Art of History

By Amanda Matta

What's Art of History about?

Episodes from history, viewed through great works of art. No pre-reqs required! New episodes every month. Hosted by Amanda Matta, art historian and TikTok's favorite royal commentator.

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Art of History episodes:

05.17.2024
Art Bite: King Charles' New Royal Portrait
The internet has been ablaze with hot takes on King Charles III's brand-new royal portrait by British artist Jonathan Yeo. Does it depict a strong, capable monarch? Or one who is overshadowed by the chaotic state of his institution and...
05.02.2024
Portrait of a Woman: Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (with Bridget Quinn)
Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (1749–1803) rose from shopkeeper’s daughter to an official portraitist of the French royal court—only to have her achievements reduced to ash by the Revolution. While she defied societal barriers to build a remarkable artistic career, Adélaïde's legacy was...
04.04.2024
Double Agent: Chevalier d'Éon
The Chevalier d'Éon (1728–1810) is known as a transgender icon, living the first half of their life as a man, and the second as a woman. Theirs is also a life that is remarkably documented in contemporary artwork. But how...
03.07.2024
Aina: The Forgotten Princess
How did the daughter of an African ruler become goddaughter to Queen Victoria? A young black girl named Aina, later called Sarah Forbes Bonetta (1843–1880), began life in West Africa. But she would grow up to become a popular member...
02.01.2024
The Death of Lady Jane
With the tragic demise of Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554) serving as inspiration for countless works of art, it was hard to select just one to focus our attention on. But I did it, and in this episode, we dive into...
01.04.2024
The Other Side: Women Artists and the Spirit World
Amanda is joined on the podcast for this special episode by Jennifer Higgie, author of The Other Side: A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World. Uncover the role that spiritualism has played in art, particularly since the dawn...
12.28.2023
Unheard Melodies: Hildegard von Bingen
At age 42, a nun named Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) decided to heed the command—which she believed came from God—to write down that which she saw and heard. It just so happened that what she saw and heard were visions...
11.30.2023
Joséphine: More than a Queen
It may have been easy for Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814) to scoff at the “extraordinary destiny” once promised to her by a fortune-teller. From the Island of Martinique, where she spent her girlhood, to the shadow of the guillotine, where...
10.31.2023
Art History Horror Story: The Nightmare
Swiss painter Henry Fuseli (1741-1825) was the man behind one of art history’s most famous spooky paintings: ‘The Nightmare.’ But how much do you actually know about this dream-fuelled Gothic image? Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare (1781). Oil on Canvas. Detroit Institute...
09.28.2023
Eighth Wonder, Vanished: The Amber Room
Last seen in 1945, the Amber Room is the world’s most valuable missing piece of art, valued as highly as $500 million. Looted by the Nazis after Operation Barbarossa, this “Eighth Wonder of the World” once symbolized peace and unity....
08.31.2023
Cities of Women: Christine de Pizan with Dr. Kathleen B. Jones
Dr. Kathleen B. Jones joins us on the podcast to discuss not only her new book, CITIES OF WOMEN, but also to dive into the life of literary and artistic icon Christine de Pizan (1364/65-1431). Listen to our conversation to hear...
07.27.2023
Art Bite: Thomas Cromwell's Book of Hours
When historians first made the link between a book of hours at Trinity College, Cambridge and two others belonging to Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, they weren't just identifying who owned it. Yes, yes - the book was owned...
07.20.2023
Art Bite: Anne of Cleves' House
Divorced, beheaded, died... divorced... A house connected to Anne of Cleves (1515-1557), Henry VIII's fourth wife, is currently on the market! Let's discuss the Grade I listed property and a tidbit of Anne's story in this Art Bite. _________ Thanks HelloFresh! Go to...
06.30.2023
Just Another American Fable: Grant Wood
Grant Wood (1891-1942) is probably best known for his double portrait depicting a man and woman on a farmstead - that icon of American painting, American Gothic. But his career encompassed so much more, and was marked by an uncanny...
06.13.2023
Art Bite: A New Portrait of Henry VIII's Final Queen
I’m so excited to be bringing you the first of a NEW offering on the Art of History podcast!
05.25.2023
Silence is So Accurate: Mark Rothko & Abstract Expressionism
Mark Rothko (1903-1970) was at the forefront of a generation of American artists who revolutionized the scene, right down to the way we understand the very essence of the artistic process. Even as he rejected both the label of Abstract Expressionism...
04.27.2023
Romantic Getaway: Gèricault's Raft of the Medusa
Despite his short life, French painter Thèodore Gèricault (1791-1824) is remembered of one of the giants of art history. In his evocative masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa, Gèricault laid the groundwork for the Romantic era in the visual arts. It's...
03.30.2023
Genius Has No Sex: Rosa Bonheur
Marie-Rosalie, or Rosa, Bonheur (1822-1899) has been lauded as the most celebrated woman artist of her time. Her breathtaking animal paintings showcase not only her technical skill, but also her so-called “radical” ideals. But just how “radical” was Rosa—who has...
02.28.2023
The Baroque Bearded Lady: Magdalena Ventura
Today, gender is largely understood as a fluid concept. And while an increasingly loud minority insist that "men are men and women are women," and that’s simply the way it’s always been…a look through the lens of art history is...
01.26.2023
Death of Cleopatra - Edmonia Lewis, Pt. 2
Part II of Edmonia Lewis' story takes us for a closer look at her masterpiece: the 1876 sculpture, 'Death of Cleopatra.' In an echo of Edmonia’s approach to her own biography, the work shows Egypt’s last queen “sealing her fate and...
