Podcasts
Listen to or download podcasts from the National Gallery. The National Gallery Monthly Podcast and series of Audio Tours were produced in conjunction with Antenna International.
#100
Episode 100
In our final episode, we visit a grand altarpiece, a glittering cross, and a gritty view of working-class life in 20th-century Manhattan.
Please note that since the recording of this episode, one of the paintings featured, The Madonna and Child with Saints, has been taken off display
#99
Episode 99
Upcoming exhibitions for 2015, stormy seascapes by Peder Balke, and all the quack about the National Gallery’s new star: Sijctghen Duck.
#98
Episode 98
Grisly ends, miraculous beginnings, and the first ever UK exhibition devoted to Norwegian artist and adventurer Peder Balke.
#97
Episode 97
Share a tender moment with Rembrandt. Plus, the fine art of Christmas cards and a touching tale about Titian.
#96
Episode 96
A sneak preview of the Gallery’s much-anticipated autumn exhibition, ‘Rembrandt: The Late Works’. Plus fashion tips from Madame de Pompadour.
#95
Episode 95
A visit to the Gallery’s 'pocket collection' to see 400 years of art in a single space. Plus Raphael’s dreams and Caravaggio’s nightmares.
#94
Episode 94
As ‘ Making Colour’ continues, we get up close to some of the world’s rarest pigments. Plus, a luminous pastel by Rosalba Carriera.
#93
Episode 93
A first look at the ‘Making Colour’ exhibition, how Renaissance buildings can tell a story, and new Associate Artist George Shaw on naughty nymphs.
#92
Episode 92
Discover a display of drawings by Frank Auerbach in the Espresso Bar. Plus, anxious art by Pontormo and why Poussin is worth the effort.
#91
Episode 91
Spring-cleaning at the National Gallery, a sharp-toothed Venetian sea monster and the impossible buildings of Renaissance art.
#90
Episode 90
A chat with Veronese curator Xavier Salomon, an art historian under fire and a last look at The Sunflowers display.
#89
Episode 89
The Veronese exhibitions launches. Plus cooking tips for Lent from Velázquez and when is an altarpiece like a jigsaw?
#88
Episode 88
Why German Renaissance art made the Victorians blanch, plus painting in the snow and a reunion for Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
#87
Episode 87
Cézanne and his papa, plus why Manet’s packing his bags and a preview of this spring’s exhibitions at the Gallery.
#86
Episode 86
Edmund de Waal gets out the family photo album, Rembrandt falls in love, and the Magi get a makeover.
#85
Episode 85
A rare chance to see a lapis lazuli masterpiece, plus career guidance from Bellini and a tragic self-portrait by Gerstl.
#84
Episode 84
Unveiling a new exhibition of Viennese portraiture. Plus: tailor Patrick Grant sizes up Moroni and why all the best-dressed saints wear Pisanello.
#83
Episode 83
Natalie Haynes on Guercino's sibyls, Jonathan Jones on falling in love in the Renaissance, plus 17th-century socks and sandals.
#82
Episode 82
Rembrandt lays it on thick, Titian goes truckin’, and Vermeer gets a musical accompaniment, courtesy of the Academy of Ancient Music.
#81
Episode 81
Lucian Freud's gift to the nation of a priceless Corot. Plus life-drawing and Dutch musicians with rock-god hair.
#80
Episode 80
Vermeer… the musical? Discover the links between music and Dutch art. Plus Gainsborough’s technique and masterpieces from the Barber Institute.
#79
Episode 79
Artist Michael Landy reanimates the saints for a new generation, plus a last chance to see Barocci’s masterpieces, and the man who discovered Rembrandt.
#78
Episode 78
A stunning Barocci masterpiece for Easter, plus experience a painting through 13th-century eyes, and sibling rivalry with Raeburn.
#77
Episode 77
Barocci! The new exhibition opens. Plus: discover a hidden symbol in Frederic Church’s landscape, and 18th-century tiny tots.
#76
Episode 76
Stunning new landscape oil sketch exhibition opens, plus the secret of a happy marriage portrait and a peek inside a curiosity cabinet.
#75
Episode 75
What’s it like to be photographed by Martin Parr? Plus Greek mythology and flamboyant fashion tips for the well-dressed mercenary.
#74
Episode 74
Christmas at the Gallery: seasonal gifts and a Nativity makeover courtesy of Bruegel. Plus the dark arts of photographer Richard Learoyd.
#73
Episode 73
Explore the relationship between photography and art. Plus Man Booker-winner Hilary Mantel and the secret sauciness of Dutch painting.
#72
Episode 72
‘Richard Hamilton: The Late Works’ opens this month. Plus Edmund de Waal on Monet, and the perils of painting royals.
