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Stories of Art: Daily Summaries Delivered
by HENI Talks
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.
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- Yesterday51 min
Alberto Giacometti: The Boy from the Mountains (Part 1)
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: Alberto Giacometti, Walking Man I, 1960 Alberto Giacometti, Spoon Woman, 1927 Alberto Giacometti, Suspended Ball, 1930-31 Alberto Giacometti, The Palace at 4 a.m., 1932 Alberto Giacometti, Woman with Her Throat Cut (Femme égorgée), 1932 For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Laura Sovilla Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
- 1 weeks ago1h 8m
Vermeer's First Masterpiece: The Milkmaid
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 Gerard ter Borch, The Letter, 1660-65, The Royal Collection, London Jan Steen, The Feast of St. Nicholas, 1663-65, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Carel Fabritius, A View of Delft, with a Musical Instrument Seller's Stall, 1652, The National Gallery, London Johannes Vermeer, Saint Praxedis, c.1655, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo Johannes Vermeer, The Procuress, 1656, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden Johannes Vermeer, Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, c. 1657-59, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden Domenico Fiasella, Queen Artemisia, c. 1645, Private Collection For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Sovilla Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac 00:00 Introduction: The Milkmaid 05:35 The Dutch Golden Age and Delft 08:57 Vermeer's Early Life and Family 21:51 Vermeer's Early Works 28:19 Analyzing The Milkmaid 45:22 Meaning and Interpretation 1:02:41 The 1660s: Vermeer at His Peak 1:03:31 The Disaster Year and Vermeer's Death
- 2 weeks ago56 min
Frida Kahlo: A Star is Born (Part 3)
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: Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair, 1940, The Museum of Modern Art, New York Frida Kahlo, The Broken Column, 1944, Museo Dolores Olmedo, Xochimilco, Mexico City Frida Kahlo, The Wounded Deer, 1946, Private collection For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Spada Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
- 3 weeks ago1h 5m
Frida Kahlo: The Elephant and the Dove (Part 2)
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 Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City Frida Kahlo, My Birth, 1932, Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City Frida Kahlo, A Few Small Nips, 1935 Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Spada Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Elephant and the Dove 00:06:24 Diego's Infidelities 00:12:45 San Francisco and Detroit 00:20:08 Henry Ford Hospital and My Birth 00:41:32 A Few Small Nips 00:45:08 Frida's Affairs 00:51:58 Artistic Breakthrough 00:59:10 The Two Fridas
- 4 weeks ago50 min
Frida Kahlo: The Girl on the Bus (Part 1)
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 or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Frida: The Making of an Icon is on at Tate Modern, London until 3rd January 2027. Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
- Jun 22, 20261h 1m
Michelangelo: The Master of Rome (Part 4)
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 Showing the Interior of Saint Peter's Basilica Etienne DuPérac, Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo Michelangelo, Rondanini Pietà, 1552-64, Castello Sforzesco, Milan For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Flayed Skin Self-Portrait 00:05:15 The Sack of Rome 00:07:17 Michelangelo's Republican Sympathies 00:17:04 Tommaso di Cavalieri 00:22:45 The Last Judgment Commission 00:37:38 Master Architect 00:42:40 The Final Years 00:48:01 The Rondanini Pietà 00:54:34 Legacy: The Prototype of Artistic Genius
- Jun 17, 202633 min
David Hockney Tribute
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 Hockney, Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, 1970-71 David Hockney, Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1968 Piero della Francesca, The Baptism of Christ, c.1437-45 David Hockney, My Parents, 1977 David Hockney, My Parents and Myself, 1976 David Hockney, Pearblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986 (Second Version), 1986 David Hockney, A Year in Normandie, 2020-2021 David Hockney, Bigger Trees Near Warter, 2007 David Hockney, Delphiniums on My Garden Table, July 2025, 2025 For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 News of Hockney's Death 00:03:06 An Artist of Joy 00:08:45 A National Treasure and Cultural Icon 00:15:06 California and Double Portraits 00:21:11 Yorkshire Landscapes 00:27:06 How to Look
- Jun 15, 20261h 3m
Michelangelo: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Part 3)
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 Chapel Ceiling, 1508-1512, Vatican CIty Michelangelo, Moses, 1513-15, Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome Michelangelo, The Awakening Slave, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Michelangelo, The Bearded Slave, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Michelangelo, Atlas, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Michelangelo, The Rebellious Slave, 1513-15, Musée du Louvre, Paris Michelangelo, The Dying Slave, 1513-15, Musée du Louvre, Paris For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Commission 00:03:56 The Sistine Chapel Building 00:07:58 Michelangelo's Reluctance 00:18:14 Early Struggles 00:30:14 The Creation of Adam 00:44:16 Moses 00:58:42 The Unfinished Sculptures
About 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 deep dive into the history of art.
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