In 2020/21, I wrote and produced a series of online talks for The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, each short talk explored one work in the collection in focus. Themes in these talks include female representation, perceptions of ageing and the religious function of art.

I really enjoyed listening to this. Now I’m going to queue lots of women talking about art podcasts.

Listener

Naming the Nude

This talk, focusing on American artist George Bellow’s 1906 painting, Nude, Miss Bentham, was originally written for International Women’s Day, on 8 March 2020. I will discuss nudity, objectification, class and identity and the relationship between all of these themes in the work. To do this, I’ll be talking you through the story of the painting’s model and providing a background to the artist, whilst asking questions about how the painting can be interpreted today. This short talk owes much to the research of Deborah van den Herik, a Utrecht University postgraduate student who completed a placement at the Barber in 2015, uncovering much more information about the possible identity of ‘Miss Bentham’.

Find a transcript and image of the work here.

A Venerable Mystery: Strozzi’s Head of an Old Woman

Today I’m going to be talking about a striking painting in the collection and one of my favourites, Head of an Old Woman by the Italian artist Bernardo Strozzi (1581-1644). Depictions of women in historic art collections often conform to a type and, in my view, are not always the most inspiring role models. This portrait, however, is beautifully soulful and, for me, full of mystery. Strozzi’s Head of an Old Woman is a portrait of an elderly lady. Her heavy red eyelids penetrate the viewer, her sunken cheekbones are prominent, and her wiry grey hair is brushed back. Intense light shines on her face silhouetting her against a dark background making for an arresting image.

Find a transcript and image of the work here.

Simone Martini: Radiance & Invention

Today I’m going to be talking about a 700 year old work by Simone Martini, currently away at the National Gallery for conservation. This Christian devotional painting of Saint John the Evangelist speaks of the unique nature of spiritual artworks.

Devotional images such as this developed from the Byzantine tradition of icon painting. Made from at least the seventh century onwards, an icon was an image of Christ or holy figure painted on a small panel and used as an object of devotion in the Eastern Church. Today the term icon has evolved to refer to an object of fame and importance or, more recently a digital symbol to access software. Both of these meanings hint at the importance of the figures depicted in religious icons and their use as a portal to another realm.

Find a transcript and image of the work here.