My Wife by Tone Kralj at the National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana

April 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting My Wife by Tone Kralj at the National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The museum 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. His artistic expression was always centred on the figure. Initially, his figures were part of expressive, vehement compositions in darker colours. 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

The Munition Girls by Stanhope Alexander Forbes at the Science Museum in London

April 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Munition Girls by Stanhope Alexander Forbes at the Science Museum in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The Munition Girls oil on canvas was painted in 1918 by Stanhope Forbes. He was born in Dublin on the 18th November 1857 and died on the 2nd March 1947. We find some incredible paintings and works of art at the Science Museum dotted around and this is no exception. The Science Museum tells us: “Commissioned by John Baker & Co of Rotherham, the painting depicts women workers at the firm’s Kilnhurst Steel Works. The First World War made unprecedented demands on industry and the Kilnhurst works were converted to the manufacture of artillery shells. With

The Art sculpture by Anton Štefic at the National Gallery Of Slovenia in Ljubljana

April 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the “Art” sculpture by Anton Štefic at the National Gallery Of Slovenia in Ljubljana. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The Slovenian sculpture Anton Štefic was born on January 12, 1878, Gabrje and died on May 4, 1915 at age 37. This 1911 bronze, which is signed and dated on it’s base is an example of Slovene Early Modernism. Štefic graduated from the High School of Applied Arts in Zagreb before relocating to Ljubljana. Ahead of World War I, he secured a scholarship to pursue sculpture studies in Florence and Rome. As his artistic journey unfolded, he shifted from academic realism to embrace a more contemporary approach. Tragically, his artistic aspirations were cut short by

Seated Nude The Black Hat by Philip Wilson Steer at the Tate Britain, London

April 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting the 1900 painting, ‘Seated Nude The Black Hat’ by Philip Wilson Steer at the Tate Britain in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. In this episode, we’ll be visiting the 1900 painting, ‘Seated Nude The Black Hat’ by Philip Wilson Steer at the Tate Britain in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. As always, I take all the photos and videos myself on location, ensuring you get an up-close and personal view of the fascinating world of art and culture. Please consider donating via Paypal to keep the channel going. I’ll be popping in and out with commentary as this video progresses but for now let’s take a close

The abduction of Psyche by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

April 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be taking a look at William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s The abduction of Psyche. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. William-Adolphe Bouguereau was born in November 1825 and died 19th August 1905 and was a French academic painter. Throughout his career, he focused on realistic genre paintings, employing mythological themes to provide modern interpretations of classical subjects, particularly emphasizing the female human body. Academic art, also known as academicism is a style of painting and sculpture influenced by European art academies which was prevalent in the 19th century after the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Having spent the majority of his life in Paris, Bouguereau was honoured with the Legion of Honour on 12 July 1859. He described his love of

The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Younger at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

April 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Younger at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Pieter Brueghel the Younger was born in Brussels in 1564 and was a Flemish painter He is known for his many copies of his father’s work; Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The son was traditionally well known as “Hellish Brueghel” because it was thought that he liked to paint pretty heavy and fiery devilish paintings! This particular painting was bequeathed by Richard Edward Kerrich in 1872. The museum tells us about The Triumph of Death painting: “The design for Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s harrowing picture originates in the work of his father, Pieter Bruegel the Elder

The Little Peasant by Amedeo Modigliani at the Tate Modern, London

April 3, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The Little Peasant by Amedeo Modigliani at the Tate Modern, London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Amedeo Modigliani was born in Italy in 1884. He mainly worked in France and he painted The Little Peasant Oil on canvas around 1918. He’s celebrated for his innovative take on portraiture and the human form, where faces, necks, and figures take on surreal stretches, offering a glimpse into a unique artistic realm. The Tate Gallery tell us: “This is one of a small group of paintings that Modigliani made of young people. There is some doubt over the accuracy of the title, as the same model seems to appear in another portrait by the artist, titled The

The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Younger at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

April 3, 2024

Pieter Brueghel the Younger was born in Brussels in 1564 and was a Flemish painter He is known for his many copies of his father’s work; Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The son was traditionally well known as “Hellish Brueghel” because it was thought that he liked to paint pretty heavy and fiery devilish paintings! This particular painting was bequeathed by Richard Edward Kerrich in 1872. The museum tells us about The Triumph of Death painting: “The design for Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s harrowing picture originates in the work of his father, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525/30- 69). His Triumph of Death, (1562, Museo del Prado, Madrid) is one of his most inventive compositions. He created his own imposing vision of the late-medieval allegory of the

After the Wedding by Laurence Stephen Lowry at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

March 25, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting After the Wedding by Laurence Stephen Lowry at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Laurence Stephen Lowry was born in Stretford 1 November 1887 and died 23 February 1976. He painted this oil on canvas in 1939. The museum tell us: “Lowry is known as a painter of busy street scenes and townscapes. He was born in Stretford (now part of Greater Manchester) and as a boy he saw it transformed by industrialization led by the building of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894. Many of his paintings depict the newly urbanized areas of Stretford and Pendlebury, Salford, where he lived most of his life. Here the atmosphere of gloom is

Voe Of Papa Stour by James Kinnear at the Shetland Museum & Archives

March 17, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Voe Of Papa Stour by James Kinnear at the Shetland Museum & Archives. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Voe Of Papa Stour was painted by Edinburgh born artist James Kinnear in 1900. He was born in 1846 and specialised in coastal landscapes. Like me, you may have initially thought that “voe” translated as “view” in some kind of Shetland dialect but no, “Voe” is a term used in Shetland, Scotland, to refer to a narrow inlet or bay. “Papa Stour” is one of the Shetland Islands, known for its rugged coastline, sea cliffs, and archaeological sites. I had the privilege of travelling up to the Shetland Isles in one of those crazy adventures. I