Rick Kirby Sculpture at the Great Fosters

May 9, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the metal Rick Kirby Sculpture at the Great Fosters 16th-century mansion. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Rick Kirby who was born 1952 is an artist from England, originally from Gillingham, Kent. He used to teach art for a long time but then decided to focus only on his own art. He likes making sculptures that look like people, especially their faces and bodies. Most of his sculptures are made from steel because it lets him make really big artworks that have a lot of impact. Kirby once said, “Steel changed everything for me. It allowed me to make huge sculptures, which I couldn’t do with stone… it is the juxtaposition of steel in its

Pleasure Boats, Argenteuil by Claude Monet

May 9, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be taking a quick look at Claude Monet’s Pleasure Boats, Argenteuil. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. By Anthony King (c)

English garden art at Great Fosters, a 16th-century mansion in Surrey

May 8, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting a piece of English garden art at Great Fosters, a 16th-century mansion in Surrey. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Great Fosters, a 16th-century mansion, once stood within Windsor Great Park near Egham, Surrey, England. Legend has it that King George III found respite there in his final days, as the mansion served as a care facility from 1818 onward. But its royal ties don’t stop there. The entrance proudly displays Queen Elizabeth I’s crest from 1598, possibly commemorating her visit. During summers, the queen and her court embarked on countryside tours, dubbed ‘progresses’, fleeing London’s diseases and heat. By Anthony King (c)

Scene at Sumburgh Airfield at Shetland Museum & Archives in Shetland

May 8, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Scene at Sumburgh Airfield (painted in 1989 and signed Edmund Miller) at the Shetland Museum & Archives in Shetland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Sumburgh Airport is the main airport serving Shetland in Scotland. This painting commemorates it’s first air service in 1936. Venturing up to the Shetland Isles was quite the wild ride! My journey kicked off with a ferry ride from Aberdeen, lasting a solid 12-13 hours – talk about an adventure! Despite the lengthy voyage, it was filled with memorable moments. Upon reaching Shetland, one spot not to miss is the Shetland Museum & Archives. The staff there were fantastic, adding to the charm of the experience. And let me tell

Children at Play by Edward Atkinson Hornel at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland

May 7, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Children at Play by Edward Atkinson Hornel at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. We’ve previously visited another of Edward Atkinson Hornel’s paintings on the other side of Scotland at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow called “The Dance of Spring”. I described that one as “a standout and bizarre, beautiful and peculiar all at the same time”. Now, this painting, Children at Play from 1893 has a magnetism! The Museum tell us that he “become drawn to the symbolism of religious and Celtic motifs. His technique favoured thick ‘impasto paint and rich colour that emphasised pattern and texture. Children at Play, depicting madcap children

The Riders of the Sidhe By John Duncan at The McManus Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum in Dundee, Scotland

May 7, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Riders of the Sidhe By John Duncan at The McManus Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum in Dundee, Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. John Duncan was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1866 and painted The Riders of the Sidhe in 1911 with Tempera on canvas. Tempera, also called egg tempera, is a long-lasting paint that dries quickly. It’s made by mixing pigments with a water-soluble binder, often egg yolk. Interestingly, although this is spelt S-I-D-H-E it’s actually pronounced “Shee”. In Celtic mythology the Sidhe are the mystical fairies. The museum tells us that the name is known locally in the Sidlaws or ‘Fairy Hills’. On the frame we read; “The riders of the

Claude Monet’s The Seine at Bougival

May 7, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be taking a quick look at Claude Monet’s The Seine at Bougival. 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)

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