We sit down for chat with actor and art collector Russell Tovey. Surrounded by some of the beautiful pieces in his collection, we discussed his ever-growing passion for art, the new 'Talk Art' podcast, which artist he’d love to paint his portrait and, of course, his gorgeous French bulldog Rocky, who’s a star in his own right.https://artuk.org/ ...…

We speak to Anna Fineman and Sally Booth from the charity VocalEyes to learn about how blind and partially sighted people engage with visual art materials and institutions.

This week we speak to Zing Tsjeng, UK editor for Broadly and author of the 'Forgotten Women' series, about how women's contributions can get lost in history and discuss some brilliant women artists you may not have heard of.

Step into the Technicolour world of polychromy as we speak to Cecilie Brøns, Senior Researcher at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, about colour classical sculptures from Ancient Greece and Rome.

We speak to Head of Art on the Underground, Eleanor Pinfield, to find out the long history of the Tube's collaborations with artists and see what has the team 'on edge' in 2019.

Time travel back to the 1950s with us as we look into the history of the paint by number craze with our guest, William L. Bird, Jr. Find out how the art hobby became so popular, inspiring artists like Warhol and Damien Hirst.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-history-of-paint-by-number…

We speak to John Holmes about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's use of scientific methods in their art practice. What was the extent of their relationship with science, and how can we see their work in a new context if we re-examine it through this lens?https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-pre-raphaelites-relationship-with- ...…

We speak to author and Historical Consultant for the award-winning BBC series 'Horrible Histories', Greg Jenner about weird and wonderful Christmas cards from the Victorian era.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-weird-dark-and-wonderful-victorian-christmas-cards

We speak to art crime specialist Noah Charney on lost art, stolen paintings and why art crimes are the third highest grossing criminal trade behind drug and arms dealing.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-lost-art-forgeries-and-the-theft-of-the-mona-lisa

We speak to Jaleen Grove – artist and researcher in the history of illustration – about fine artists who've illustrated books, and why there's historically been a distinction been artists and illustrators.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-artists-as-book-illustrators

We chat with writer and self-proclaimed Alfred Hitchcock geek, Joel Gunz, about Alfred Hitchcock’s deep love of art and the ways the director worked with artists to incorporate fine art references in his iconic films.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-how-alfred-hitchcock-created-artful-suspense…

We speak with curator Bee Tajudeen and artist Rosa Uddoh about what #blackgirlmagic means and what it means to be a black woman working in art.

We speak with Katy Barrett, Curator of Art Collections at the Science Museum, London, about how the Science Museum Group incorporates art into its collection and exhibitions.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-art-in-the-science-museum

We talk to Corrie and Natalie from the Art History Babes podcast about the pop culture phenomenon, RuPauls Drag Race. We discuss the ‘Pop Art Ball’ episode of the series, the shows creative queens, and touch on some of the overlaps between the worlds of drag and art.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-art-of-rupauls-drag-race…

As the third series of the BBC series 'Britain's Lost Masterpieces' comes to a close, I sat down with presenter Dr Bendor Grosvenor to discuss the paintings featured in the three episodes, and to get some behind-the-scenes insight into how the show is put together.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-finding-britains-lost-mast ...…

There's a touring exhibition called 'Virginia Woolf: An Exhibition Inspired by Her Writings' exploring art through the lens of Virginia Woolf's work. We speak to the curator of the exhibition, Laura Smith, about the exhibition, feminism, and women artists' representation of self. We also catch up with contemporary artist, Venetia Berry, to get ...…

In this episode, we speak with self-proclaimed mermaid hunter, Sacha Coward, about the connections between the queer community and mythological creatures. We discuss how some of these connections came about, origins of The Little Mermaid, and where to look for these mythical creatures within art and heritage.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/a ...…

This week, we have a conversation with Todd VanDerWerff, critic at large for Vox and host of the podcast 'I Think You’re Interesting', discussing the iconic series, 'The Simpsons', and how the cartoon has used art as a way to deepen conversations around pop culture and 20th C Americana.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the- ...…

