Head of a Woman (Fernande) by Pablo Picasso at the Tate Modern in London

May 6, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Head of a Woman (Fernande) by Pablo Picasso at the Tate Modern in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The Tate tell us; “This sculpture is of Fernande Olivier, an artist and model. Olivier and Picasso were in a relationship for seven years after meeting in Paris in 1904. A number of works Picasso made during this time were inspired by Olivier. The flat, squared surface of Head of a Woman reflects the cubist style he explored from 1907-09. Cubism involved presenting different views in the same picture. The result was images that appeared abstract and fragmented. Picasso made two plaster casts of this work, from which at least sixteen bronze sculptures were made”.

The Desperate Dan Statue in Dundee, Scotland

May 6, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Desperate Dan Statue in Dundee, Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. In Dundee’s City Square, stand two quirky bronze statues, a nod to comic heroes. Revealed in 2001 by local kids, they honour the creators of Desperate Dan and Minnie the Minx. These characters, imagined by Leo Baxendale and Dudley D Watkins, once called Dundee home while crafting comics. Towering at 2.5m (8 feet), Desperate Dan is the main character from The Dandy, a Scottish comic. He’s a tough cowboy and the magazines mascot, famous for his super strength – he can lift a cow with ease! These statues are a blast from the past and a must-see for comic fans! By Anthony

Peasant Wedding by Tone Kralj at National Gallery of Modern Art Ljubljana in Slovenia

May 6, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Peasant Wedding by Tone Kralj at National Gallery of Modern Art Ljubljana in Slovenia. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The museum across the road inside a beautiful park right at the top of the hill; the National Museum of Slovenia tell us: “Tone Kralj was a true Renaissance man as he worked in the techniques of painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing, and was also skilled in architectural planning and interior design. Over time, however, he introduced a more vibrant colour palette, the shapes of both subjects and objects became more concrete, and his expression, with its socially critical themes, moved closer to the style of New Objectivity. His figures thus became increasingly monumental and

After the War by Lucien Simon at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scotland

May 5, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting After the War by Lucien Simon at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. This oil on canvas was painted around 1920-22 by Lucien Joseph Simon. He was born in 1861 and died in 1945 in Paris, France. After the War is described by the Kelvingrove; “This is a jubilant image of the French army parading through the flag-strewn streets of Paris at the end of the war. Soldiers march with guns, backpacks and bugles, waved on by women and children. The strong diagonal lines created by striding legs, guns and flags give the work energy and convey the feeling of triumph.” I encourage you to take

The Toilet by Spencer Gore at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

May 5, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Toilet by Spencer Gore at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Spencer Frederick Gore was born in Surrey, England in 1878. I particularly like this Oil on canvas, “The Toilet”. The museum tell us of the piece: “Gore was a contemporary of Augustus John and William Orpen at the Slade School of Art (1896-99) and went on to become a key figure in Fitzroy Street, Camden Town and London Artists’ groups. He was especially close to Sickert, whose series of nudes in shabby interiors strongly influenced this picture. Gore was also inspired by the example of Sickert’s older friend, Degas, whose own paintings and pastels frequently show women quietly engaged

The Village of Lavacourt by Claude Monet

May 5, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be taking a quick look at Claude Monet’s The Village of Lavacourt. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. We usually only catch glimpses of these pieces in old books or a private place, if we’re lucky. By Anthony King (c)

The Founding of Australia 1788 By Algernon Talmage at Tate Modern in London

May 4, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Founding of Australia 1788 By Algernon Talmage at Tate Modern in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The Founding of Australia 1788, 1937 Oil paint on canvas was painted by Algernon Talmage who was born in Oxfordshire, England in 1871. The Tate tell us that ” This painting was commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove under the leadership of Captain Arthur Phillip. Six of the eleven ships were convict transports. The purpose of the voyage was to establish a penal colony, which later became the city of Sydney. Phillip was appointed by the British authorities as the first Governor of the New South Wales

Diskobolos of Myron at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford

May 4, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Diskobolos of Myron at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. This incredible work is the “Diskobolos of Myron”. The Diskobolos is obviously the discus-thrower. The museum tell us: “An athlete is coiled up in a taut, momentary pose, about to throw the discus – one of the pentathlete’s five events. The cast combines a headless statue from Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli and the head of a statue found in Rome. Copied closely from a lost bronze victor statue by the Athenian sculptor, Myron, active c. 460-440 BC. Body: Vatican Museums. Head: Rome, National Museum.” There aren’t any original sculptures that we know were made by him that still exist

Vitesse poster for the French State Railway!

May 4, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting a 1934 Vitesse poster at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. This 1934 Vitesse poster was designed for the French State Railway and depicts the streamlined Bugatti Autorail designed by Ettore Bugatti. It’s extremely stylish. The Museum tell us of the era; “Design in the machine age. The first half of the 20th century saw remarkable changes in design. Developments in mass manufacture and a commitment to good design produced objects that were attractive, affordable and functional. Designers exploited changes in technology and experimented with new materials such as metal alloys and plastics, and synthetic dyes. Changes in technology and manufacture went hand in hand with new ways

The Dance of Spring by Edward Atkinson Hornel

May 3, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Dance of Spring by Edward Atkinson Hornel at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Edward Atkinson Hornel was raised in Scotland and was born 17th July 1864 and died in 1933. The Dance of Spring was painted around about 1892-3 and it’s such a standout! It’s bizarre and beautiful and peculiar all at the same time. The vibrant colour and strange exaggerated facial expressions alongside the physical movement of the girls in the painting really give this piece a power and attraction that I really liked. The Kelvingrove tell us; “Hornel painted these figures and their background with such sweeping curves and brilliant colours that