National Gallery Of Art | Audio

December 2008, Notable Lectures - Paul Zanker, professor of art history, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa. In this podcast, recorded on November 9, 2008, as part of the Sydney J. Freedberg Lecture on Italian Art series, Paul Zanker explains that for ancient Greeks, myths were stories of gods, heroes, and ordinary people who had religious authority. These stories and their artistic representations served as guides and models for living in varying circumstances. However, myths did not embody religious teaching or moral precepts for human behavior; these stories described fate�the highs and lows of being human�to which everyone could relate, and in which they could take comfort. Despite the cultural shifts of the Roman world, these ancient myths retained their purpose and impact in the art of Pompeii and other sites in Italy. This lecture coincided with the exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples on view at the National Gallery of Art from October 19, 2008, to March 22, 200

December 2008, Notable Lectures - Peter Schjeldahl, senior art critic, New Yorker. In his book Let's See: Writings on Art from the "New Yorker," Schjeldahl covers large-scale exhibitions and private gallery shows and profiles leaders in the art world as well as the artists themselves. In this Notable Lectures podcast, recorded on November 2, 2008, as part of the Gallery's fall lecture series, he discusses his work as an art critic, reads excerpts from his book, and answers questions from the audience.

November 2008, Backstory - Arthur Wheelock, curator of northern baroque painting, National Gallery of Art. Jan Lievens was a child prodigy, whose later career was marked by important civic and private commissions. Nevertheless, his name today barely registers in the public consciousness. In the third of this three-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Jan Lievens: A Dutch Master Rediscovered, Wheelock talks about Lievens' success and legacy.

November 2008, Backstory - Arthur Wheelock, curator of northern baroque painting, National Gallery of Art. Jan Lievens was a child prodigy, whose later career was marked by important civic and private commissions. Nevertheless, his name today barely registers in the public consciousness. In the second of this three-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Jan Lievens: A Dutch Master Rediscovered, Wheelock talks about changes in Lievens' style and the influence of Anthony Van Dyck.

November 2008, Backstory - Arthur Wheelock, curator of northern baroque painting, National Gallery of Art. Jan Lievens was a child prodigy, whose later career was marked by important civic and private commissions. Nevertheless, his name today barely registers in the public consciousness. In the first of this three-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Jan Lievens: A Dutch Master Rediscovered, Wheelock talks about Lievens' early career and his relationship with Rembrandt.

November 2008, Backstory - Carol Mattusch, guest curator and professor, George Mason University. In the second century BC, Roman aristocrats began to build lavish seaside villas on the picturesque Bay of Naples�in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. In the fifth of this five-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, Mattusch talks to Tempchin about the impact the excavations of these ancient sites have had on the modern world.

October 2008, Backstory - Carol Mattusch, guest curator and professor, George Mason University. In the second century BC, Roman aristocrats began to build lavish seaside villas on the picturesque Bay of Naples�in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. In the fourth of this five-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, Mattusch talks to Tempchin about the Greek legacy in Roman culture.

October 2008, Backstory - Carol Mattusch, guest curator and professor, George Mason University. In the second century BC, Roman aristocrats began to build lavish seaside villas on the picturesque Bay of Naples�in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. In the third of this five-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, Mattusch talks to Tempchin about the role of the dining room in a Roman villa.

October 2008, Backstory - Carol Mattusch, guest curator and professor, George Mason University. In the second century BC, Roman aristocrats began to build lavish seaside villas on the picturesque Bay of Naples�in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. In the second of this five-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, Mattusch talks to Tempchin about the sculptures and designs of the villas' gardens.

October 2008, Backstory - Carol Mattusch, guest curator and professor, George Mason University. In the second century BC, Roman aristocrats began to build lavish seaside villas on the picturesque Bay of Naples�in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. In the first of this five-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, Mattusch talks to Tempchin about the vacationing Roman elite who inhabited this region.

