The Lives Of The Artists

Meet Johno Verity, who calls himself a practical insomniac with a pink hat that delves into London history on his bike. Riding around at the break of dawn discussing everything from Boudicca to the Gin craze and how to be more present in your own life. In this podcast we also discuss his own creative life, his journey in social media, as well as his father's artistic life. Simon Verity who was a highly respected sculptor and master stone carver whose career was rooted in classical craftsmanship, working on major ecclesiastical and restoration projects, including carvings for historic cathedrals.

Susie Hodge is a bestselling author who has written over 160 books on art, art history, history and artistic techniques. Susie's other activities include lectures, talks and practical workshops, plus television and radio talks and documentaries about art.

This is the story of Caravaggio’s crazy life , he lived fast and violently, rising in Rome as a brilliant but volatile painter whose raw realism shocked the art world. In 1606 he killed Ranuccio Tomassoni, during a dispute and was forced to flee Rome with a death sentence over his head. He moved through Naples and then to Malta, where he briefly found favour with the Knights of St John before falling into trouble again and escaping imprisonment. From there he drifted through Sicily, producing some of his darkest, most stripped-back works while constantly on the run. Hoping for a pardon, he tried to return toward Rome, but in 1610 he died under unclear circumstances in Porto Ercole, exhausted, sick, and still a fugitive. In this episode we explore what really happened. 

Jacopo Robusti 1518-1594, best known as Tintoretto was an Italian Renaissance painter from Venice. His contemporaries both admired and criticised the speed with which he painted and the unprecedented boldness of his brushwork. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed il Furioso (Italian for 'the Furious'). His work is characterised by muscular figures, dramatic gestures and bold use of perspective, in the Mannerist style. He is one of the greatest artists to come out of the golden age of Venetian painting and his influence on art is massive. In this conversation with Paolo Vojnovic I discuss his life and works in detail and explain how he influenced generations of artists.

Joseph Bucklow is a painter originally from Yorkshire who now lives and works in London. He studied History (BA) at the University of Glasgow before completing an MA in Fine Art at City & Guilds of London Art School in Kennington in 2019. He currently works full-time as an artist based in Notting Hill.   Drawing on imagination, memory, and photography as sources of inspiration, Bucklow’s paintings depict landscapes, urban scenes, and the people within them, all marked by a strong cinematic and theatrical influence. His imagery often takes the form of brooding, half-seen poetic visions that blur the boundaries between nostalgia and history, theatre and reality.   These semi-imagined settings offer viewers a glimpse into worlds that feel both familiar and unknown. The work evokes a sense of faded recollection alongside the tension and energy of the unexplored, providing just enough visual information for orientation while leaving space for uncertainty and introspection.   Bucklow’s painting style combines illustrative linework and detail with expressive, gestural brushstrokes, layering techniques to construct environments in which the mind is invited to wander and reflect. His images encourage contemplation of the forgotten and mundane aspects of the everyday, while elevating the sense of solitude and the peace found in seclusion. The works provide a space for intensely private moments often experienced within vast, expansive settings.

Geordie Greig, is an English journalist. He has been the editor-in-chief of The Independent since January 2023, and was the editor of the Daily Mail from 2018 to 2021 and the Mail on Sunday from 2012 to 2018. He was taken to a Freud exhibition as a teenager and became fascinated by the man. As a student journalist he tried repeatedly to get the notoriously private and infamously confrontational Freud to agree to an interview, but always without response. Many years later, while editor of Tatler, he did convince Freud to write a short piece about painting for the magazine; he was also successful some years later in convincing him to revisit this manifesto' and update it. But the basis for his book 'Breakfast With Lucian' is that many years later Greig went on to become a regular breakfast companion of Freud's at the artist's favourite Local restaurant, Clarke's, just a few streets away from the eighteenth century townhouse that was Freud's home and studio in Kensington. It was here during the hour or two before Freud's long working days began, while the restaurant was closed to all but Freud and his guests, that they would meet, usually with Freud's assistant David Dawson, for food, gossip, conversation and confidences. In this podcast we discuss his time and friendship with Lucian Freud.

