painting have made it one of the most famous works of art in history.
Oct 13, 2021•24 min
This episode examines one of the most unique decorative programs in history. A room in the Sforza Castle in Milan whose walls and vault are covered with illusionistic trees that form a natural pergola. We also discuss how Leonardo's expression of arboreal architecture has been brought back to life with the help of modern technology.
Oct 06, 2021•13 min
This is the second of a two-part episode on Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" which is considered the first work of the High Renaissance. From the meticulously constructed linear perspective, to the theatrical gestures of the apostles, to the singular dramatic moment that Leonardo almost seemed to "capture" rather than "depict," we shall examine all aspects of one of the most extraordinary paintings in history.
Sep 29, 2021•25 min
This episode will introduce Leonardo's famous work. From its location, to the rather complicated process of making arrangements to see it, to its poor state of conservation, discover the surprising reality behind one of the most famous paintings in the world.
Sep 22, 2021•25 min
This episode examines one of the most famous drawings in the world - Leonardo's "Vitruvian Man." From the meaning of the subject, to those artists who influenced Leonardo, to how the drawing has come to symbolize the historical period known as the Renaissance, we shall unpack the extraordinary image that put humanity back at the center of the universe.
Sep 15, 2021•22 min
This episode examines one of Leonardo da Vinci's most celebrated portraits, the subject of which was Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sforza. In this beautiful portrait, today located in Krakow, Poland, Leonardo introduced further innovations to the genre of Italian portraiture particularly by figuring out how to bring the portrait to life.
Sep 08, 2021•20 min
Duke Ludovico Sforza’s principal motivation for bringing Leonardo to Milan was most likely Leonardo’s experience in working with bronze. The duke was hoping to apply Leonardo’s experience and talent to the realization of a colossal equestrian monument in honor of his father Francesco Sforza. This episode examines the complex 20-year history of this never-realized monument.
Sep 01, 2021•26 min
From the disproportions in Botticelli's "Birth of Venus", to the origins of the name "Colosseum", to the original decoration on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.
Aug 25, 2021•22 min
This episode examines the exquisite Flemish masterpiece which was painted for a prominent Italian patron. Located in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, the "Portinari Altarpiece" exhibits all those aspects typical of the early Flemish Renaissance period, but with an Italian twist to suit the patron's tastes.
Aug 18, 2021•18 min
This episode examines one of the most important paintings of the early Renaissance, which is also known as the Montefeltro or Brera Altarpiece. Painted between 1472-74, the painting was most likely commissioned to celebrate the birth of the son of the Duke of Urbino, and displays an extraordinary precision as regards the architecture and sublimely beautiful figures.
Aug 11, 2021•19 min
In 1459, Pope Pius II transformed the provincial town of his birth, Corsignano, into an ideal Renaissance urban town and renamed it after himself - Pienza. His architect, Bernardo Rossellino, was a follower of Leon Battista Alberti, and applied both medieval and classical architectural principles to his design. This episode explores the history and architecture of this exquisite and charming example of Renaissance urbanism.
Aug 04, 2021•23 min
This episode explores the architecture and history of one of the largest family palaces in Florence, which was built for the illustrious Strozzi family. After nearly a half century of exile for their failed attempt at exiling the Medici, the fabulously wealthy banker Filippo Strozzi was the first of his family to return to Florence. His palace was a very public statement that the Strozzi had returned!
Jul 28, 2021•20 min
This episode examines the architecture, authorship and history of one of Florence's most important early Renaissance family palaces. Perhaps the most classically inspired of the 15th-century palaces in the city, the Rucellai Palace is a true Renaissance architectural gem.
Jul 21, 2021•21 min
