Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Forster number I at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

December 20, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook, Codex Forster number I from 1505 which is at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519), renowned globally for iconic works like the Mona Lisa, is equally celebrated for his notebooks documenting thoughts and inventions. The V&A collection houses five such intriguing notebooks, forming the Codex Forster, gifted to the Museum in 1876 by John Forster. These volumes, dating from approximately 1487 to 1505, offer insights into Leonardo’s deeply curious mind. The V&A’s collection comprises three codices named the Forster Codices, with no discernible logical order. Bequeathed by John Forster, only Codex Forster I

Self-portrait with grey felt hat by Vincent Van Gogh at Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

December 19, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a photographic tour of the painting ‘Self-portrait with grey felt hat’ by Vincent Van Gogh at Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Van Gogh painted this self-portrait in the winter of 1887–88, when he had been in Paris for almost two years. Vincent van Gogh’s “Self Portrait with Felt Hat” stands out among his numerous self-portraits. According to the gallery, he delved into the techniques of Pointillists, adapting them in a distinctive manner. Notably, he strategically applied short stripes of paint in varied directions, creating a halo-like effect along the outline of his head. This piece marks one of Van Gogh’s fearless ventures into colour experimentation during his time in

Bathers at Asnières by Georges Seurat at the National Gallery, London

December 18, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of Bathers at Asnières by Georges Seurat painted in 1884 which is at the National Gallery in London, England. Seurat’s initial major work, painted before he turned 25, was meant as a grand statement for the official Paris Salon in 1884 but it was unfortunately rejected. This large oil painting on canvas was one of his first monumental pieces of two. The painting captures men and boys at leisure by the Seine in Asnières, an industrial suburb north-west of central Paris. They remain still, lost in their thoughts and unengaged with one another. The scene, bathed in bright yet hazy sunlight, creates an unusual

Figure of Iris from the west pediment of the Parthenon, British Museum, London

December 17, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of the Figure of Iris from the west pediment of the Parthenon, British Museum, London. Iris, a figure from Greek mythology, is portrayed as a goddess of the rainbow and a messenger for the Olympian gods. Described as fleet-footed, she could swiftly travel on the rainbow bridge between Earth and heaven. The statue identified as Iris, the winged messenger goddess, exhibits drapery movement and a pose suggesting the rush of wind against her body during flight. I have actually visited the Acropolis in Athens. It might have been the hottest temperature I have ever experienced up there. If you visit the British Museum though

Parisian Model by Edvard Munch and other Art at Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum, Tromso

December 16, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at the 1896 painting; Parisian Model by Edvard Munch and other Art at the Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum in Tromso. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. I recently visited Munch’s house, where he painted his Girls on a Bridge series. I posted the video just a week or so ago, so make sure to take a look so that you can get an idea of where he lived and the area. “Paris Model,” acquired from Charlotte and Christian Mustad in 1959 and fully accessioned in 1970, stands as a testament to Munch’s variety as well as artistry. Painted in the same year as his renowned “Scream,” and it reflects a more “traditional” style, in

The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger

December 15, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of a very unique painting called The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger. It was painted in the same year that Queen Elizabeth I was born, 1533, and is at the National Gallery in London. This painting does include a very famous example of Anamorphosis which is where a distorted projection requires the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point to view it. So make sure to look very carefully! Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) stands out as a prominent German Renaissance painter renowned for his portraits. This notable double portrait conveys an air of mystery. This particular painting captures the zeitgeist of religious

Girl Playing Astragaloi (the knucklebone game) at Altes Museum in Berlin, Germany

December 14, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you to see the Girl Playing Astragaloi (the knucklebone game) which is from Rome, Italy, specifically from the Eastern slope of Caelian Hill. It’s marble from around 150 AD and it’s currently at the Altes Museum in Berlin, Germany. This Hellenistic sculpture, one among six Roman replicas sharing a common theme, captures the essence of a seated female engaged in a genuine game. Perched on the floor, legs drawn up, she steadies herself with the left hand while tossing two knuckles with the right. The intricacies of the game are real; each side of the knucklebone holds a specific value. These knucklebones, fashioned from the ankle bones of sheep or goats,

Model Writing Postcards by Carl Larsson at the Thielska Gallery Stockholm, Sweden

December 13, 2023

Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you to see Model Writing Postcards by Carl Larsson as well as other works at the Thielska Gallery (also known as The Thiel Gallery) in Stockholm, Sweden. I had a beautiful afternoon at the gallery and in it’s surrounding parks. In a moment we will turn to some incredible works by Carl Larsson including Model Writing Postcards but I quickly want to tell you about some of the other art you are seeing in todays video. A few days ago I took you on a tour of Edvard Munch’s 1927 painting The girls on the Bridge and his house in Asgardstrand and the area where he painted so many of his

Winter (or La Cigale Grasshopper, winter) by Konstanty Laszczka at National Museum Warsaw, Poland

December 11, 2023

Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you to see a sculpture by Konstanty Laszczka called Winter (or La Cigale Grasshopper, winter). It was made in 1895 and you’ll find it at The National Museum in Warsaw, Poland. Konstanty Laszczka was a multifaceted figure—a Polish sculptor, painter, graphic artist, professor, and the Rector of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków from 1911 onwards but didn’t last long there. By the way, make sure to watch my November video on Jan Matejko’s painting “The Battle of Grunwald” to learn more about Matejko. Konstanty Laszczka was born on 3rd September 1865 and died on 23rd March 1956 in Kraków, Laszczka actively participated in exhibitions organized by the