The War of Troy Tapestry

February 7, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting The War of Troy tapestry at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Woven from a combination of wool and silk, this impressive tapestry spans over four meters in height and extends to a length of seven meters. Originally, it constituted one piece among a series of 11 hangings recognized as The Trojan War tapestries. When exhibited collectively, these hangings, if laid side by side, would have reached an astonishing length exceeding 100 meters. The production of multiple sets of The Trojan War tapestries was undertaken, finding a place of prominence within the palaces of some of Europe’s most influential individuals. The War of Troy tapestry is from 1475-1490, Tournai,

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.

Apollo and the Nine Muses from 1580 at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

January 15, 2024

In this episode, we’ll be visiting Apollo and the Nine Muses from 1580 at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Created in the late sixteenth century, Apollo and the Nine Muses is an oak panel that blends French mid-16th-century carving styles. Despite its French influence, the piece is believed to have been crafted in England towards the close of the same century. Depicting Apollo and the Nine Muses, the artwork symbolizes the Arts at large, making it suitable for an esteemed chamber in a grand residence. Commonly utilized as overmantels, these panels, in conjunction with the chimney-piece, constituted the focal point of the room. Courtiers appreciated such mythological adornments, indicative of their education and grasp

The Raphael Cartoons by Raphael at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

January 12, 2024

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of The Raphael Cartoons by Raphael at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 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. Born on either March 28 or April 6, 1483, Raphael, an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, created the Raphael Cartoons, a set of seven full-scale designs for tapestry. Alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, he is part of the

The Stoning of St Stephen by Grinling Gibbons at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

January 5, 2024

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of ‘The Stoning of St Stephen’ by Grinling Gibbons which is made of limewood between 1680 – 90 at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. According to biblical history, Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin was scathing and it was the angry crowd who threw the first stones. 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. This piece is behind glass but I tried my best to capture it for you. I’ll be popping in and out with commentary as this video progresses but for

Doulton House Frieze by Gilbert Bayes at The Victoria and Albert Museum

January 4, 2024

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of the 1939 Doulton House Frieze by Gilbert Bayes at The Victoria and Albert Museum. 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. Gilbert Bayes, a distinguished British sculptor of the early 20th century, was renowned for his ability to breathe life and emotion into his creations. He left an indelible mark on the artistic landscape with a career that traversed the Arts

The Wolsey Angels by Benedetto da Rovezzano commissioned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

January 4, 2024

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of The Wolsey Angels by Benedetto da Rovezzano (born 1474) which were commissioned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. They’re at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 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. Benedetto da Rovezzano, an Italian sculptor active in England from 1519 to around 1540, created the Wolsey Angels—four statues commissioned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey for his tomb. Wolsey, once a

Thalia the Muse of Comedy, Roman Marble at the British Museum, London

January 2, 2024

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of ‘Thalia’ the Muse of Comedy, which is a Roman 2nd Century Marble at the British Museum in London. 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. Unearthed in 1776 at the ancient bath ruins in Ostia, Rome, this marble statue embodies Thalia, the Muse of Comedy in Greek mythology, one of the nine Muses overseeing comedy and idyllic poetry. In Greek mythology,

Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus by J. M. W. Turner at the National Gallery in London

December 29, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus painted in 1829 by J. M. W. Turner at the National Gallery in London. 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. In this painting, Turner draws inspiration from Homer’s Odyssey, portraying Ulysses sailing away from the island where the one-eyed giant Polyphemus had imprisoned him and his crew. Ulysses, adorned in a helmet and scarlet cloak, triumphantly raises