Edvard Munch’s 1927 painting The girls on the Bridge and his house in Asgardstrand

December 6, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a photographic tour of Edvard Munch’s 1927 painting The girls on the Bridge and his house in Asgardstrand and the area where he painted so many of his paintings, including his girls on a bridge series. I’ll take you to the exact spot on the… pier, not a bridge, as far as I can remember! I’ll also take you on an exploration of the whole area. Edvard Munch, born on December 12, 1863, and died on January 23, 1944, was a Norwegian painter known for his significant contribution to Western art. Among his notable works is “The Scream,” created in 1893. Titled “Young Girls on a Bridge,” Munch produced

Roald Amundsen Bust & The Polar Museum, Tromso

December 5, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you to look at the 1934 Roald Amundsen bust carved by Tongsberg born Karl G. Nilssen at The Polar Museum, in Tromso, Norway. Tromso is an incredibly beautiful place and I was lucky to interview the Norwegian Prime Minister there, for my book “The Secret Norwegian”. It’s also got quite a dark side too but it’s certainly a special place right towards the top of the north of Norway. Remember to pause the video to read any longer text in full. We’ll be taking a good look around the museum. The Polar Museum is located, alongside the sea. It consists of various buildings, each contributing to its historical environment. The permanent

The Porte Saint-Denis of the Wall of Charles V in Paris, France

December 5, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a photographic tour of The Porte Saint-Denis of the Wall of Charles V (fifth) from 1672 in Paris, France which is still around in all its glory! The Parisian arch is located at the site of one of the gates of the Wall of Charles V (fifth) which was one of Paris’ former city walls. The Porte Saint-Denis, also called the St. Denis Gate, is a famous monument in the 10th district of Paris. It marks where one of the gates used to be in the Wall of Charles V (fifth), an old city wall in Paris. Built from 1356 to 1383, the Porte Saint-Denis protected the Right Bank

Crouching Youth by Winifred Turner at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at Crouching Youth by Winifred Turner at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. This 1934 bronze was inspired by one of our channel favourites, Ivan Mestrovic whom we’ve become quite accustomed to, and consequently, I am quite sure that you will notice that the Victoria and Albert Museum made an error in their description of this piece. Have a look and see if you can work it out! It relates to his place of birth. I spoke with the museum who told me that they would be happy to correct it, which means that the next time you go and see this it’ll probably have

Men of the Docks by George Bellows at the National Gallery in London

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at Men of the Docks by George Bellows at the National Gallery in London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Men of the Docks by George Bellows was painted in 1912. I remember when the painting was sold to the National Gallery in 2014 for $25.5 million and many times afterward going to see it… it took a while to grow on me… but it eventually did. It must be worth 2 – 3 times that valuation now. Men of the Docks stands 114 by 161 centimetre and is an oil painting on canvas. Placed alongside the East River, the piece offers a perspective across the partly frozen water to the towering

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

At the Café by Edgar Degas at The Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at the 1876 oil on canvas painting At the Café by Edgar Degas at The Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Edgar Degas was born in Paris on July 19th 1834 and died September 27th 1917. He is a distinguished French Impressionist artist, celebrated for his pastel drawings, oil paintings, and sculptures. This examination delves into one of his intriguing works, “At the Café,” painted between 1875 and 1877, currently housed at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, Bequeathed by Frank Hindley Smith, 1939. The museum’s own label tells us: “Degas made several paintings, prints and drawings of women in cafés between 1875 and 1877. The two women in this

Damaged Destroyer by John Duncan Fergusson at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scotland

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at the 1918 oil on canvas painting; Damaged Destroyer by John Duncan Fergusson at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. The vibrant and impactful artwork “Damaged Destroyer” painted in 1918 by J.D. Fergusson, a Scottish artist and sculptor (9 March 1874 – 30 January 1961), stands as a testament to his prominence within the Scottish Colourists school of painting. Fergusson, born in Leith, was largely self-taught and made a significant impact by immersing himself in the latest trends of French painting after relocating to Paris in 1907 after Fergusson took his first trip to Paris to study at the Louvre in 1898. Unlike

Flora Bronze Sculpture by Gerald Laing at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at the bronze sculpture Flora by Gerald Laing at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Flora is a bronze sculpture by Gerald Laing which was created December – April 1982 and this is one of an edition of ten that you will find around the world in private collections, at auction, or in galleries and museums. The gallery label tells us that “This sculpture shows Laing in a more naturalistic mode than The American Girl”, which refers to another of Laing’s bronzes, also at the Inverness Museum which we will be looking at in a future episode of Art, Culture and Books! The style surely

Satan by Jean-Jacques Feuchère at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at a captivating bronze sculpture titled Satan. This remarkable work was created by the celebrated French artist Jean-Jacques Feuchère in around 1834. Some say that this piece inspired Rodin’s “Thinker”. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. In the heart of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, visitors encounter a captivating bronze sculpture titled “Satan.” This sculpture symbolizes rebellion, evil, and temptation. Satan has played a central role in various religious and literary texts, representing the eternal battle between good and evil. The sculpture’s exhibition at the prestigious Paris Salon in 1834 added to its recognition, securing its enduring place in art history. It was described there as ‘a personification, with plenty of verve and ardour,