Woman at her Toilet By Edgar Degas at the Tate Britain in London

May 26, 2024

I travelled to see Woman at her Toilet By Edgar Degas at the Tate Britain in London. Come join me there too. Welcome to Art, Culture & Travel with me, Anthony King. Edgar Degas was born on July 19th 1834 in Paris, France. In case you were wondering, the word toilet in this context translates as ‘dressing room’ in French. This Charcoal and pastel on paper was created in 1894. The Tate tell us; “This work shows a woman at her toilette assisted by a figure to the right. Degas provides little detail in the scene. Instead, he focuses on the formal and structural aspects of the composition. The soft form of the active central figure contrasts with the heavily outlined shape of the immobile

Ljubljana, Ribji trg Square 1847 By Pavel Kunl at National Gallery of Slovenia

May 25, 2024

I travelled to see Ljubljana 1847 by Pavel Kunl at the National Gallery of Slovenia in Ljublana. Come join me there too. Welcome to Art, Culture & Travel with me, Anthony King. Pavel Künl was born on March 8th 1817 in the Czech Republic. He resided in Ljubljana from 1844 and instructed his daughter Ida in painting. Working primarily in oil, he was also experimented with watercolours and produced theatre scenery and decorations. Influenced by Viennese Biedermeier, he crafted portraits, landscapes, and religious art, including altar paintings and Stations of the Cross. This painting depicts the transformation of old Ljubljana, standing as a significant landscape in 19th-century Slovenian art. Notable among his works in Slovenia is the Assumption of Mary painting in Fara parish church’s

Henry VIII, King of England After Hans Holbein the Younger at Hampton Court Palace

May 25, 2024

I travelled to see Henry VIII, King of England After Hans Holbein the Younger at Hampton Court Palace in England. Come join me there too. Welcome to Art, Culture & Travel with me, Anthony King. This portrait depicts Henry VIII (1491-1547) standing, facing the viewer, holding gloves in his right hand and a dagger chain in his left. He wears an ornate doublet, a fur-lined cloak, and a feathered hat. It’s based on a famous painting of Henry VIII by Holbein for the Whitehall Mural. It was first seen in the collection of Charles I in the Cross Gallery at Somerset House. Later, it was sold to Colonel Webb in 1649 for £30, but was recovered after the Restoration and returned to Somerset House in

Christ Breaking Down the Gates of Hell at Hampton Court Palace

May 24, 2024

I travelled to see Christ Breaking Down the Gates of Hell at Hampton Court Palace in England. Come join me there too. Welcome to Art, Culture & Travel with me, Anthony King. Before I tell you a little about this painting, let me tell you… this is one of the hardest to photograph and film painting that probably exists. For reasons of preservation you can’t light it with natural light or even normal room lights. However, I spoke with a wonderful member of staff at the Palace and he agreed to help me with his special low intensity special torch so we can get a good look. Also, you will find many variations of this painting around. This striking painting was created around 1540 –

Francesca da Rimini by Ary Scheffer at the Wallace Collection, London

May 24, 2024

I travelled to see Francesca da Rimini by Ary Scheffer at the Wallace Collection in London. Come join me there too. Welcome to Art, Culture & Travel with me, Anthony King. Ary Scheffer, born February 10th, 1795, was a Dutch-French Romantic painter recognized for his fascination with literary themes. His work prominently featured interpretations of renowned literary works by Dante, Goethe, Lord Byron, and Walter Scott, alongside religious motifs. Created in 1835, this oil painting stands as one of his most celebrated masterpieces. It depicts a scene from Dante’s ‘Inferno,’ capturing the journey of Dante and his guide, Virgil, through the depths of Hell. At the heart of the composition are the tragic figures of Paolo and Francesca, forever condemned to the tumultuous darkness of

The Pyramid of Tirana in Albania

May 24, 2024

The Pyramid of Tirana, once a museum honouring Dictator Enver Hoxha, now serves as a vibrant cultural centre in a park setting. Transformed into an open sculpture, it hosts colourful boxes containing cafes, studios, and free technology education spaces for Albanian youth. Initially a museum in 1988, it later served as a radio station, nightclub, and NATO base during the Kosovo War. Despite controversy over its fate, a 2017 decision led to its renovation. The new design, inspired by Albanians reclaiming the structure after Hoxha’s regime, preserves its history while meeting sustainable goals, demonstrating the potential for reusing brutalist architecture. By Anthony King (c)

Titograd by Petar Lubarda at the Podgorica Museum and Gallery in Montenegro

May 24, 2024

I travelled to see Titograd by Petar Lubarda at the Podgorica Museum and Gallery in Montenegro. Come join me there too. Welcome to Art, Culture & Travel with me, Anthony King. When you walk into the main gallery in Podgorica you are greeted with this gigantic painting at the end of a giant reception room. It might be one of the impressive large paintings around. Ironically, it doesn’t have a label or any indication of who it’s by or what it’s called. It even received significant damage when it was being moved, in the past. The painting is called “Titograd” by Petar Lubarda. During the post-war communist era, the city was called Titograd in tribute to Yugoslav leader Tito. Following the communist regime’s collapse, the

Portrait of Miss Elizabeth Williamson by Annie Louisa Swynnerton at the Tate Britain in London

May 23, 2024

I travelled to see Portrait of Miss Elizabeth Williamson by Annie Louisa Swynnerton at the Tate Britain in London. Come join me there too. Welcome to Art, Culture & Travel with me, Anthony King. Annie Louisa Swynnerton was born in Manchester in 1844 and was an absolutely incredible painter. Look how cute this portrait of little miss Elizabeth Williamson on a Pony looks. The Oil on canvas was painted in 1906. Swynnerton was celebrated as a painter of children and I believe that this is actually a study so just you wait until I bring you the full scale version, which we’ll be visiting very soon. The Tate describe; “Williamson’s flushed cheeks and carefree smile. Williamson was the granddaughter of Mrs Charles Hunter, an important