Stories of Art

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 episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time.

Artworks in this episode:

Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid, 1657-58, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Gerard ter Borch, The Letter, 1660-65, The Royal Collection, London

Jan Steen, The Feast of St. Nicholas, 1663-65, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Carel Fabritius, A View of Delft, with a Musical Instrument Seller's Stall, 1652, The National Gallery, London

Johannes Vermeer, Saint Praxedis, c.1655, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

Johannes Vermeer, The Procuress, 1656, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden

Johannes Vermeer, Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, c. 1657-59, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden

Domenico Fiasella, Queen Artemisia, c. 1645, Private Collection

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Sovilla
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

00:00 Introduction: The Milkmaid
05:35 The Dutch Golden Age and Delft
08:57 Vermeer's Early Life and Family
21:51 Vermeer's Early Works
28:19 Analyzing The Milkmaid
45:22 Meaning and Interpretation
1:02:41 The 1660s: Vermeer at His Peak
1:03:31 The Disaster Year and Vermeer's Death

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 discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. 

Artworks in this episode: 
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair, 1940, The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Frida Kahlo, The Broken Column, 1944, Museo Dolores Olmedo, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Frida Kahlo, The Wounded Deer, 1946, Private collection

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Spada
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

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, Frieda and Diego Rivera, 1931, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Frida Kahlo, Henry Ford Hospital, 1932, Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Frida Kahlo, My Birth, 1932, Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Frida Kahlo, A Few Small Nips, 1935 Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Frida: The Making of an Icon is on at Tate Modern, London until 3rd January 2027.

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Spada
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Elephant and the Dove
• 00:06:24 Diego's Infidelities
• 00:12:45 San Francisco and Detroit
• 00:20:08 Henry Ford Hospital and My Birth
• 00:41:32 A Few Small Nips
• 00:45:08 Frida's Affairs
• 00:51:58 Artistic Breakthrough
• 00:59:10 The Two Fridas

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 Mexican Art, Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait (With Velvet Dress), 1926, Private Collection

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Frida: The Making of an Icon is on at Tate Modern, London until 3rd January 2027.

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

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 Signorelli, The Damned in Hell, 1500-03, Orvieto Cathedral, Orvieto
Michelangelo, The Last Judgement, 1535–1541, Vatican City
Michelangelo, Study for The Last Judgement, 1535–1541, The British Museum, London
Etienne DuPérac, Longitudinal Section Showing the Interior of Saint Peter's Basilica
Etienne DuPérac, Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo
Michelangelo, Rondanini Pietà, 1552-64, Castello Sforzesco, Milan

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Flayed Skin Self-Portrait
• 00:05:15 The Sack of Rome
• 00:07:17 Michelangelo's Republican Sympathies
• 00:17:04 Tommaso di Cavalieri
• 00:22:45 The Last Judgment Commission
• 00:37:38 Master Architect
• 00:42:40 The Final Years
• 00:48:01 The Rondanini Pietà
• 00:54:34 Legacy: The Prototype of Artistic Genius

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 Gonçalves de Lima, 11th, 12th, 13th July 2013, 2013
David Hockney, The Big Hawthorn, 2008
David Hockney, Winter Timber, 2009
David Hockney, Beverly Hills Housewife, 1966-67
David Hockney, A Bigger Splash, 1967
David Hockney, Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, 1970-71
David Hockney, Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1968
Piero della Francesca, The Baptism of Christ, c.1437-45
David Hockney, My Parents, 1977
David Hockney, My Parents and Myself, 1976
David Hockney, Pearblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986 (Second Version), 1986
David Hockney, A Year in Normandie, 2020-2021
David Hockney, Bigger Trees Near Warter, 2007
David Hockney, Delphiniums on My Garden Table, July 2025, 2025

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

• 00:00:00 News of Hockney's Death
• 00:03:06 An Artist of Joy
• 00:08:45 A National Treasure and Cultural Icon
• 00:15:06 California and Double Portraits
• 00:21:11 Yorkshire Landscapes
• 00:27:06 How to Look

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 Volterra, Portrait of Michelangelo, c.1545, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Raphael, Portrait of Julius II, 1511, The National Gallery, London
Michelangelo, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508-1512, Vatican CIty
Michelangelo, Moses, 1513-15, Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome
Michelangelo, The Awakening Slave, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
Michelangelo, The Bearded Slave, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
Michelangelo, Atlas, 1530, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
Michelangelo, The Rebellious Slave, 1513-15, Musée du Louvre, Paris

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Commission
• 00:03:56 The Sistine Chapel Building
• 00:07:58 Michelangelo's Reluctance
• 00:18:14 Early Struggles
• 00:30:14 The Creation of Adam
• 00:44:16 Moses
• 00:58:42 The Unfinished Sculptures

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
Attributed to Daniele da Volterra, Portrait of Michelangelo, c.1545, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
After Leonardo, Copy of The Battle of Anghiari, 17th century, Musée du Louvre, Paris
Bastiano da Sangallo after Michelangelo, Copy of The Battle of Cascina, 1542, Royal Academy, London.

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:04:34 A Block of Marble
• 00:12:17 Michelangelo Takes on the Challenge
• 00:16:44 Where to Place David
• 00:19:50 Moving the Giant
• 00:22:41 Analyzing David
• 00:33:22 Michelangelo's Character
• 00:40:40 Rivalry with Leonardo da Vinci
• 00:50:20 Pope Julius II and the Tomb Commission
• 00:55:55 The Great Escape from Rome

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.

To see images of the works James and Alistair are discussing in this episode, make sure to switch to video in your podcast app.

Artworks in this episode include:

Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, c.1512, Vatican City
Michelangelo, Head of a Faun, c.1489 (lost 1944)
Michelangelo, Bacchus, 1496-97, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence
Michelangelo, Pietà, 1499, Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Creation of Adam
• 00:08:58 Early Life
• 00:18:23 Apprenticeship with the Ghirlandaio Brothers
• 00:22:10 The Medici Academy and Lorenzo the Magnificent
• 00:27:03 The Head of a Faun: A Precocious Talent
• 00:33:47 Crisis and Exile: The Fall of the Medici
• 00:37:49 The Sleeping Cupid Forgery
• 00:40:56 Rome and Cardinal Riario
• 00:44:55 The Pietà
• 00:55:14 Rising Fame

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.  

To see the images from this podcast, please switch to video in your podcast app, at any time.

Artworks in this episode include:
The Bust of Nefertiti, c. 1351-34 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin
Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky, 1391-53 BCE, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Statue of Amenhotep III, 1391-53 BCE, The British Museum, London
Colossal Statue of Amenhotep IV, 1350-33 BCE, The Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Colossal Statue of Amenhotep IV, 1350-33 BCE, Luxor Museum, Luxor
Akhenaten, Nefertiti and three of their daughters under the Aten, c. 1351-34 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin
Bust of Akhenaten, c. 1351-34 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin
Plaster Head of an Older Woman, c.1353-36 BCE, Neues Museum, Berlin

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Discovery of Nefertiti
• 00:02:14 The Archaeological Dig at Amarna
• 00:06:14 Ancient Egyptian Art and Society
• 00:12:50 Amenhotep IV Comes to Power
• 00:16:51 The Religious Revolution
• 00:23:31 A New Artistic Style
• 00:34:35 The New Capital City
• 00:46:46 The Bust of Nefertiti
• 00:57:35 Authenticity Debates
• 01:04:17 The End of the Amarna Period
• 01:08:22 The Controversial Journey to Berlin
• 01:13:37 Modern Legacy