In the heart of Central Park, the Angel of the Waters rises above the Bethesda Fountain—one of New York’s most beloved public monuments. But few know the name of the woman who created it. Emma Stebbins (1815–1882) was the first woman to receive a public art commission in New York City, a celebrated sculptor in her day, and a pioneering queer artist whose legacy was later written out of history.

In this episode, Liz speaks with Dr. Karli Wurzelbacher, Chief Curator at The Heckscher Museum of Art, about Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History—the world’s first exhibition and catalogue devoted to Stebbins’s life and work. Together, they trace Stebbins’s extraordinary career: from her groundbreaking depictions of American laborers to her intimate portrait of her wife, actress Charlotte Cushman, and finally, to the creation of the angel that came to define a city. The conversation explores how Stebbins used the language of neoclassicism to express radical ideas about gender, labour, and love, and how her art, once forgotten, continues to inspire new generations.

Visit Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History at The Heckscher Museum of Art until March 15, 2026, and order the exhibition catalogue: https://www.heckscher.org/stebbinscatalog/.

Connect with ⁠Liz⁠ at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode art: Emma Stebbins (American, 1815–1882), Bethesda Fountain, 1870. Bronze and stone, 25 ft. high. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Photo by David Almeida

Too often written off as decorative fluff, the Rococo wasmore than gilded mirrors and pastel palettes: it marked a profound shift in art and society. In this episode, I’m joined by Faith Brooks, a PhD student in art history, to explore how the Rococo emerged in 18th-century France as the aristocracy turned away from Versailles-style absolutism toward intimacy,salons, and private pleasure.

From Boucher’s paintings to Madame de Pompadour’staste-making influence, we unpack how Rococo reflected a revolution of the elite against the monarchy, complicating Enlightenment ideals with its blend of politics, pleasure, and play.

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode art: Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, c. 1767–68, The Wallace Collection, https://www.wallacecollection.org/explore/collection/search-the-collection/les-hazards-heureux-de-lescarpolette-swing/.

How do museums tell stories—and whose stories do they tell? In this episode, I sit down with Emily Croft, a PhD student whose research digs deep into the archaeological museums of Sardinia, Italy. Between 1861 and 1939, these museums were more than just quiet halls filled with ancient objects—they were political tools used to craft a national identity in a newly unified Italy. Emily takes us behind the scenes of curatorial choices, museum politics, and excavation histories, revealing how regional pride, central authority, and even personal rivalries shaped the way Sardinia's past was displayed.

Connect with Emily: https://www.queensu.ca/art/people/croft-emily

Follow the Nora Isthmos Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isthmosproject.nora

Learn more about the origins of Modern Italy: https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Antiquity_of_the_Italian_Nation/dXfcAAAAQBAJ

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode art: Emily Croft, courtesy of.

What can a painting tell us about passion—or pain? In this episode of Matter of Art, Liz sits down with author, art historian, and Daily Telegraph Culture Editor Nick Trend to discuss his new book, What Art Can Tell Us About Love (Laurence King, 2025). Together, they explore how love—ecstatic, enduring, obsessive, and even uncomfortable—has been expressed by artists across centuries. From Raphael’s ambiguous portraits to Clifford Prince King’s intimate photographs, this episode invites you to look beyond romantic clichés and consider how art reveals the complexity of human connection.

The conversation touches on themes of mythmaking, the power of the artist’s gaze, and how women artists have redefined love’s visual language. Whether you’re a romantic, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode asks you to see love—and art—with new eyes.

Get your copy of What Art Can Tell Us About Love: https://www.laurenceking.com/collections/author-nick-trend

Connect with Nick: https://www.instagram.com/nicktrend/

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode art: What Art Can Tell Us About Love (Laurence King, 2025).

What happens when sculpture isn’t just seen—but touched, kissed, and even believed to come alive?

In this episode, Liz speaks with Dr. Una D’Elia about the tactile and emotional power of Renaissance devotional sculpture. From crucifixes with moveable joints to sculptures dressed and cradled, we explore how sacred objects were animated through ritual, touch, and intimacy.

We begin in 1399 Pisa, where, in the middle of a plague, crowds gathered not to flee, but to touch a crucifix they believed could save them. As Dr. D’Elia explains, these devotional encounters reveal a world where physical contact with art was not only accepted, but vital.