Nick Cox is a specialist dealer in portraiture from the 17th century to the 20th century. He became very well known through his original social media content and travels extensively to source his ever changing stock, which includes quality oil paintings, drawings and mezzotints from both British and European artists.

A conversation with the world's greatest art forger. David Henty is a former master forger. Acclaimed as 'the brushstroke alchemist,' his works are renowned for the accuracy and authenticity with which he paints perfect copies of original works by master painters. Henty copies works by Caravaggio, Pablo Picasso, Amadeo Modigliani, Vincent Van Gogh, Jean-Michel Basquiat and others. Many of Henty's forgeries have been sold by art dealers and auction houses as original works and are unknowingly included in many collections around the world.

L.S. Lowry was an English artist. His drawings and paintings mainly depict Pendlebury, Lancashire (where he lived and worked for more than 40 years as well as Salford and its vicinity. Lowry painted scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures, often referred to as "matchstick men". He also painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished "marionette" works, which were only found after his death. He was fascinated by the sea, and painted pure seascapes, depicting only sea and sky, from the early 1940s. His use of stylised figures which cast no shadows, and lack of weather effects in many of his landscapes led critics to label him a naive "Sunday painter". Lowry holds the record for rejecting British honours-five, including a knighthood (1968). A collection of his work is on display in The Lowry, a purpose-built art gallery on Salford Quays. On 26 June 2013, a major retrospective opened at the Tate Britain in London, his first at the gallery; in 2014 his first solo exhibition outside the UK was held in Nanjing, China.

Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence around 1445 and rose to prominence under the patronage of the powerful Medici family, especially Lorenzo de’ Medici. In their cultured circle he painted refined mythological works like Primnavera and The Birth of Venus, images that defined the elegance of the Florentine Renaissance. But after Lorenzo’s death in 1492, Florence changed. The fiery preacher Girolamo Savonarola denounced luxury and pagan art, predicting divine punishment and even an apocalyptic turning point around 1500. Botticelli fell under his influence; his later paintings grew darker, more religious, and stripped of classical sensuality. When Savonarola was executed in 1498, the spiritual fervour collapsed, and so did Botticelli’s standing. Tastes shifted, new masters like Leonardo and Michelangelo dominated, and Botticelli died in 1510 relatively poor and largely forgotten, his earlier brilliance eclipsed by the very religious zeal he had embraced.

Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence around 1445 and rose to prominence under the patronage of the powerful Medici family, especially Lorenzo de’ Medici. In their cultured circle he painted refined mythological works like Primavera and The Birth of Venus, images that defined the elegance of the Florentine Renaissance. But after Lorenzo’s death in 1492, Florence changed. The fiery preacher Girolamo Savonarola denounced luxury and pagan art, predicting divine punishment and even an apocalyptic turning point around 1500. Botticelli fell under his influence; his later paintings grew darker, more religious, and stripped of classical sensuality. When Savonarola was executed in 1498, the spiritual fervour collapsed, and so did Botticelli’s standing. Tastes shifted, new masters like Leonardo and Michelangelo dominated, and Botticelli died in 1510 relatively poor and largely forgotten, his earlier brilliance eclipsed by the very religious zeal he had embraced.

Richard Kitson is a portrait and figurative artist based in South Yorkshire. His work has been featured in prestigious exhibitions, including the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, London, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize, Figurative Art Now, and the Cork Street Open. Kitson has exhibited across the UK and internationally and was a participant in Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2018. His paintings are held in a variety of public and private collections, and he continues to offer portrait commissions and workshops.

From ancient Greece to Picasso ~ in this talk I present a grand overview of the history and origins of oil painting in the Low Countries, the regions in Europe that the technique really took hold, all the way through to the British landscape artists impact and ultimate influence of French Impressionism to Picasso and the birth of modern art. Special thanks to The Chapel in Bruton for putting on such a wonderful evening with a great turn out from a hugely generous and enthusiastic audience 🙏

Armando Cabba is a Paris-based Canadian artist whose work bridges portraiture and abstraction, known especially for richly coloured, figurative paintings that explore the emotional and psychological presence of his subjects with close attention to detail and nuance. Born in Montreal, he studied fine art at Concordia University and briefly at the Florence Academy of Art before working independently in Italy and eventually settling in Paris, where he now creates and exhibits his work, which has entered private collections across Europe and North America. His practice often emphasises the intimate relationship between artist and sitter and engages contemporary themes, including body positivity and social commentary, while maintaining a strong technical grounding in realism.

John Singer Sargent was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Belle Époque and Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolours, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings. In this episode of 'The Lives Of The Artists' podcast I go live with eminent art historian Paola Vojnovic and we discuss his life and work.

Dr Ben Street is an art historian and educator based in London. He received his PhD in 2024 from the University of East Anglia. His research is on Philip Guston’s late paintings and their engagement with historical Italian art. Ben is also the author of numerous books including How to Enjoy Art: A Guide for Everyone (Yale, 2021), the award-winning children’s book How to Be an Art Rebel (Thames & Hudson, 2021), which has been translated into five languages, and 200 Words to Help You Talk about Art (Lawrence King, 2020). He writes for Gagosian Quarterly, Apollo, the Times Literary Supplement and Art Review and is a contributing writer to many museums and gallery publications. He is a lecturer and tutor for several museums and universities. These include the University of Oxford, the University of East Anglia, the University of East London, the National Gallery, Tate, the Royal Academy, Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Wallace Collection.

The Tate Britain exhibition 'Turner & Constable: Rivals and Originals' offers a landmark overview of Britain's two greatest landscape painters, exploring their parallel careers, contrasting personalities, and intense rivalry through over 170 works, marking their 250th birth anniversaries (Turner in 2025, Constable in 2026). The exhibition showcases masterpieces and rarely seen personal items, revealing how their different approaches to landscape. Turner's "poetry" versus Constable's "truth" which challenged art conventions and left a lasting legacy, with works often displayed side-by-side as they were in their own time. In this episode of 'The Lives Of The Artists' podcast, Director of The Florence Academy, Artist and Art Historian and I discuss these two titans of British art. Their lives, careers, work, how they fit into the greater story of art history and defined British landscape painting still to this day.

James Hayes is an acclaimed portrait painter who lives and works in St Paul’s Studios on Talgarth Road in London which are a distinctive row of late-Victorian Arts & Crafts-style live-work houses built in 1891 by architect Frederick Wheeler with huge north-facing windows to give painters and other artists superb natural light, and they quickly became a celebrated enclave for creative figures in west London. Painting exclusively from life, Hayes's approach relies heavily upon the mastery of natural light, an adept eye for composition and the preparation of his own pigments and canvases.

John Hall is a passionate arts educator, lecturer and guide, based in London and Italy. Director of the John Hall Venice Course, tour leader for Kirker Holidays and of independent tours in Italy. Designer and host of a series of art talks and events for the Soho House group of private member's clubs.

Ralph Steadman is a legendary and wildly inventive British illustrator best known for his explosive, ink-splattered drawings that helped define the visual identity of Hunter S. Thompson's Gonzo journalism. Born in 1936, Steadman's work spans everything from satirical takes on American politics to illustrated editions of Alice in Wonderland, always carrying that unmistakable mix of humour, darkness, and rebellious energy. His art doesn't just depict a scene; it punches through it, demanding the viewer feel the absurdity of the world as fiercely as he does.

Andrew Graham-Dixon is a British art critic, art historian, and broadcaster known for his passionate, eloquent storytelling about art and artists. Educated at Oxford and the Courtauld Institute, he has presented acclaimed BBC documentaries, blending deep scholarship with vivid narrative flair. His writing, insightful, witty, and often poetic, bridges the gap between academic analysis and emotional engagement, making the history of art feel alive, dramatic, and profoundly human. In this episode of ‘The Lives Of The Artists’ podcast we discuss Johannes Vermeer’s life and Andrew’s new book about him ‘Vermeer, A Life Lost And Found’.

