Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

Who Arted is art history and art education for everyone. While most art history podcasts focus on the traditional "fine art" we see in museums around the world, Who ARTed celebrates art in all of its forms and in terms anyone can understand. Each episode tells the story of a different artist and artwork including the traditional big names like Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol along with lesser-known artists working in such diverse media as video game design, dance, the culinary arts, and more. Who Arted is written and produced by an art teacher with the goal of creating a classroom resource that makes art history fun and accessible to everyone. Whether you are cramming for your AP Art History exam, trying to learn a few facts so you can sound smart at fashionable dinner parties, or just looking to hear something with a more positive tone, we’ve got you covered with episodes every Monday and Friday.

  1. Caravaggio | The Calling of Saint Matthew

    2D AGO

    Caravaggio | The Calling of Saint Matthew

    Michelangelo Merisi, born in 1571 amidst the darkness of the plague, would come to be known not by his christened name but by the name of his birthplace – Caravaggio. Orphaned young, the specter of loss would forever paint itself onto the canvas of his life. Yet, from this darkness, a genius of light and shadow would emerge, revolutionizing the art world with his raw and dramatic style. While controversial in some circles, this mix of gritty realism and the divine was exactly what the Catholic church needed at the time. The Protestant Reformation was a backlash against what they considered to be a corrupt and greedy church. The Pope and others within the church commissioned art as a form of damage control. In an era of low literacy rates, images of artworks were powerful tools to spread ideas. Caravaggio’s paintings depicted a faith that was humble as he painted from his real-life observations of people on the streets. Though the subjects of the art were saints, the models were lowly people off the streets and Caravaggio painted every detail down to the stains in their clothing or dirt under their fingernails. The message was that the church was a place for the ordinary people. Using real people as models and placing them in settings familiar to the masses made the stories more immediately accessible and relatable. The Calling of Saint Matthew is one of 250 artworks required for AP Art History. While I have not yet covered all of those artists/works you can find many on my Spotify playlist,⁠ AP Art History Cram Session This is an encore presentation. Every January/February, I release daily episodes to refresh everyone's memory on the 64 artists and artworks that will be included in my Arts Madness Tournament held in March. While most of these daily episodes will be reruns, I will continue publishing new episodes on Mondays.  Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    15 min
  2. Rachel Whiteread | Embankment

    3D AGO

    Rachel Whiteread | Embankment

    Rachel Whiteread is a prominent British sculptor and a leading figure among the Young British Artists (YBAs) who rose to prominence in the late 1980s. Unlike the provocative work of her peers, Whiteread’s art is characterized by a quiet, minimalist focus on "negative space"—the empty air inside or around everyday objects. By casting these voids in industrial materials like plaster, resin, and concrete, she transforms the mundane into the monumental. Her breakthrough work, Ghost (1990), involved casting the entire interior of a Victorian living room, effectively turning a familiar domestic space into a haunting, solid artifact that captures subtle details like light switches and wallpaper textures in reverse. In 1993, Whiteread became the first woman to win the Turner Prize, solidified by her controversial public sculpture, House, where she cast an entire three-story Victorian home in London. Her career continued with significant international commissions, including the Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial in Vienna, also known as the Nameless Library, which serves as a poignant tribute to victims through the imagery of inverted, unreadable books. One of her most massive undertakings was Embankment (2005) at the Tate Modern, consisting of 14,000 translucent polyethylene boxes. Inspired by a box found while clearing her mother’s home, the installation explored themes of memory and the "unforgettable forgotten," utilizing the box as a universal symbol for how humans store and organize their histories. Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    11 min
  3. The Alexander Mosaic in the House of Faun, Pompeii

    FEB 13

    The Alexander Mosaic in the House of Faun, Pompeii

    The Alexander Mosaic, also known as the Battle of Issus Mosaic, is a masterpiece of ancient Roman artistry that continues to captivate viewers with its detailed depiction of a pivotal moment in history. Unearthed in the House of the Faun in Pompeii, this intricate mosaic offers a glimpse into the military prowess, political ambition, and cultural exchange of the ancient world. The mosaic captures the dramatic clash between Alexander the Great of Macedon and Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE. The scene is filled with action, showcasing the chaos and intensity of the battlefield. Alexander, depicted on horseback, charges towards Darius, who recoils in fear on his chariot. The mosaic portrays the emotional turmoil of the moment, with soldiers engaged in fierce combat, fallen horses, and the palpable sense of impending doom for the Persian army. This is an encore presentation. Every January/February, I release daily episodes to refresh everyone's memory on the 64 artists and artworks that will be included in my Arts Madness Tournament held in March. While most of these daily episodes will be reruns, I will continue publishing new episodes on Mondays.  Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    15 min
4.7
out of 5
136 Ratings

About

Who Arted is art history and art education for everyone. While most art history podcasts focus on the traditional "fine art" we see in museums around the world, Who ARTed celebrates art in all of its forms and in terms anyone can understand. Each episode tells the story of a different artist and artwork including the traditional big names like Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol along with lesser-known artists working in such diverse media as video game design, dance, the culinary arts, and more. Who Arted is written and produced by an art teacher with the goal of creating a classroom resource that makes art history fun and accessible to everyone. Whether you are cramming for your AP Art History exam, trying to learn a few facts so you can sound smart at fashionable dinner parties, or just looking to hear something with a more positive tone, we’ve got you covered with episodes every Monday and Friday.

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