Art History Painting

Great artists change the way we look at the world. From Manet to Goya, and Rothko to Caravaggio, this comprehensive guide traces the development of artistic styles and the spot connections between them. Discover the major movements in western painting, and the life and times of the influential artists whose experimentation paved the way.

In 1900, an 18-year-old Spaniard named Pablo Picasso made his first trip to Paris. It was in this glittering capital of the international art world that, after suffering years of poverty and neglect, he emerged as the leader of a bohemian band of painters, sculptors, and poets. Fueled by opium and alcohol, inspired by raucous late-night conversations at the Lapin Agile cabaret, Picasso and his friends resolved to shake up the world.

Uncover the Renaissance art mystery and true crime heist behind history's most enigmatic masterpiece. Perfect for an immersive morning commute or armchair travel, this intellectual deep-dive transports you directly into the bustling streets of sixteenth-century Florence. Experience the restless...

Before a brazen true crime heist in 1911, this Florentine portrait was just another Renaissance painting on a wall. Uncover the suspenseful history of how a spectacularly executed museum theft ignited a global media frenzy. Perfect for an engaging morning commute, this captivating narrative...

Explore a breathtaking archaeological mystery and witness the dawn of human creativity in the depths of the Ice Age. Transport yourself to the atmospheric landscapes of prehistoric France, where nomadic hunter-gatherers left behind a stunning visual language. Perfect for a focused commute or a...

Enter Renaissance Rome as a reluctant genius battles papal power to forge a dramatic historical masterpiece. Perfect for an immersive commute, this vivid narrative bypasses dry academic lectures to plunge you directly into the dust, noise, and fierce ambition of the sixteenth-century Vatican...

Unearth the accidental discovery of a hidden underground world where prehistoric art forever changed human history. In the shadowy hills of 1940s rural France, ordinary schoolboys stumbled upon an Ice Age masterpiece. This vivid historical narrative pulls you straight into the cavernous depths...

Unlock the secrets of art history and decode centuries of cultural evolution during your daily commute or evening walk. Journey from the firelit walls of ancient caves to the shimmering gold of medieval manuscripts and the bold experiments of modern abstraction. This immersive audio experience...

An educational podcast for children in which we travel back in time to 1656 to visit the Spanish Golden Age and meet one of the greatest painters in Spanish history: Diego Velázquez. In this episode of "History Has a Voice," we will land in the court of Madrid to talk to the creator of "Las Meninas." Velázquez was born in Seville in 1599 and began training in the art of painting at the age of 11.

A masterful new story charts the circuitous course of the sole surviving work of a female Dutch painter This is what we long for: the profound pleasure of being swept into vivid new worlds, worlds peopled by characters so intriguing and real that we can't shake them, even long after the...

""Michele Gerber Klein—at long last—gives Gala Dalí the close-up she deserves. When Gala met Salvador, they met their destinies. Surreal takes us backstage at the endless performance piece that was the couple’s life’s work and life’s play—a salient ingredient—and reshuffles art...

Bloomsbury presents The Story of Tudor Art by Christina J. Faraday, read by Ffion Aynsley. A unique history of Tudor England told through its art and artefacts. The Tudor dynasty (1485–1603) gave England five monarchs and an age of relentless power plays, scandal, and transformation. Thanks to...

The compelling story of how Vincent van Gogh developed his audacious, iconic style by immersing himself in the work of others, featuring paintings by Van Gogh as well as the artists who inspired him—from the New York Times bestselling co-author of Van Gogh: The Life Vincent van Gogh’s...

We have all seen, whether live, in photographs or on postcards, some of Claude Monet's legendary water lily paintings. They are in museums all over the world and are among the most beloved works of art of the past century. Yet, ironically, these soothing images were created amid terrible personal turmoil and sadness.