Morag Caister, is a figurative artist who gained widespread acclaim as the winner of Sky Art's Portrait Artist of the Year TV series, and has been honoured with nominations for Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe: Art & Culture and inclusion in the Evening Standard's Art Power List 2023.

Eldin Smajlovic is a Bosnian artist, art historian and writer from Srebrenica, raised in Sarajevo. Trained in classical art, in the tradition of the old masters (printmaking, painting, design and drawing) he was expelled from the Sarajevo Academy for his outspoken advocacy, particularly in defense of LGBTQ+ rights. He later relocated to Sweden, continuing his artistic education at Valand Academy. As the creator of The Immortal Art Podcast and the The Immortal Art YouTube channel, Eldin Smajlovic is presenting chronological art history, from 78,000 years ago to now. He is currently finishing European Upper Palaeolithic. He speaks with artists, historians, art historians and reaserchers about art.

Erin is MyArtBroker's “Excuse Me” Girl, who asks the public what work of art they'd love to own and why. When she's not interviewing people with her paintbrush mic, she's the Commissioning Editor of Edition Magazine, devising content for art lovers and collectors. Erin joined MyArtBroker after completing her MA in Fashion History at the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2022, and graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2021 with a BA in History of Art.

Tim Benson (b. 1978, London) is a contemporary British oil painter renowned for his expressive figurative works, especially portraits, that go beyond mere likeness to evoke character and mood. Educated at Glasgow School of Art and Byam Shaw School of Art (1998–2001), he honed his craft through intense studio practice and self‑directed learning. Elected President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 2018 and a member of the New English Art Club the same year, Benson exhibits widely across the UK and often works with NGOs to create portraits that amplify marginalized voices.

Art Historian, Author, Content Creator, and Presenter. Tatyana brings art to life with engaging books, videos, blog posts, podcast episodes, online courses, and more, offering a fresh perspective on works of art from across the globe.

Sara Frazetta is the granddaughter of legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta and a key figure in preserving and promoting his artistic legacy. As co-founder of Frazetta Girls, a company she helped create to celebrate and license her grandfather’s work, Sara has played a central role in reintroducing Frank Frazetta’s iconic imagery to new generations through apparel, books, exhibitions, and collaborations across pop culture. Beyond business, she’s become a vocal advocate for creative independence, often speaking about the power of imagination and the importance of family in stewarding an artist’s vision. With her blend of entrepreneurial spirit and deep personal connection to Frazetta’s mythic world, Sara has helped solidify his place as a titan of visual storytelling.

Ru Knox is a British visual artist based in London, whose practice evolved from classical portraiture to immersive, abstract figurative painting. Originally trained in architectural interior design and academic oil painting in Italy, he began his career fulfilling private portrait commissions and exhibiting in respected venues like Mall Galleries and the Rijksmuseum. Seeking more creative freedom, he completed an MFA at City & Guilds in 2019, and his MA show led to his debut solo exhibition "Rapture" at Waluso Gallery in Hackney. Since then, he has become known for his expressive, large-scale works that blend semi-figurative and abstract forms, exploring the boundary between waking and dreaming, particularly through the exploration of hypnagogic and hypnopompic states. His dynamic canvases have featured in prestigious group and solo shows such as "Art in the Age of Now" at Fulham Town Hall and "Palimpsest" at Graffik Gallery and he's exhibited internationally, including a recent New York show with Guerin Projects. Knox's work is rooted in emotional resonance, aiming to stir viewers into their own subconscious memories and narratives, merging structure and spontaneity for richly evocative experiences.

Lydia Pettit is a London‑based American artist whose arresting self‑portraits and textile‑infused paintings explore trauma, body politics, PTSD, and the objectification of women. Working across oil, embroidery, quilting, and occasionally video, her work embodies both vulnerability and confrontation—often appearing as a personal “battleground” where tenderness meets callousness. Pettit earned her MA from the Royal College of Art in 2020 and has exhibited widely, including solo shows at White Cube (2022), Galerie Sébastien Bertrand in Geneva (2021), and Galerie Judin in Berlin (2023), where she presented “In Your Anger, I See Fear”—a visceral, horror‑inspired exploration of female rage and bodily boundaries. A new exhibition of her work has just opened on the 28th June 2025 for a month at Galerie Judin in Berlin again!

