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

St. Jerome as a Hermit and Penitent from Strasbourg by Veit Wagner at Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany

January 18, 2024

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a photographic tour of ‘St. Jerome as a Hermit and Penitent’ from Strasbourg, perhaps by Veit Wagner at the Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany. The art was made around 1500-1510 in linden wood. 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. I’ll be popping in and out with commentary as this video progresses but for now let’s take a close up look. Active in Strasbourg from 1495 until his death around 1517, Veit Wagner was a German sculptor renowned for numerous wooden carvings attributed to him. While certainty regarding

Benediktbeuern Abbey in Bavaria, Germany

January 14, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Benediktbeuern Abbey in Bavaria, Germany. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. A famous pop star actually introduced me to this Abbey. Yes, that’s not what you were probably expecting to hear but there you go! He opened his tour about 50 miles away and he opened it to the music of Carl Orff and his Carmina Burana. Carmina Burana, Latin for “Songs from Beuern” which is short for Benediktbeuern was a subject in a book I wrote about the pop star and his link to classical music. I was lucky enough to work for him a lot over the years and travelled to Munich in 1999 for one of his shows (More on Carmina Burana

Diana on the Stag by Paulus Ättinger at the Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany

January 11, 2024

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a photographic tour of Diana on the Stag by Paulus Ättinger which he created around around 1610 and it’s at the Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany. Now, this is a special piece… Diana was the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the moon. 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. I’ll be popping in and out with commentary as this video progresses but for now let’s take a close up look. This incredible piece was created by Paulus Ättinger who was a German who was active

Eurydice by Maurice Denis at the Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin, Germany

December 31, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a photographic tour of Eurydice by Maurice Denis, 1903-1904, Oil on canvas at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany. 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. I’ll be popping in and out with commentary as this video progresses but for now let’s take a close up look. Maurice Denis, a French painter, decorative artist, and writer, was born on 25 November 1870 and died on 13 November 1943. His father, of humble peasant origins, served four years in the army before finding employment at the railroad station. Meanwhile,

Nollendorfplatz at Night by Lesser Ury

December 23, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at Nollendorfplatz at Night, the 1925 painting by Lesser Ury at the Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie in Germany. 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. I’ll be popping in and out with commentary as this video progresses but for now let’s take a close up look. Leo Lesser Ury, born on November 7, 1861, was a German painter and printmaker associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. He spent much of his artistic life in Berlin and passed away on October 18, 1931. Known for capturing

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,

Prometheus Bound and the Oceanids by Eduard Müller at Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany

December 10, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you to see Prometheus Bound and the Oceanids, an 1879 marble sculpture by German sculptor Eduard Müller which is located at Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany. Prometheus Bound and the Oceanids is so large that it’s actually been placed outside in a kind of courtyard area underneath a passage way. It’s also chiselled out of a single block of marble. In a certain sense, it’s quite hidden away and I expect many people just walk passed it. Eduard Müller, the German sculptor, was born on 9th August 1828 and died on 29th December 1895 in Rome. Initially employed as a cook, Müller extensively travelled to Munich, Paris, and Antwerp. Prometheus Bound,

Frank Cadogan Cowper’s Vanity & Du Bist Faust Goethe exhibition at the Kunsthalle, Munich, Germany

December 7, 2023

Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of the Du Bist Faust (translated as You Are Faust), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe exhibition at the Kunsthalle, Munich, Germany. I visited this a couple of years ago and it was, without a doubt one of the best art exhibitions. We’re going to take a closer look at 3 incredible oil on canvases including; Frank Cadogan Cowper’s 1907 Vanity. Luis Ricardo Falero’s The departure of the Witches from 1878 and Eduard von Grützner’s Mephisto, from 1872. We’re also going to explore other pieces of great art from the exhibition. Remember to pause the video to read any longer text in full. Faust, a central

Venus in the Musselwagon by Max Klinger at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at Venus in the Musselwagon by Max Klinger at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Max Klinger, born on February 18, 1857, in Leipzig, Germany, and died on July 5, 1920, was a distinguished German artist renowned for his significant contributions to painting, sculpture, prints, and graphics. He played a crucial role in the Symbolist movement, earning him a cult-like following and establishing him as a key figure in early German modernism. One of Klinger’s notable paintings is “Venus in the Musselwagon” from 1884, along with its numerous counterparts, including “Venus in a Shell Chariot,” created in 1912. This was the theme of artworks that adorned the