01.07.2023
History Daily: The Accident that Changed King Henry VIII & The Death of Queen Elizabeth I
Today on Art of History, I am beyond thrilled to bring you two episodes of a show that has quickly become a staple in my daily podcast listening: History Daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers)...
12.29.2022
Forever Free - Edmonia Lewis, Pt. 1
Edmonia Lewis (1844-1907) was history’s first internationally recognized sculptor of African American and Native American descent, and (as you might expect!) a woman with a multifaceted life story. Today's Image: Edmonia Lewis, Forever Free (The Morning of Liberty) (1867). Marble, 41.25...
11.23.2022
Family Matters: Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan
Ilya Repin (1844-1930) was one of Russia’s leading realist painters, known for his evocative portrayals of 19th-century working conditions. He was also known for his charged depictions of episodes from Russia’s past - such as an 1885 canvas showing Ivan...
11.10.2022
Ghosts at the Palace
Two things are true of history podcasts: Everyone loves a bit of Tudor History, and everyone loves a good ghost story. Today, we explore a bit of both! When visiting Henry VIII’s magnificent Hampton Court Palace, it’s often the darker episodes...
10.27.2022
Who ARTed: Han van Meegeren
This episode comes to you courtesy of Kyle Wood, host of an art podcast that fans of Art of History NEED to have on their radar. Who ARTed brings you weekly art history for all ages. Whether you are cramming for...
09.29.2022
Art is Political: The “Degenerate” Art Exhibition
85 years ago, a groundbreaking art exhibition was held in Munich. It showcased the work of 120 artists, many of these internationally renowned modernists. The show was attended by one million people in its first six weeks. But this landmark show,...
08.25.2022
Flower Power: Tulipmania and Those who Painted It
Tulipmania has stuck in our collective memory as one of the biggest economic calamities to ever strike the western world. The popular narrative holds that in 17th century Holland, homes were mortgaged, reputations were ruined, and livelihoods were lost—all so...
07.28.2022
HRH The Duchess of Baltimore
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte (1785-1879) was one of America’s first international celebrities and self-made women. But how did this Baltimore girl come to count royalty among her in-laws—a century or two before the likes of Wallis Simpson and Meghan Markle snagged...
06.27.2022
The Man and His Muse
Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) is considered one of American’s greatest modern artists. His works combine a regionalist simplicity with a surrealist view of the inner world. But without the people and places that inspired him and allowed him to channel his...
05.25.2022
Spring in Her Step
Sandro Botticelli (c.1455-1510) is credited as the man behind some of the greatest mythological paintings in Western art history—a great feat, especially considering that we still don’t fully know the meaning behind his most ambitious work. Primavera, or Spring (c. 1480)...
04.21.2022
Elizabeth: The Early Years
In this episode, I put my art history degree to good use (finally) as we discuss a lesser-known portrait of Elizabeth I as she appeared late in the reign of her sister, Mary I, or early in her own reign....
01.26.2022
A Call to Arms
This episode has everything: snakes, missing limbs, a true crime case, and sculptor Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni being annoyed. Today’s artwork: Agesander of Rhodes, Athenodoros, and Polydorus (attr.), Laocoön and His Sons (Hellenistic Period?). Marble. Vatican Museums, Vatican City. New episodes...
01.12.2022
The Real Queen Charlotte
The depiction of Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) as a woman of color in the Netflix series Bridgerton brought her to the forefront of a conversation about non-white historical figures. There’s been much debate over this Georgian queen’s character as a result....
11.11.2021
A Swing Called Love
Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s (1732-1806) painting The Swing is an icon of the Rococo era and a widely-celebrated depiction of innocent, carefree leisure. Or...is it? We’re unpacking some of the, er, erotically charged symbols that you might have missed when you first...
10.25.2021
Mr. Lincoln, I Presume?
In 1872, Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882) visited the photography studio of one William H. Mumler (1832-1884), who claimed to be able to capture images of deceased loved ones on film. A byproduct of Mrs. Lincoln's spiritualist beliefs, the photograph on...
10.08.2021
Becoming Joan
Jules Bastien-Lepage's life-size depiction of Joan of Arc (1412-1431) shows her at the very beginning of her journey to sainthood. But a lot happened between her spiritual awakening in 1425 and her canonization as the patron saint of France in...
09.24.2021
The Life of Dido
In the mid-1770s, the Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793) commissioned a portrait of his two great-nieces, Elizabeth Murray (1760-1825) and Dido Belle (1761-1804). But it was Elizabeth's name that would be remembered through history, and Dido's would only be rediscovered in...
09.10.2021
Who Tells Your Story?
Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793) was a giant of the French Revolution. I guess you could say that one thing led to another, though, and he ended up dead in a bathtub. His friend, artist Jacques-Louis David (1748-1845), memorialized that gruesome event...
08.27.2021
(Queen) Victoria's Secret
Our popular image of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) paints her as a monarch, a mother, a wife, and a widow. But today we are looking at a portrait of Victoria that shows us the woman, not her roles. Join me for...
08.22.2021
Introducing the Art of History Podcast!
Join me for episodes from history, viewed through great works of art. No pre-reqs required! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/amanda-matta/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's Art of History about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Art of History episodes:

