Tour of the Sphinx at the Pyramids of Giza

February 1, 2024

Today I’ll be taking you on a little tour of the Sphinx at the Pyramids of Giza. Yesterday I gave you a tour around the Pyramids. Today it’s the turn of the mighty Sphinx. Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. On the Giza Plateau, situated on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt, the Great Sphinx stands as a limestone statue depicting a reclining creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Facing directly from west to east, it is believed to represent the pharaoh Khafre, and its original shape, carved from bedrock, has been restored with layers of limestone blocks. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Sphinx, dating back to the Old Kingdom, is

Tour of the Pyramids of Giza

January 31, 2024

In this episode, I’ll be taking you on a tour of the Pyramids of Giza. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The mysterious Pyramids of Giza are some of the most magnificent structures ever created. I’ve visited the Pyramids of Giza four times in my life and the last time I visited in 2023 I spent almost the full day on the plateau and contemplated what I was seeing and really tried to take in the experience. I also filmed and walked right out into the desert and I mean past the desert observation area … to get the full view you have to walk through the sands and off the pavement, literally into the desert but the view and experience

The Clepsydra of Karnak at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

January 30, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the ancient Egyptian Clepsydra of Karnak at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. This incredible alabaster Clepsydra, from 1391-1353 BC is thought to be the oldest ever found in history. The Karnak Clepsydra features 12 intricately carved columns, each accompanied by corresponding holes representing the hours of the night. A minute hole at the centre of the base allowed water to flow, emerging outside beneath the depiction of a seated baboon. Its design prioritized independence from weather conditions, ensuring consistent timekeeping even with poor visibility of the sun or stars. Determining the time involved observing the water level within the basin and referencing the nearest hole. The

An American Girl by Gerald Laing at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

January 29, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting An American Girl by Gerald Laing at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. You’ll find the incredible An American Girl bronze by Gerald Laing at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland. It was conceived in in 1977 and cast in 1978. He used his wife as his model and you can see the mix of naturalism with abstraction. This is one of an edition of ten (plus two artist proofs). He himself described the bronze: “The headscarf is intended to be reminiscent of a US World War II helmet; it has always seemed to me that the large cranial size of these helmets gave US soldiers of the period

The Archer Bogenspannerin by Ferdinand Lepcke at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany

January 28, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Archer by Ferdinand Lepcke at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany. Ferdinand Lepcke’s sculpture, known as “The Archer” or Bogenspannerin, stands in the collection of Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany. Crafted from bronze, the piece depicts a youthful, unclothed woman in the act of drawing a bow. The figure exhibits classic proportions and an athletic physique, adorned only with Roman-style sandals. Notably, four replicas of this statue are dispersed across various German cities. The Archer gained significant attention during exhibitions in Munich and Berlin, earning acclaim from both professionals and attendees, as well as garnering positive reviews in the media. The original version of this sculpture is in Poland and it has had quite a history there. At

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