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 have shaped art history. Full of insight, expert opinion and humour, Stories of Art is the ultimate deep dive into the history of art.

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  Welcome to Stories of Art. I'm Alistair Sook. And I'm James Fox. And this is the podcast in which we explore the most compelling and inspiring stories from the history of art. The ability that we've got with this podcast to really dig deep into those stories and relish them is very exciting. So, look, I think the plan is that we're going to give ourselves the widest possible scope. We're not just focusing on modern art, contemporary art, we're looking at art throughout time. Holborn is being sent all over Europe to try and depict all these potential brides. He's being used almost as, quote, "a pimp's scalp." We're going to be looking at yacht biographies of artists, the lives of the great artists, wonderful stories, compelling stories, lots of very dramatic things. She is one of the

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  most compelling artists in the history of Western art. As those cords are tied tighter and tighter and tighter, she actually turns to Tassie. "This is the ring," she points to the cords. She said, "This is the ring you promised me." That is one badass line. But Giacometti looks really depressed. I mean, his cousin says that he only ever saw Giacometti laugh once in his entire life. We might also look at a movement. It could be a year. The purpose of the exhibition was to sell pictures. Yeah, and that main thing, they failed. They failed miserably. Or we're going to focus on a single work in depth. The Rafta Medusa is a barnstormer, isn't it?

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  It is unbelievably powerful. You're an art historian, which sounds very grand and proper. I'm a mere art critic. Actually, art historians and art critics are often mistaken for each other, but our jobs are entirely different. Let's just, before we move into this part of the conversation, say... You're blushing, Alistair. It's very easy to smirk and snigger. So I'm based in a university, working through archives and libraries, and you're in glamorous private views with champagne in your hands. Yeah, something like that. So I know, Alistair, you're a big fan of Hoxsey's erotica. Oh, my God, James, please don't stitch me up. This is being recorded, you are aware of that. There are great stories, there are great people, there are great turning points in history, there are great moments, there are great things that people have made. I'm just going to... It's Dogman.

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  It's Dogman. So it's the close friend of Degas, the painter and engraver, Ludwig Napoleon Le Pic. Follow Stories of Art wherever you get your podcasts.