The Toilet of Venus (Rokeby Venus) by Diego Velázquez

January 27, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the Toilet of Venus also known as the Rokeby Venus by Diego Velázquez at the National Gallery London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Diego Velázquez, a prominent figure in the Spanish Golden Age of art, painted The Rokeby Venus between 1647 and 1651, likely during his time in Italy. This masterpiece portrays Venus, the goddess of love, reclining sensually on a bed, her back turned to the observer, while Cupid, the Roman god of physical love, holds a mirror. Records show that Velázquez was baptized on June 6, 1599, and died on August 6, 1660, Diego Rodríguez Velázquez, a Knight of the Order of Santiago, stood as a leading painter in the court of

Michelangelo’s ‘David’, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

January 26, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Michelangelo’s ‘David’, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. In 1856, Clemente Papi cast a reproduction of Michelangelo’s renowned David in painted plaster, mimicking the original 1501-4 marble statue from Florence. This plaster cast, now at London’s V&A Museum since 1857, was a donation from Queen Victoria. The cast can be traced back to 1847 when Leopold II, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, enlisted Clemente Papi, a skilled bronze founder and cast maker, to craft an exact bronze replica of David. The intricate form of David necessitated the creation of over 1500 individually shaped mould pieces, ingeniously fitting together within a mother mould like an immense jigsaw puzzle.

Art and Handiwork by Theodor Lundberg at the Stockholm National Museum, Sweden

January 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the Art and Crafts statue (also known as ‘Art and Handiwork’) by Theodor Lundberg at the Stockholm National Museum, Sweden. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. You can find this sculpture at the entrance of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden. It’s made of Bronze and is over 2.3 metres tall. The statue was gifted to the museum in 1897 by the wholesaler Edvard Cederlund. This is an allegorical piece and I think … and I stress, I think… it’s Diana and Apollo. In Roman history, Diana stands as a significant goddess, primarily associated with the countryside, nature, hunters, wildlife, childbirth, crossroads, the night, and the Moon. She is identified with the Greek goddess Artemis and is

Happy Youth bronze at the Ivan Meštrović Gallery in Split, Croatia

January 24, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the ‘Happy Youth’ bronze at the Ivan Meštrović Gallery in Split, Croatia. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Ivan Meštrović was born 15 August 1883 and died 16 January 1962 and was a Croatian and Yugoslavian sculptor. He was easily the most prominent Croatian sculptor and maybe most famous artist. The great Auguste Rodin is quoted as saying: “Meštrović was the greatest phenomena among the sculptors” of his time. The Ivan Meštrović Gallery in Split, Croatia is dedicated to his life’s work and is a stunningly beautiful building in a beautiful location overlooking the sea. In the 1920s, Ivan Meštrović acquired a parcel of land situated on the Marjan peninsula west of Split with the

The Shore and the Wave by Theodor Lundberg at the Stockholm Royal Palace in Sweden

January 23, 2024

The Shore and the Wave by Theodor Lundberg at the Stockholm Royal Palace in Sweden The Shore and the Wave, created by Swedish artist Theodor Lundberg in 1898 is a marble sculpture situated in the west stairwell of Stockholm Palace. Notably, this installation is one of several renditions created by Lundberg. In 1897, Lundberg initially sculpted a plaster version. However, what you currently observe is not the original iteration. King Oscar II, upon viewing the plaster rendition, commissioned the marble version that’s now in the halls of the Royal Palace. Born in Stockholm in 1852, Theodor Lundberg’s artistic journey concluded in Rome in 1927, with his death. Renowned for his dedication to public art and sculpture, Lundberg seamlessly aligned with the preferences of the Oscarian

A Winter day, Jutland landscape painting by Jens Søndergaard

January 22, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting A Winter day, Jutland landscape by Jens Søndergaard at the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. This painting and another of his called “The Town Hall Square” really caught my attention at the National Gallery of Denmark. You can find a video about that one on the channel. This painting, A Winter Day is an oil on canvas and was painted in 1927. Danish expressionist painter Jens Søndergaard, born on October 4, 1895, and died on May 21, 1957 was renowned for his vibrant landscapes that vividly conveyed his deep connection to nature and the sea, Søndergaard garnered both national and international acclaim. His artistic journey included training at

Sitting Girl by Theodor Lundberg at the Stockholm National Museum in Sweden

January 21, 2024

Sitting Girl by Theodor Lundberg at the Stockholm National Museum in Sweden This sculpture is made of plaster cast and was a gift to the museum in 1972 by Otto Meyer’s art foundry. As with most of Lundberg’s creations and sculpture of women we note the projection of power, strength and beauty. In particular a classical beauty. Theodor Lundberg was a Swedish sculptor who was born in Stockholm in 1852 and died in Rome in 1927. He grew up in a poor home and became fatherless at a young age when he also apprenticed with the medal engraver Lea Ahlborn at a Mint. He later became a student at The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, then became a professor at the academy in 1908

Vendôme Column erected by Napoleon I in Paris, France

January 20, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the Vendôme Column erected by Napoleon I in Paris, France. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The Vendôme Column was erected by Napoleon I in Paris, France. The original column was started in 1806 at Napoleon’s direction and completed in 1810. Modelled after Trajan’s Column, it aimed to commemorate the triumph at Austerlitz. The exterior featured 425 spiralling relief bronze plates, crafted from captured cannon, a narrative propagated by Napoleon’s propaganda, although only 180 cannons were truly seized at Austerlitz. Sculptor Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret designed these plates, and a team of approximately 30 sculptors executed the vision. Crowned with laurels and dressed in Roman attire, Napoleon, depicted bare-headed, held a sword in his right hand and