Crouching Venus at the British Museum in London

December 27, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of the Second century AD Aphrodite or ‘Crouching Venus’ at the British Museum in London. We’ve visited many a Venus on my channel but I think that this might be my favourite of all. There is something about the placement of the statue, which is so visible and also it’s height. When I was a child I was also so impressed that this was on loan from Queen Elizabeth – I found that impressive and very kind of her I remember thinking! As always, I take all the photos and videos myself on location, ensuring you get an up-close and personal view of the

The Age of Innocence by Alfred Drury at The Victoria and Albert Museum

December 21, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of an 1897 plaster cast bust by Alfred Drury at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London called ‘The Age of Innocence’. 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. Edward Alfred Briscoe Drury, a prominent figure in the New Sculpture movement, crafted variations of this sculptural bust between 1897 and 1918, modelling it after a friend’s daughter. While most iterations were cast in

Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Forster number I at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

December 20, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook, Codex Forster number I from 1505 which is at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519), renowned globally for iconic works like the Mona Lisa, is equally celebrated for his notebooks documenting thoughts and inventions. The V&A collection houses five such intriguing notebooks, forming the Codex Forster, gifted to the Museum in 1876 by John Forster. These volumes, dating from approximately 1487 to 1505, offer insights into Leonardo’s deeply curious mind. The V&A’s collection comprises three codices named the Forster Codices, with no discernible logical order. Bequeathed by John Forster, only Codex Forster I

The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger

December 15, 2023

Welcome to “Art, Culture & Books” with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you on a video and photographic tour of a very unique painting called The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger. It was painted in the same year that Queen Elizabeth I was born, 1533, and is at the National Gallery in London. This painting does include a very famous example of Anamorphosis which is where a distorted projection requires the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point to view it. So make sure to look very carefully! Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) stands out as a prominent German Renaissance painter renowned for his portraits. This notable double portrait conveys an air of mystery. This particular painting captures the zeitgeist of religious

Fox Hill, Upper Norwood by Camille Pissarro at the National Gallery, London

December 9, 2023

Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me Anthony King. Today I’ll be taking you to see a wonderful 1870 oil on canvas painting by one of my favourite artists, Camille Pissarro called ‘Fox Hill, Upper Norwood’ which you’ll find at my local gallery, the National Gallery in London. This painting is in a corner in an odd position and is overlooked by many. Camille Pissarro, the Danish-French painter, was born on July 10, 1830, in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands, and died on November 13, 1903, in Paris, France. Wondering why he was in London? It turns out he painted there too. One of the 12 paintings he did in London happened during the Franco-Prussian war between late 1870 and mid-1871. When the Prussians

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

The Crouching Venus by John Nost the Elder at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at The Crouching Venus by John Nost the Elder at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. In the 1680s, John Nost the Elder, a skilled sculptor from Mechelen, Belgium, made his way to Britain. Setting up his sculptural workshop in London’s Haymarket district, he quickly gained prominence and secured numerous commissions. Notable among these were projects at Hampton Court Palace, Melbourne Hall, Castle Howard, Buckingham Palace, and Chatsworth. Nost drew inspiration for his work from an ancient Roman sculpture of Venus housed in the Royal Collection. Having likely encountered this masterpiece in person due to his court patrons, he crafted a stunning rendition. The original Crouching

Water-Lilies by Claude Monet at the National Gallery, London

December 5, 2023

In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at the 1916 ‘Water-Lilies’ by Claude Monet at the National Gallery, London. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King. Water Lilies comprises approximately 250 oil paintings by the French Impressionist Claude Monet who was born November 14th, 1840 in Paris, France and died December 5th, 1926. These paintings depict his flower garden at his residence in Giverny and were the primary focus of his artistic production during the final three decades of his life. Many of these works were executed while Monet was contending with cataracts which severely affected his vision. In 1916, Monet constructed a new studio at his residence in Giverny to work on large canvases portraying his water-lily pond, each

Cognoscenti in a Room hung with Pictures at the National Gallery in London

November 17, 2023

Cognoscenti in a Room hung with Pictures at the National Gallery in London In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at a painting by an unknown Flemish painter called ‘Cognoscenti in a Room hung with Pictures’ at the National Gallery 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. The word Cognoscenti means “people who are especially well informed about a particular subject”. Are these a selection of finely dressed collectors and art dealers? We don’t know for sure… This oil on oak was made about 1620. During the seventeenth century in

‘Psyche’ by Francis Derwent Wood, bronze, ca. 1908-1919 at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

November 16, 2023

‘Psyche’ by Francis Derwent Wood, bronze, ca. 1908-1919 at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London In this episode, we’ll be taking a closer look at a stunning bronze called ‘Psyche’ by Francis Derwent Wood which is at The Victoria and Albert Museum 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. I’ll be popping in and out with commentary as this video progresses but for now let’s take a close up look. Francis Derwent Wood embarked on the creation of “Psyche” around 1908–1919, initially unveiling this allegorical masterpiece as a plaster work at the