Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

Tiziano Vecellio, known simply as Titian, stands as the central figure of the Venetian Renaissance, dominating the art world for over sixty years with his revolutionary approach to color and composition. Renowned for his specific "Titian Red" and the lavish application of expensive ultramarine blue derived from Afghan lapis lazuli, Titian elevated the status of the artist from craftsman to nobility. His career included prestigious roles as court painter for Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Philip II of Spain, where he pioneered the concept of poesie, arguing that painting was a liberal art of visual poetry equal to literature. Bacchus and Ariadne (1520–1523) was commissioned by the Duke of Ferrara to replace a work originally intended for Raphael. This canvas bridges the gap between classical mythology and dynamic Renaissance storytelling. The painting captures the precise moment the wine god Bacchus leaps from his cheetah-drawn chariot to save the abandoned Princess Ariadne, freezing a narrative of heartbreak and instant love in time. From the referencing of the Laocoön statue to the constellation of the Northern Crown, Titian’s work exemplifies how loose, expressive brushwork and rich pigmentation can bring ancient myths to vibrant life. If you would like to suggest a future topic, head over to WhoARTedPodcast.com/vote and let me know what artist/artwork I should cover next. 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: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frederic Edwin Church stands as a titan of nineteenth-century American art, renowned for transforming landscape painting into a high-stakes blend of scientific exploration and cinematic spectacle. A star pupil of Thomas Cole, Church pivoted from his mentor’s moral allegories to embrace a rigorous "scientific realism" inspired by the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. This dedication led him to retrace Humboldt's paths through South America and the Arctic, documenting the "physiognomy of nature" with such botanical and geological precision that his canvases served as both high art and field research. His 1859 exhibition of The Heart of the Andes revolutionized art marketing; by charging admission to a darkened, theatrically lit room where viewers used opera glasses to inspect microscopic details, Church pioneered the concept of the "blockbuster" exhibition. The artist's legacy is physically immortalized at Olana, his Persian-style estate in the Hudson Valley, which he designed as a living three-dimensional landscape. Even as rheumatoid arthritis forced him to adapt his technique later in life, Church’s work continued to bridge the gap between the terrestrial and the celestial. His 1865 masterpiece, Aurora Borealis, exemplifies this intersection, capturing the eerie translucence of the northern lights through meticulous layers of oil glazes. Created at the close of the American Civil War, the painting serves as a profound meditation on the sublime—juxtaposing the fragility of the human spirit, represented by a ship trapped in ice, against the vast, terrifying power of the natural world. What artist/artworks would you like to learn about? Who should I include in next year's Arts Madness Tournament? Give me your suggestions at ⁠www.WhoARTedPodcast.com/vote⁠ 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: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tamara de Lempicka remains the definitive icon of the Art Deco era, blending polished Cubist techniques with the glamorous, high-stakes atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties. From her harrowing escape during the Russian Revolution to her transformation into a Parisian socialite and eventually a Hollywood favorite, her life was a calculated masterpiece of self-invention. Her signature style, characterized by "soft Cubism" and metallic, architectural lighting, captured the spirit of the "New Woman"—independent, liberated, and sophisticated. Known for her relentless self-promotion and a portfolio of portraits that defined modern luxury, she became a favorite of the European aristocracy and the American film elite alike. The legendary self-portrait Tamara in a Green Bugatti serves as a focal point for understanding both the artist and the Art Deco movement. This work embodies the era's obsession with speed, industry, and geometric precision, rejecting the organic curves of Art Nouveau in favor of sleek, machine-age aesthetics. Although she famously curated her public persona—even swapping her modest yellow Renault for a high-performance Bugatti on canvas—Lempicka’s influence on the world of fashion and fine art remains undeniable. 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: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is David Hunt, the creator of Earthboard. Earthboard is an earth-sized collaborative mural where you claim real-world locations and doodle over famous landmarks across the globe. Draw King Kong climbing the Eiffel Tower, or collaborate with a famous artist in Tokyo, all in real time. Because all art is created inside the app, Earthboard is the first platform where human creativity is architecturally guaranteed. No AI-generated work, period. Every drawing has a limited lifespan, but what you inspire doesn't. Your work lives on in the permanent archive and in the pieces other artists build on top of yours. Earthboard is available now on IOS visit Earthboard.art to learn more Related episodes: Jason deCaires Taylor Marcel Duchamp 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: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 1912 to 1948, medals were awarded for artistic creations inspired by sport, alongside those for athletic prowess. This unique fusion of disciplines was the brainchild of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, who envisioned the Games as a celebration of both physical and intellectual pursuits. Coubertin's vision for the modern Olympics extended far beyond athleticism. He believed in the holistic development of the individual, emphasizing the importance of both physical and intellectual pursuits. This philosophy stemmed from his deep admiration for the ancient Greek ideal of "kalokagathia," which represented the harmonious balance of body and mind. In 1894, Coubertin's efforts culminated in the establishment of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. The art competitions were introduced at the 1912 Stockholm Games, featuring five categories: architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture. A total of 146 artists were awarded Olympic medals for their artistic creations between 1912 and 1948. Tell me which artists/artworks you want me to cover in future episodes at WhoARTedPodcast.com/vote 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: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices