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'Great Art Explained' with James Payne

Members' online book club

Talks and conversations | Talk
Date
Thursday, 20 November 2025
Time
6 - 7 pm GMT
Location
Online
Audience
For Members

Free for Members

This is an online event, available to all Members, hosted on Zoom.

Members, please book your free ticket to access this event. You will receive an E-ticket with instructions on how to access your online events, films and resources via your National Gallery account. Only one ticket can be booked per account.

A recording of this event will be made available to all ticket holders in the days following the event.

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About

Based on the popular YouTube channel of the same name, ‘Great Art Explained’ brings new focus to the stories behind famous art.

James Payne, author and creator of the ‘Great Art Explained’ YouTube channel shares insights from his new book. After many years of creating content that delves into what makes art ‘great’, this book takes a closer look at 30 pieces from around the world, from Botticelli's ‘The Birth of Venus’ to Georgia O'Keeffe's ‘Jimson Weed’.

‘James Payne's YouTube Channel ‘Great Art Explained’ gained a huge and appreciative worldwide audience. This beautifully put-together book is simply the best introduction to the lifelong pleasure and rewards of looking at pictures since Gombrich. An instant classic. — Stephen Fry

Speaker

James Payne is a curator, gallerist and passionate art lover on a mission to demystify art and discover the stories behind the world’s greatest paintings and sculptures.

Great Art Explained is a video series that focuses on one piece of art per episode, breaking it down using clear and concise language free of 'art-speak'.

His first book, 'Great Art Explained', based on his popular YouTube channel, is available now.

Watch again

A recording of this event will be made available to all ticket holders in the days following the event.

This recording will be available for two weeks.

Closed captions

Automatic closed captioning is available for this event.