September 2008, Backstory - Nancy Anderson, curator of American and British paintings, National Gallery of Art. George de Forest Brush (1854/1855�1941) combined extraordinary technical skills acquired during several years of studio training in Paris with firsthand experience living among the Arapahoe, Shoshone, and Crow Indians in Wyoming and Montana. In the second of this two-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the exhibition George de Forest Brush: The Indian Paintings, Anderson talks to Tempchin about the social and historical contexts of Brush's Indian paintings.

September 2008, Backstory - Nancy Anderson, curator of American and British paintings, National Gallery of Art. George de Forest Brush (1854/1855�1941) combined extraordinary technical skills acquired during several years of studio training in Paris with firsthand experience living among the Arapahoe, Shoshone, and Crow Indians in Wyoming and Montana. In the first of this two-part Backstory podcast, produced on the occasion of the exhibition George de Forest Brush: The Indian Paintings, Anderson talks to Tempchin about Brush's life and his legacy.

September 2008, Art Talk - Ruth Fine, curator of special projects in modern art, National Gallery of Art, and John Elderfield, exhibition curator and chief curator emeritus of painting and sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art. Internationally acclaimed artist and native Washingtonian Martin Puryear creates monumental sculptures that recall architecture, craft traditions, and organic forms. In the second of this two-part podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Martin Puryear, the two curators converse about Elderfield's own interpretation of the artist's sculptures.

September 2008, Art Talk - Ruth Fine, curator of special projects in modern art, National Gallery of Art, and John Elderfield, exhibition curator and chief curator emeritus of painting and sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art. Internationally acclaimed artist and native Washingtonian Martin Puryear creates monumental sculptures that recall architecture, craft traditions, and organic forms. In the first of this two-part podcast, produced on the occasion of the Gallery exhibition Martin Puryear, Elderfield talks to Fine about working with the artist to develop this landmark show.

August 2008, ArtTalk- Photographer Richard Misrach and Sarah Greenough, senior curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art. Employing an aerial perspective, Richard Misrach instilled his monumental beach series with a sense of disquiet: with references to the horizon and sky eliminated, figures appear isolated and vulnerable. In the third of this three-part podcast, produced on the occasion of the exhibition Richard Misrach: On the Beach, Misrach and Greenough delve into the impact of new photographic technology on his art and the inspiration for his series.

August 2008, Art Talk - Photographer Richard Misrach and Sarah Greenough, senior curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art.Employing an aerial perspective, Richard Misrach instilled his monumental beach series with a sense of disquiet: with references to the horizon and sky eliminated, figures appear isolated and vulnerable. In the second of this three-part podcast, produced on the occasion of the exhibition Richard Misrach: On the Beach, Misrach discusses the process by which he reached his current photographic style.

August 2008, Art Talk - Photographer Richard Misrach and Sarah Greenough, senior curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art. Employing an aerial perspective, Richard Misrach instilled his monumental beach series with a sense of disquiet: with references to the horizon and sky eliminated, figures appear isolated and vulnerable. In the first of this three-part podcast, produced on the occasion of the exhibition Richard Misrach: On the Beach, he talks to Sarah Greenough about the influences and origins of his photographic career.

August 2008, Backstory - Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic Archaeology Fellow and exhibition curator. In the last of this four-part podcast Fredrik Hiebert, exhibition curator and National Geographic Archaeology Fellow, talks to host Barbara Tempchin about the luxurious gold ornaments and jewelry found at Tillya Tepe on the eve of the Soviet invasion. Produced in conjunction with the exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.

July 2008, Backstory - Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic Archaeology Fellow and exhibition curator. In the third of this four-part podcast Fredrik Hiebert, exhibition curator and National Geographic Archaeology Fellow, talks to host Barbara Tempchin about the incredible discovery from Begram, a Silk Road merchant's warehouse with the contents found completely intact. Produced in conjunction with the exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.

June 2008, Backstory - Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic Archaeology Fellow and exhibition curator. In the second of this four-part podcast Fredrik Hiebert, exhibition curator and National Geographic Archaeology Fellow, talks to host Barbara Tempchin about the A� Khanum archaeological site and the impact of Alexander the Great on the region. Produced in conjunction with the exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.