PORTRAITS

National Portrait Gallery
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PORTRAITS

Art, biography, history and identity collide in this podcast from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Join Director Kim Sajet as she chats with artists, historians, and thought leaders about the big and small ways that portraits shape our world.

  1. Sitting (Still) For History

    19 NOV

    Sitting (Still) For History

    Every time a president leaves office they're asked to do something that might not come naturally-- sit still, be quiet and surrender to someone else's work. In other words, they have their portrait painted. The National Portrait Gallery and the White House Historical Association both commission portraits of the outgoing president and first lady. Several of the paintings have become iconic images, stamped on history. Others have been known to stop viewers in their tracks. Some have been unloved.  In this episode Kim and WHHA president Stewart McLaurin compare notes on some of the most storied paintings of first couples in their care. See the portraits we discussed: George Washington (Lansdowne portrait), by Gilbert Stuart John F. Kennedy, by Aaron Shikler Lyndon B. Johnson, by Peter Hurd Lyndon B. Johnson, by Elizabeth Shoumatoff Michelle Obama, by Sharon Sprung Michelle Obama, by Amy Sherald

    24 min
  2. Women Who Dared

    5 NOV

    Women Who Dared

    In 1872, decades before women were legally allowed to vote, Victoria Woodhull made an audacious run for the White House. The press ridiculed her stance on 'free love' and she spent election night in jail. But she had put the first small crack in one of the thickest glass ceilings around. Twelve years later Belva Lockwood, the first woman to argue before the Supreme Court, took another swing at it.  We celebrate Election Day with a look back at some of the first women who dared to run for the highest office in the United States, including Sen. Margaret Chase Smith and Rep. Shirley Chisholm. They ran against long odds, but they had grit and they got the ball rolling. With Smithsonian curator Lisa Kathleen Graddy, and journalism historian Teri Finneman. See the portraits we discussed: Victoria Woodhull, unidentified artist Get Thee Behind Me, (Mrs.) Satin! by Thomas Nast Belva Lockwood, by Nellie Mathes Horne Margaret Chase Smith, by Ernest Hamlin Baker Shirley Chisholm, unidentified artist Further reading: Press Portrayals of Women Politicians, 1870s - 2000s, by Teri Finneman  Belva Lockwood: The Woman Who Would Be President, by Jill Norgren The Woman Who Ran for President: The Many Lives of Victoria Woodhull, by Lois Beachy Underhill No Place For A Woman: A Life of Senator Margaret Chase Smith, by Janann Sherman The Good Fight, by Shirley Chisholm Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics, by Anastasia C. Curwood

    27 min
  3. Campaigns Past: Cowboy Hats and Hard Cider

    22 OCT

    Campaigns Past: Cowboy Hats and Hard Cider

    With Election Day just around the corner, we go back in time to figure out how early presidential candidates got their message, and their image, in front of voters. It wasn't easy. Asking directly for people's vote was seen as undignified, so candidates mostly stayed home in the early 1800s. As a result, most Americans didn't know for sure what their candidates looked like, or sounded like. Kim speaks with curator Claire Jerry,  from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, about the stream of new technologies-- from printing to photography to radio-- that transformed political advertising and gave candidates a more direct line of communication with the American people. See the portraits and campaign materials we discussed: William Henry Harrison campaign button Abraham Lincoln, by Mathew Brady Abraham Lincoln campaign button Franklin D. Roosevelt at microphone Ronald Reagan poster

    25 min
  4. Season 6 Trailer

    SEASON 6, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Season 6 Trailer

    We're back! Season six of PORTRAITS hits your feed Oct. 22 with a new slate of shows that use artwork to decode our world. Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, talks with guests about presidential campaigns, scientific discoveries and some of the currents running through today’s cultural landscape.

    2 min
  5. From The Vault: ART-ificial Intelligence

    22 AUG

    From The Vault: ART-ificial Intelligence

    As AI art gets more and more sophisticated, how do we tell the difference between a portrait that’s created by a human being – with a soul – and art that’s created by a complex algorithm? And if we can’t tell the difference, will artists be out of a job? Oxford mathematician Marcus du Sautoy explains how AI art works, and why he thinks code can actually help artists to expand their creative universe. But there’s one big question that remains: What does AI art tell us about the inner world of AI itself? See the portraits we discussed: Edmond de Belamy, published by Obvious Art The Next Rembrandt, brainchild of Bas Korsten Kim Sajet, generated by AI Kim Sajet, by Devon Rodriguez You can see Prof. Marcus du Sautoy’s ‘Creativity Code’ lecture here.

    24 min

  6. 8 AUG

    Blink: First, Put The Camera Down

    In this mini episode from our 'Blink' series, Rick Chapman shares stories from photographing elite athletes who have competed in the Olympic Games. The first step, he says, is to put the camera down. The second is not to talk about sports too much. Rick's ESPY Collection, for ESPN, features 40 celebrity athletes, including boxers, tennis stars and basketball royalty. You can find it here. See the portraits we discussed: Venus Williams, black and white Venus Williams, color Shaun White, black and white Shaun White, color

    7 min
  7. Blink: First Photo Of A First Lady

    1 AUG

    Blink: First Photo Of A First Lady

    Dolley Madison was eight years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed, and 40 when her husband James became president. In her late 70s she sat for a photograph, becoming the first (former) first lady to do so. Then, this summer, the National Portrait Gallery acquired it. In this mini 'Blink' episode, Kim speaks with Ann Shumard, senior curator of photographs, to hear how this rare daguerreotype came to light and how the Gallery was able to buy it. See the photograph here.

    7 min
  8. From the Vault: Social Media And The Subway

    18 JULY

    From the Vault: Social Media And The Subway

    There are not many portrait artists who get recognized on the street, but it happens to Devon Rodriguez all the time. After quietly honing his skill for a decade, Devon started posting videos of his live drawings of New York City subway commuters to social media. The videos took off, earning him some 50 million followers and placing portraiture in front of a huge new audience. Kim speaks with Devon about the mentors who had his back, and this new model for showing art— not in museums, but on screens. See the portraits we discussed: Kim Sajet, by Devon Rodriguez John Ahearn, by Devon Rodriguez “The Rodriguez Twins,” by John Ahearn María Elena Estrada, by Devon Rodriguez Devon Rodriguez draws Kim Sajet, Instagram

    21 min
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About

Art, biography, history and identity collide in this podcast from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Join Director Kim Sajet as she chats with artists, historians, and thought leaders about the big and small ways that portraits shape our world.

Information

  • Creator
    National Portrait Gallery
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
  • Show Website
    PORTRAITS

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