Art history podcast suggestions, please.

September 28, 2015 1:40 PM

Another podcast question! Something that will teach me the history of art?

I'm looking for an art history podcast, in the same vein as the Khan Academy art history series.

Ideally it would cover the basics: history of art from ancient cultures to current stuff, go over big art movements, influential artists and works, and give some historical/societal context, but also go in pretty deep on each topic. There was so much in the Khan Academy videos that was so majorly interesting and completely new to me, I would just love to hear more!

I can handle dry and stuffy, but since art is the opposite of boring to me, ideally the host would be someone obviously passionate/excited about it.

The closest thing I've heard to what I'm looking for is the podcast they made from A History of the World in 100 Objects, which wasn't really art history, but did give amazing background for some pieces of art.

The best thing would be podcasts, since the time I have for this is at work with my earbuds in, but if you have another consumable suggestion for learning art history, please don't hold back.

Thanks guys!

posted by moons in june to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

The Teaching Company has great series of very in-depth lectures, for $100 or so a course.... but it looks like all the art ones are videos, which makes some sense.
posted by smackfu at 2:25 PM on September 28, 2015

This is more specific than what you're looking for, but BBC Radio 4 recently did a series of three programmes about 3 specific works of art: Paolo Uccello's A Hunt in the Forest, Dali's Metamorphosis of Narcissus, and Manet's A Bar At the Folies-Bergere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06628rn/episodes/guide
posted by meronym at 2:28 PM on September 28, 2015 [2 favorites]

Not a podcast, but a free weekly course from edx on both the history of Western and Chinese art.
posted by thebots at 12:03 AM on September 29, 2015

I can handle dry and stuffy, but since art is the opposite of boring to me, ideally the host would be someone obviously passionate/excited about it.

You would be hard pressed anyone more passionate or excited about art history than Sister Wendy Beckett. I don't know about podcasts but a number of her videos seem to be available...
posted by jim in austin at 4:04 AM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Have you checked out iTunes U?

I haven't tried any of these personally, but I'm seeing:

History of Art from Oxford University
European Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Modern and Contemporary Art, also from the Met
posted by kristi at 9:56 AM on October 1, 2015 [2 favorites]

This isn't exactly what you're looking for but 99 Percent Invisible is my favorite podcast, they focus each week on the history of a specific thing in art or design (a building, a pattern, money etc.) by telling interesting stories.

They're also all pretty short, so if you aren't into it, it isn't a huge investment. My favorites so far have been the one about Wonder Bread & the one about the faces on the milk carton campaign.
posted by thebrokenmuse at 12:50 PM on October 21, 2015