Art Bite: King Charles' New Royal Portrait

Portrait of a Woman: Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (with Bridget Quinn)

Double Agent: Chevalier d'Éon

Aina: The Forgotten Princess

The Death of Lady Jane

The Other Side: Women Artists and the Spirit World

Unheard Melodies: Hildegard von Bingen

Joséphine: More than a Queen

Art History Horror Story: The Nightmare

Eighth Wonder, Vanished: The Amber Room

Cities of Women: Christine de Pizan with Dr. Kathleen B. Jones

Art Bite: Thomas Cromwell's Book of Hours

Art Bite: Anne of Cleves' House

Just Another American Fable: Grant Wood

Art Bite: A New Portrait of Henry VIII's Final Queen

Silence is So Accurate: Mark Rothko & Abstract Expressionism

Romantic Getaway: Gèricault's Raft of the Medusa

Genius Has No Sex: Rosa Bonheur

The Baroque Bearded Lady: Magdalena Ventura

Death of Cleopatra - Edmonia Lewis, Pt. 2

History Daily: The Accident that Changed King Henry VIII & The Death of Queen Elizabeth I

Forever Free - Edmonia Lewis, Pt. 1

Family Matters: Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan

Ghosts at the Palace

Who ARTed: Han van Meegeren

Art is Political: The “Degenerate” Art Exhibition

Flower Power: Tulipmania and Those who Painted It

HRH The Duchess of Baltimore

The Man and His Muse

Spring in Her Step

Elizabeth: The Early Years

A Call to Arms

The Real Queen Charlotte

A Swing Called Love

Mr. Lincoln, I Presume?

Becoming Joan

The Life of Dido

Who Tells Your Story?

(Queen) Victoria's Secret

Introducing the Art of History Podcast!

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