In this special episode, we look at Beyoncé and Jay Z's recently released video for 'APESH**T'. Set in the Louvre and filled with some of the most famous art in the world, the video feels like an ode to the history of art. We discuss the cultural impact of the video and how Beyoncé has been building up to this artistic moment for over a decade. ...…

How have paintings played a part in medical education? How has our approach to treating illness changed over time? And why are there so many paintings of physicians examining urine? This week’s guest, Dr Jack Hartnell, tells us about why medieval medicine doesn’t deserve its bad rap, the role art played in practising medicine, and how human ana ...…

Why did the Futurists want Italians to stop eating pasta? Would you try Henri Toulouse-Lautrec sheep’s feet recipe? On this episode we discuss the relationship between art and food via creative cookbooks by artists and chefs. Discover some famous artists who have dabbled in gastronomy and determine whether you would be brave enough to try their ...…

Have you ever thought much about the politics of fashion? How can paintings help us understand the social context of fashion throughout history? Is the woman in the famous Arnolfini portrait pregnant or does her dress make it appear that way? This week we chat with Amber Butchart, fashion historian and host of BBC’s ‘Stitch in Time’ series, abo ...…

Painting and pigments are intimately connected, but have you ever given much thought to artists’ historical relationship with colour? Yves Klein had his blue and Malevich loved black; the Impressionists formed an entire movement around light and colour. On this episode, we speak with artist Stuart Semple (creator of the pinkest pink and blackes ...…

The Met Gala is one of the biggest cultural events of the season, seeing the collision of art, celebrity and fashion. Ahead of the gala, we sit down with the ladies of Tabloid Art History to discuss the history of the event, which celebrities to watch out for, and this year’s theme of ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’. Why ...…

Are artists obsessed with redheads? Would your hairstyle be considered sexually suggestive in the past? We chat with Rachael Gibson of the Instagram account @thehairhistorian about hair trends in art history from the Egyptians to present, and decode some of the hidden messaging behind some hairstyles in art.This episode's guest:Rachael is a fre ...…

Why can some people taste words? Do you see colours while listening music? What is synaesthesia, and where does it come from? Musicians like Pharrell Williams and Billy Joel have the condition; David Hockney has discussed having sound-colour synaesthesia, and Kandinsky and Van Gogh also experienced this phenomenon. This week we explore the fasc ...…

Jay Z created a performance art piece with Marina Abramovi? and wrote a song called 'Picasso Baby'; Kanye West made a video inspired by a Vincent Desiderio painting. How – and why – have recent hip hop artists made extensive references to art in their music? This episode takes a look at how the relationship between art and hip hop has evolved, ...…

In this episode, we look at art that's skin-deep, displayed – not in galleries – but on the human body. Where does the history of tattooing meet the history of art? How have tattooed people been represented in paintings – and in the media? Why have some tattooers resisted the label of 'artist'? How did the fashion for Japanese prints among the ...…

On this episode of Art Matters, we speak with Katy Hessel, the woman behind the Instagram account, The Great Women Artists. We discuss how digital tools can help champion women artists, and how social platforms offer a voice to underrepresented communities. With this year marking 100 years since women began to gain voting rights in the UK, and ...…

In the second episode of Art Matters, we’re talking to the creators of Tabloid Art History, a Twitter account that joins up the celebrity images of today with paintings from art history. We discuss how Lindsay Lohan gives off Caravaggio vibes; the artistic merit to be found in the Real Housewives of Atlanta; and how Lady Gaga and Beyoncé have u ...…

We talk to Dr Justin Bengry about queer culture and art history. Dr Bengry is a Lecturer in Queer History at Goldsmiths, University of London and convenor of the first MA in Queer History. 2017 marked 50 years since the beginning of decriminalisation of homosexuality in the United Kingdom. It also saw Tate Britain put on a landmark exhibition, ...…