Stuff About Things: An Art History Podcast

Howdy, you rootin' tootin' listener! This episode is the second in a two-part series on the Benin Bronzes, a group of a few thousand objects looted from the Kingdom of Benin in 1897. This episode covers the 1897 Benin Punitive Expedition, the subsequent scattering of the bronzes throughout the world, demands for the bronzes to be sent back to Nigeria, and why museums are saying “no” (or, in some cases, “NEIN!”). Come for the commentary about why eight British dudes need 250 African soldiers to carry their bags, stay in spite of the sarcasm sneezes.

Ahoy, there! This episode is the first in a two-part series exploring the Benin Bronzes, a body of several thousand objects in bronze and brass that were looted from the Kingdom of Benin by the British in 1897. In this episode, we explore the historical and cultural context in which these magnificent bronze works were created, used, and beloved before talking about the bronzes themselves: what do they show? For what purposes were they made? What in the heck is lost wax casting? Come for the knowledge, stay in spite of my terrible pronunciation of Edo words/names.

Will your biographer say you died from "amorous excesses"? Are you saving yourself for unicorn hunting? Have you ever heard of death by spiked wheel? You do now! In this episode, we dive deep into an alleged Raphael masterpiece known as the portrait of a Young Woman with a Unicorn. Come for the art historical facts, stay for the excursus on the benefits of hosting a two year old's birthday party. **contains mild language and a few innuendos**

All hail the queen of monsters, Niki de Saint Phalle! This episode is a deep dive into Niki de Saint Phalle, her career, and the culmination of her life’s work: the Giardino dei Tarocchi, or Tarot Garden. Come for the facts, stay in spite of the bad puns. #nikidesaintphalle #tarot #giardinodeitarocchi #tarotgarden #nana #monumental #sculpture #tinguely #modernart #arthistory #arthistorian #arteducation #pesciafiorentina

Columns, thorns, and superscriptions, oh my! This episode is a deep-dive--not into the Tiber River but rather the almost 2000 year history of the Ponte Sant'Angelo in Rome, Italy. It includes background on the bridge's ancient past, a little dip into the biography of Gianlorenzo Bernini, and even an excursus on the bridge's appearance in cinematic masterpieces (ahem...)such as Angels & Demons. Come for the angels, stay in spite of my professed desire to become enmeshed in a murder-mystery situation.

Good God, dear Basil! There is a podcast episode about your portrait of Dorian Gray! Just kidding. Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray aren't real, but Oscar Wilde, Ivan Albright, and the many Pictures of Dorian Gray certainly are! This episode is a deep dive into Ivan Albright's sickeningly masterful Picture of Dorian Gray, which the artist painted for the 1945 movie adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novel. Come for the portraits, stay for my take on supernatural Egyptian cats that drive movie plots! Happy listening.

Lambeau, Lombardi, and Leaps! This episode finishes the two-part series on the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field Stadium, from 1959 to today. Note: edited as of 11/19/2020 to remove a meaner-than-necessary jab at Brett Favre that I felt bad about in retrospect. Sorry, #4.

Meat packing! Hot pretzels! Stock options! As a podcast love letter to my hometown, this episode (part one of two) covers the early history of the Green Bay Packers, including the first iteration of what will eventually become known as the famous... the infamous... Lambeau Field Stadium. Come for the history, stay for the declarations of me not being a "football scientist."

Ghosts, glass, and guns, oh my! The Winchester Mystery House stands as one of the greatest houses in American history... and not just because it is allegedly haunted. Join me for this deep dive into the house and its history, including that of its patroness, Mrs. Sarah Winchester. Come for the spirits, stay for the stories!

Napoleon! Barack Obama! Charles I! LL Cool J! What do all these dudes have in common? They were all painted (more or less) by contemporary artist, Kehinde Wiley. This episode is a deep dive into how Kehinde Wiley is working to make art history a more inclusive space, one work of art at a time. #BlackArtistsMatter

Plague! Corpse dismemberment! Pretty costumes! Derpy greyhounds! Necrotic Herbs! This episode has a little bit of everything. It takes you on a journey through five centuries to discuss the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s obsession with Boccaccio’s story about a young woman named Lisabetta and her most beloved pot o’basil. Come for the learning, stay in spite of my telling you how to carry the body of a full-grown man up dorm stairs.

Mineralogists! Lapidary tools! The human crrrrrranium! This episode is an art historical deep-dive into the origins of the so-called "crystal skulls" and the people who made them famous.

Eggs! Bricks! Spine o' the fish! This episode covers a biggie, both figuratively and literally! Brunelleschi's dome for the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy. With this project, Brunelleschi pulled off the impossible, utilizing 4 million bricks to build what remains the world's largest masonry dome. Come for the dome, stay for the random story about the martyred, seemingly fire-proof Saint Reparata. Happy listening!

Heads on sticks! Heads in wax! Heads in trunks! This hour-long episode is a deep dive into the life and work of Anna Maria Grosholtz... though you may call her Madame Tussaud. This episode covers it all—from little Marie’s birth in 1761 to the present-day process of making a new celebrity waxworks! Come for the wax heads, stay in spite of the bad French accent.

Clocks, candy, and human connection, oh my! This episode is a deep-dive into the work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, a Cuban-born American artist active in the 1980s and 1990s. FGT was known for his use of "non-traditional" materials and his artistic engagement with the HIV/AIDs epidemic. This episode touches on a little on it all. Come for the knowledge, stay for the random digression into the dangers of beaded curtains.

Steel, drunken brawls, creeper derricks, oh my! Episode 17 is a deep dive into the development, design, and construction of Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. Come for the facts, stay for (or in spite of) the bad jokes! Happy listening.

Immortality, mercury, and 7,000 warriors, oh my! Episode 16 covers the mausoleum and terracotta army of China's first emperor and a supremely odd duck, Qin Shi Huangdi. Come for the knowledge, stay despite my terrible Chinese pronunciation!

Cobras, canaries, and curses, oh my! This episode is the second half of a two-part deep dive into the discovery of King Tut's tomb, beginning with the discovery of the tomb in early November of 1922. You also get to hear me gush about my love of the 1999 cinematic masterpiece, The Mummy.

A boy pharaoh, a tempestuous archaeologist, and a rich English aristocrat walk into a bar... This episode is part one of a two part episode duology on the discovery of King Tut's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922. Part I covers years 1350 BCE - 1922, from Tutankhamun to telegrams. The story continues in Part II, which covers the discovery and its aftermath.

Episode 13 is a deep dive into a mysterious object indeed: The Shroud of Turin. Listen to a skeptic (me!) work through the history of the shroud, the controversies surrounding it, and the arguments for its authenticity or its forgery. Gospels, arson, rogue restorations, oh my!