View more Renaissance sculpture here: https://hdl.handle.net/1974/14832

Article by Dr. D'Elia in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/belief-in-touch-as-salvation-was-stronger-than-fear-of-contagion-in-the-italian-renaissance-157135

Learn more about Dr. D'Elia: https://www.queensu.ca/art/people/una-delia

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode art: Lorenzo Ghiberti, Nanni di Banco, or Fillipo Brunelleschi, attributed (sculptors) and unknown artists, Madonna and Child, 15th century, painted and gilded terracotta, Museo Bandini, Fiesole, photo: Una D’Elia.

What happens when masterpieces vanish? In this episode, we uncover history’s most shocking art heists—from the Mona Lisa’s daring 1911 theft to the still-unsolved Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery. We also explore the disappearance of The Just Judges panel from the Ghent Altarpiece and the mystery surrounding Salvator Mundi, the world’s most expensive painting. Where do stolen artworks go, and will they ever be found? Tune in as we unravel the secrets behind these lost treasures.

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode art: Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503–1506, Louvre, Paris; Jan van Eyck, The Just Judges, 1430-1432,;Attr. Leonardo Da Vinci, Salvator Mundi, c. 1499–1510.

In this episode of Matter of Art, we sit down with Daria Murphy, a scholar and curator whose work bridges craft history, East Asian art, and global material culture. From her academic journey—spanning the University of Toronto, Bard Graduate Center, and Queen’s University—to her curatorial experiences, we explore how her research on textiles, ceramics, and cross-cultural exchanges informs her work. Daria shares insights into her involvement in recent exhibitions, including Liu Shiming: Spirit of Daily Life at the Tett and the forthcoming The Indian Ocean: Monsoon Worlds at the ROM. We also discuss her PhD research, her time in Japan, and the dynamic process of bringing historical craft traditions into the present.

Connect with Daria: ⁠https://www.dariamurphy.com/

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Photo courtesy: Daria Murphy, courtesy of.

In this episode, I share with you the digital exhibition Crafting Flesh: Collaboration in Italian Multimedia Sculpture, 1300–1700, which uncovers the many hands and minds that collaborated to create multimedia sculptures in the Renaissance. From painted wood to marble, we discuss how materials and techniques came together to create evocative works of art. Join me and three other co-curators (Faith Brooks, Ilinca Stingaciu, and Flavie Chantälle Deveaux) as we explore the exhibition's theme of collaboration in sculpture-making and take a closer look at four fascinating objects featured in the exhibit. You'll hear about the stories these sculptures tell, the innovative methods used to craft them, and the religious and cultural contexts that brought them to life.

VIEW THE EXHIBITION: https://craftingflesh.wordpress.com/

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode art: Unknown artists, Oristano Crucifix, ca. 1320, San Franceso, Oristano, Sardinia. Photo: Una D’Elia.

In this episode we speak to Nerine Cavadias, an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Canada whose art is shaped by unique intersections of memory, heritage, and aphantasia—a rare inability to visualize images and a condition that affects only 1-3% of people. Nerine shares how she draws on family history and explores mental health through her work, transforming complex themes into compelling visual stories. Join us as we explore her journey from photorealism to the therapeutic role of art, and how her practice reshapes the idea of memory and imagination.

Follow Nerine Cavadias on her website and Instagram: https://nerine.ca/

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode art: Nerine Cavadias, Camera-Happy in Belgium, Aug '81, Oil on Wood, 8" round, detail. Courtesy of artist.

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Ron Spronk, a leading expert in technical art history and professor of art history. Known for his groundbreaking work on projects like The Ghent Altarpiece restoration and Closer to Van Eyck, the Bosch Research and Conservation Project, and Bruegel, the Hand of the Master (Inside Bruegel), Dr. Spronk has transformed how we understand and preserve cultural heritage. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of technical studies, the intersection of art and science, and Dr. Spronk’s insights into the hidden layers of famous works. Discover how cutting-edge research methods are revealing new secrets about art’s most iconic masterpieces.

The Ghent Altarpiece Restoration and Closer to Van Eyck: https://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/

The Bosch Research and Conservation Project: https://boschproject.org/

Bruegel, the Hand of the Master (Inside Bruegel): https://www.insidebruegel.net/

Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode art: Dr. Ron Spronk, photo courtesy.