Daniele Bolelli is an Italian-born historian, writer, lecturer and podcaster. Known for his eclectic and rebellious approach to history, philosophy, and religion - he is a legend of the game. Born in Milan in 1974, he moved to the United States where he earned degrees from UCLA and Cardiff University, and has taught at several institutions including California State University, Long Beach. Bolelli is the author of several books, such as On the Warrior’s Path and Create Your Own Religion, blending academic insight with a fiercely independent voice. He gained wider popularity through his podcasts History on Fire and The Drunken Taoist, where he explores historical events and figures—ranging from Caravaggio to Native American leaders—with a passionate, narrative-driven style. Bolelli is celebrated for making history visceral, philosophical, and accessible, often highlighting the rebels and rule-breakers who have shaped our world.

Emil Oskar Andersson runs and curates the hugely popular Instagram page Daily Paintings, where he posts and writes about paintings that move him every day. He is also a cultural writer for Corren a Swedish national newspaper and media outlet.

Kay Gasei is a London-based artist born in 1991 who traverses the intricacies of narratives and myths in his artistic practice, illuminating a realm of profound artistic exploration. Employing symbolism, recurring motifs, and enigmatic characters set within abstract spaces. Gasei breathes life into the narratives on his canvases, evoking an enigmatic allure that bewitches viewers.

Paul Robinson, better known by his alias of LUAP, is a Contemporary British Artist based in London. He is known for his depiction of ‘The Pink Bear’ which he uses as a muse within his artworks. His work spans the creative fields of photography, painting, sculpture and performance art. https://www.luapstudios.co.uk

Paola Vojnovic is an art historian with two master’s degrees and more than two decades of research and writing about Renaissance artists. Paola brings an exceptional level of expertise about Renaissance Europe and passion to her work as lecturer, teacher, and tour guide.

Michael Shane Neal (born November 23, 1968) is an American portrait artist who currently serves as the chairman of the Portrait Society of America. Since beginning a full time career as an artist at the age of 21, Neal has completed more than 600 private and public commissioned portraits on display around the world. His work includes seven U.S presidential cabinet members, four former U.S. Ambassadors, seven U.S. senators, over a dozen Federal Judges, four U.S. governors, actors, and heads of universities. He has painted notable figures such as President George H.W. Bush, actor Morgan Freeman, jazz great Ron Carter, comedian Jimmy Fallon, journalist Carl Bernstein, authors Jon Meacham, Margaret Atwood, Colm Toibin and Doris Kearns Goodwin, fashion designers Anna Sui, Naeem Kahn, Valerie Steele, as well as Henry Lewis Gates Jr., former United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Sir Malcolm Colquhoun, Chief of Clan Colquhoun, 9th Baronet, 31st of Colquhoun and 33rd of Luss, and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Toto Bergamo Rossi is a restorer specializing in the conservation of stone, has restored important monuments in Italy and abroad. Since 2010 he has been the director of Venetian Heritage, an international nonprofit organization with offices in New York and Venice, which supports cultural initiatives through restorations, exhibitions, publications, conferences, studies, and research, with the goal of making the world more aware of the immense legacy of the art of Venice. He has led numerous restoration projects, exhibitions, and publications.

Urban Larsson is an oil painter in the figurative tradition. Striving for beauty and universal human values, he paints only from life. He was born in 1966 in Stockholm and has lived and worked in Amsterdam for nearly three decades. Urban’s prestigious and numerous portrait commissions are international. He has for example painted the official portrait of HM Queen Silvia of Sweden and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. What sets Larsson apart from most other painters is that he also masters other genres, such as still-lifes, landscapes and figures. He has exhibited extensively throughout Europe and USA. In 2017 he had two retrospective exhibitions in prominent museums in Sweden and the Netherlands. That same year a two part documentary on his work was broadcast on Dutch national television AVRO.

