Stories of Art
Stories of Art brings together art historian Dr. James Fox and art critic Alastair Sooke to uncover the most inspiring and compelling stories from the history of art. From the lives of the world’s greatest artists to the turning points that changed art, to the hidden histories of great masterpieces, James and Alastair are your guides to the extraordinary characters and fascinating stories that have shaped art history. Full of insight, expert opinion and humour, Stories of Art is the ultimate deep dive into the history of art.
Episodes
Vermeer's First Masterpiece: The Milkmaid
Who was Vermeer? And why is his painting of a humble kitchen maid considered one of the greatest achievements of the Dutch Golden Age? Is The Milkmaid laden with hidden religious and erotic meanings, or simply a perfectly realised depiction of everyday life? Join Alastair and James as they unravel the many mysteries of Vermeer's first masterpiece.
If you want to see the artworks discussed in this
Frida Kahlo: A Star is Born (Part 3)
What led to Frida Kahlo's early death? And with Frida mania in full swing, have we now reached peak Frida? Join Alastair and James in the final episode on the life and work of the great Mexican artist, as they explore her difficult final years and her extraordinary afterlife.
Frida: The Making of an Icon is on at Tate Modern, London until 3rd January 2027.
If you want to see the artworks discusse
Frida Kahlo: The Elephant and the Dove (Part 2)
How did Frida Kahlo manage to emerge from the shadow of her husband, the artist Diego Rivera? And how did a dog with a sock in its mouth lead to the discovery of an affair? Join Alastair and James in the second of three episodes about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, as they explore her tumultuous life in the 1930s and the development of her singular style of art.
Artworks in this episode include:
Frida Kahlo: The Girl on the Bus (Part 1)
How did a bus crash change the course of art history? And what is the truth behind Frida Kahlo's family origins? Join Alastair and James as they embarked on a new three part series on the life and work of one of the world's most celebrated artists - Frida Kahlo.
Artworks in this episode include:
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940, Nickolas Muray Collection of Me
Michelangelo: The Master of Rome (Part 4)
Why was Michelangelo's Last Judgement seen as so controversial in his lifetime? And what, ultimately, has been his influence on the history of art? Join Alastair and James as they tell the story of the last few extraordinary decades in the life of Michelangelo.
Artworks in this episode include:
Michelangelo, The Laurentian Library, 1525-50
Copy after Michelangelo, Ganymede, 16th Century
Luca Signo
David Hockney Tribute
David Hockney, who died last week, was a giant of British art. In this special episode, Alastair and James pay tribute to the late, great artist.
Photo Credit: Jean-Pierre Goncalves De Lima
Artworks in this episode include:
David Hockney, We Two Boys Together Clinging, 1961
David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020
David Hockney, Mother, Bradford. 19 Feb 1979, 1979
David Hockney, J-P Go
Michelangelo: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Part 3)
The Sistine Chapel ceiling is arguably the most famous work of art in the world, but why was Michelangelo so reluctant to take on the commission? And just what is it about his art that has led so many regard him as a genius? Join Alastair and James in the third of four episodes charting the remarkable life and work of Michelangelo.
Artworks in this episode include:
Attributed to Daniele da Volter
Michelangelo: The Making of David (Part 2)
Why was Michelangelo's David such a revolutionary work of art? And what happened when Michelangelo and Leonardo went head to head on a commission? Join Alastair and James in the second of four episodes charting the life and work of Michelangelo, who many regard as history's greatest artist.
Artworks in this episode include:
Michelangelo, David, 1501-04, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
Attribute
Michelangelo: The Birth of a Genius (Part 1)
Was Michelangelo the greatest artist that ever lived? And where did he learn his unrivalled mastery of marble? Join Alastair and James as they embark on the first of four episodes charting the epic story of the life and work of Michelangelo, known in his lifetime as Il Divino - the divine one.
Artworks in this episode include:
Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, c.1512,
The Bust of Nefertiti
It's one of the most recognisable artworks of the ancient world, but who was Queen Nefertiti? And how did she and her consort, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, revolutionise the art and religion of Ancient Egypt? Join Alastair and James as they explore the mesmerisingly beautiful Bust of Nefertiti.
Artworks in this episode include:
The Bust of Nefertiti, c. 1351-34 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin
Tomb of Nebamun
Francis Bacon: Triumph and Tragedy (Part 3)
Following the death of his lover, did Bacon paint one of the darkest paintings in the history 20th century art? And why is opinion so split on Bacon's late work? Join Alastair and James as they argue it out in the last episode on the life and work of one of art history's most colourful characters - Francis Bacon.