Thelonious Stokes is an academically trained oil painter, filmmaker, performance artist and designer based in Florence, Italy. He’s the first African American to graduate from the prestigious Florence Academy of Art and founder of The Black Academy of Art in Italy. Shaped by his Baptist culture and upbringing around jazz music on the Southside of Chicago, Stokes gravitated towards art at an early age as a means to express himself. Stokes’s work interrogates Western art history and Judeo-Christian themes – challenging and recontextualizing the canon to include themes and depictions of Black figuration that have been historically omitted. In this creative and illuminating conversation we discuss his upbringing, training, practice, being collected by Madonna, Jean-Michel Basquiat, his friendship with Chance the Rapper & Vic Mensa, adventures in Africa and much, much more!

Tania Rivilis began painting at the age of 27, after moving to Germany in 2012. Since 2015, she began taking part in art shows and exhibitions around the world. Tania’s paintings are now part of museum, gallery, and private collections all over the world, such as Jonathan and Stuart Hyman collection, State Museums of St. Petersburg (Saint Petersburg Museum, Vladimirskiy Palace and Marble Palace), and Astoria Hotel (Rocco Forte Hotels). Since 2019 Tania is a permanent exhibitor at Bonnard Galerie, Netherlands, and Arcadia Contemporary, New York, as well as displaying work at LA Art Fair (presented by Arcadia Gallery), and Amsterdam First Art Fair (Bonnard Gallery). In 2022 Tania received the prestigious William Lock Prize for the most timeless portrait, with real feeling for paint and aesthetic potential.

Dr Stephen A. Murphy specializes in the art and archaeology of Buddhism and Hinduism in first millennium CE Southeast Asia with a focus on Thailand and Laos. He has a particular interest in the 7th to 9th centuries CE as well as maritime connectivity between Southeast Asian cultures, Tang China, and the Indian Ocean world in general. His museological focus engages with issues of restitution and curation of Asian art. Stephen joined the SOAS University in November 2020. Prior to this he was Senior Curator for Southeast Asia and curator-in-charge of the Tang Shipwreck Gallery at the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore (2013-2020). From 2011-2013 he was a research associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York for the Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia exhibition, 2014.

Tom Richards is Director of the Florence Academy of Art, an Artist and Art Historian. In this insightful conversation we discuss his studio practice, his influences, commissions, inspirations, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Van Dyck, Titian, the influence that Rubens had over European art and much more!

Andy Woll is an expressive painter whose work oscillates between abstraction and representation. The subject of many of his paintings over the past decade has been Mount Wilson in Los Angeles, horses in full profile, and Diego Velázquez’s paintings of Infanta Margaret Theresa from the 17th century. He has compulsively painted these subjects taking inspiration from artists who returned to similar subject matter throughout their careers such as Paul Cézanne with Mont Sainte-Victoire and 18th century painter George Stubbs famed for his horse portraiture. By fixing the subject matter Woll experiences the freedom to explore other aspects of painting including color, mark-making, and differing levels of abstraction. In this fascinating discussion we talk about his early inspirations, education, his artistic influences and ideas on creating art.

Sue Tilley modelled for Lucian Freud from 1993-96. He painted several large nude portraits of Tilley, 'Evening in the Studio', 1993, 'Benefits Supervisor Resting', 1994, 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping', 1995 and a fourth painting 'Sleeping by the Lion Carpet' was painted in 1996. Freud also produced a number of etchings featuring Tilley, including Woman with an Arm Tattoo which Tilley sold in 2005. In 1997, she published Leigh Bowery: The life and times of an Icon, a biography. This has been republished to coordinate with the Leigh Bowery retrospective exhibition at the Tate Modern on now. In this episode we discuss the inner working life of Lucian Freud's studio and her friendship with Leigh Bowery.

Jan Six is a Dutch art dealer, art historian and world’s leading Rembrandt expert. In 2018, he identified ‘Portrait of a Young Gentleman’, this was the first new Rembrandt identified in 44 years. The experience was filmed for an award winning documentary called ‘My Rembrandt’. In this episode we discuss the life, work and legacy of one of the greatest artists to have ever lived, Rembrandt van Rijn.