Artworks in this episode include:
Micheal Andrews, The Colony Room I, 1962, Pallant H
Francis Bacon: Post War Success (Part 2)
Which portrait by the 17th century Spanish master Velázquez inspired one of Bacon's most celebrated works? And why is his painting Two Figures considered a groundbreaking image? Join Alastair and James as they chart Bacon's life and work in the decades after the Second World War.
Artworks in this episode include:
Francis Bacon, Head VI, 1949, Arts Council Collection, London
Francis Bacon, Painting
Francis Bacon: The Emerging Artist (Part 1)
How did the horrors of the Second World War influence Francis Bacon's first great masterpiece? And what impact did his troubled childhood have on his life and art? Join Alastair and James as they explore the early life and work of one Britain's greatest artists.
Artworks in this episode include:
Francis Bacon, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944, Tate Gallery, London
Franc
The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault
How did the gruesome aftermath of a shipwreck inspire a masterpiece of Romantic art? And did Théodore Géricault really acquire body parts so he could capture the appearance of rotting flesh? Join Alastair and James as they tell the true story of a doomed ship and an extraordinary painting that laid bare the depths of humanity - The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault.
Artworks in this episode
Katsushika Hokusai: The Endless Creative (Part 2)
Why is Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji so popular? And just how influential were his images on the development of Western art? Join Alastair and James as they explore the final tumultuous, and endlessly creative, decades of Hokusai's long life.
Artworks in this episode include:
Hokusai, Ejiri in Suruga Province, 1830
Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave), 1831
Hokusai, Fin
Katsushika Hokusai: The Man Behind the Wave (Part 1)
It’s one of the most recognisable images in all of art history, but who was the artist behind The Great Wave? And how did the military dictatorship of the Tokugawa shogunate create the conditions for his art to flourish? Join Alastair and James as they travel to Edo era Japan to explore the truly extraordinary life and work of Katsushika Hokusai.
Artworks in this episode include:
Hokusai, The Grea
Artemisia Gentileschi: Painter to the Medici and Charles I (Part 2)
How did Artemisia Gentileschi become the first woman to be elected to Florence's Academy of Arts? And why did she end up in London working as court painter to Charles I? Join Alastair and James as they explore how Artemisia continued to forge her own path in the final decades of her remarkable life.
Artworks in this episode include:
Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexan
Artemisia Gentileschi: Talent and Torment (Part 1)
What lies behind the powerful artworks of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of history's greatest female artists? And how did the trauma of a horrifying rape impact her life and work? Join Alastair and James as they explore the truly extraordinary life and art of Artemisia Gentileschi, today recognised as one of the key figures of the Italian Baroque.
Artworks in this episode include:
Artemisia Gentilesc
Jean-Michel Basquiat: 80s Art Superstar
He was the star of the 1980s New York art scene, but was Jean-Michel Basquiat a truly great artist or the product of a booming art market? And why did one of his works sell for more than $110 million? Join Alastair and James as they explore the meteoric rise and tragic fall of one of the most distinctive artists of the 1980s.
Artworks in this episode include:
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Untitled, 1982
Ac
Hans Holbein the Younger: Painter to Henry VIII (Part 2)
How did Hans Holbein survive the court of Henry VIII when so many around him were executed? What was his influence on how we see the Tudors? Join Alastair and James to find out how Holbein survived one of the most tumultuous periods in English history and emerge as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.
Artworks in this episode include:
Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of the Artist's F
Hans Holbein the Younger: From Basel to the Tudor Court (Part 1)
How did Hans Holbein become court painter to Henry VIII, one of the most notorious monarchs in British history? Without his stunning portraits would the Tudor period burn so brightly in the imagination? Join Alastair and James to find out how Holbein, an artist from a small town in southern Germany ended up kickstarting the story of British art.
Artworks in this episode include:
Hans Holbein the Y
Monet and the Birth of Impressionism (Part 2)
When Monet’s Impression, Sunrise was displayed at the First Impressionist Exhibition in 1874 it inspired one critic to scornfully describe the artists on show as ‘Impressionists’. And so the name of one of the most successful movements in the history of art was born.
But was the success of the First Impressionist Exhibition more fiction than fact? Was it really a groundbreaking moment in art histo
Monet and the Birth of Impressionism (Part 1)
In 1870s Paris a group of radical young artists led by Monet, Degas and Renoir decide to take on the art establishment and stage their own exhibition, independent of the enormous state-run art show - the Salon. It was a completely new idea that would transform how artists showed their work forever. But first they need to find a venue and recruit more artists to their cause. Then there’s the naggin
Introducing Stories of Art
Stories of Art brings together art historian Dr. James Fox and art critic Alastair Sooke to uncover the most inspiring and compelling stories from the history of art.
From the lives of the world’s greatest artists to the turning points that changed art, to the hidden histories of great masterpieces, James and Alastair are your guides to the extraordinary characters and fascinating stories that ha