#71
Episode 71
Titian’s paintings inspire leading poets: Seamus Heaney reads new work. Plus what twilight meant (before vampires) and Millet’s ‘Winnower’.
#70
Episode 70
New arrival: Vermeer’s ‘Guitar Player’. Plus poet Ted Hughes reads a tale from Ovid, and a guide to the (ancient) Olympics.
#69
Episode 69
More than just an exhibition: curator Minna Moore Ede and choreographer Will Tuckett preview the Gallery’s big summer show, 'Metamorphosis: Titian 2012'. Plus, how to avoid the crowds and even spot a Vermeer in some of the Gallery's quietest corners.
#68
Episode 68
John Julius Norwich on pageants and Venetian regattas. Plus witches at their incantations and the coolest stare in the National Gallery.
#67
Episode 67
Flirting, fighting and gambling with Reynolds’s ‘Bloody’ Colonel Tarleton. Plus Turner Inspired and the dazzling Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun.
#66
Episode 66
Titian’s first masterpiece – not seen outside Russia for nearly 250 years. Plus Turner in Italy and Berger’s Ways of Seeing.
#65
Episode 65
Doors open on the spring exhibition - Turner Inspired: In the Light of Claude. Plus the private world of Renaissance birth.
#64
Episode 64
This month: Monet’s inspiring final years. Plus notes on Leonardo and how not to behave in church.
#63
Episode 63
In the first episode of the new year, hear the sounds of Hogarth's London, marvel at the mastery of Leonardo’s sketches and take a walk through a snowy scene by Friedrich.
#62
Episode 62
In the last instalment of 2011: Luke Syson, curator of the current 'Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan' exhibition, explores the man behind the myth. Plus, Leonardo expert Martin Kemp examines the anatomy of Leonardo's drawings, and artist Jenny Saville reveals how Leonardo has inspired her own artwork.
#61
Episode 61
This month, get a sneak preview of the 'Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan' exhibition, and how Titian's paintings are inspiring dance works at the Royal Opera House.
#60
Episode 60
Turner vs Claude: exhibition preview. Plus broadcaster Gus Casely-Hayford on ‘Your Paintings’ and the view from Rubens’s window.
#59
Episode 59
Meet Sydney Vacher: the Victorian who saw patterns in the paintings others overlooked. Plus Paris with Manet and the Devotion by Design exhibition.
#58
Episode 58
What Eastlake did for us: the legacy of the National Gallery's first Director. Plus Whistlejacket's racing form, and altarpieces re-examined.
#57
Episode 57
Grayson Perry on the Sainsbury Wing. Plus exhibition previews: ‘Devotion by Design: Altarpieces before 1500’ and ‘Forest, Rocks, Torrents’.
#56
Episode 56
Sainsbury Wing 20th Anniversary special edition with the Gallery's Director Nicholas Penny, the artist Paula Rego, and archivist Alan Crookham.
#55
Episode 55
In Episode Fifty Five (May 2011), Gossaert's nudes: the naked sensuality of an Old Master painter. Plus curating Leonardo and artist Michael Landy work in progress.
#54
Episode 54
In Episode Fifty Four (April 2011), Uccello and the Nazis: the life of a painting in wartime. Plus the first Impressionist show, and marriage in the 18th century.
#53
Episode 53
In the Episode Fifty Three (March 2011) podcast, Google Art Project: new ways of looking at Old Masters. Plus Gossaert on money, and looking at books in art.
#52
Episode 52
In the Episode Fifty Two (February 2011) podcast, great art you might not have heard of: Renaissance master Jan Gossaert, and the American 'Ashcan School.' Plus physicist Beau Lotto discusses how we see what we do.
#51
Episode 51
In the Episode Fifty One (January 2011) podcast, art in the making: artist Ben Johnson at work. Plus looking good in Van Dyck’s day, and Veronese’s Saint Helena.
#50
Episode 50
In the December 2010 podcast, take a change of scene: Canaletto and the theatre (with special effects). Plus window dressing as art, and paintings with stories to tell.
#49
Episode 49
In the November 2010 podcast, Jon Snow on the art of war. Plus new perspectives with artist Clive Head, and rivalry: Florence vs. Siena.
#48
Episode 48
In the October 2010 podcast, David Starkey on the genius of British art. Plus Canaletto's views, and social climbing at the court of Louis XVI.
#47
Episode 47
In the September 2010 podcast, the spirit of Velázquez: an Old Master 350 years on. Plus, the music of the gods, and optical instruments in art.
#46
Episode 46
In the August 2010 podcast, Velázquez, the history of optical instruments, and 'The Judgement of King Midas'.
#45
Episode 45
In the July 2010 podcast, faking it: how Gallery experts spot forgeries. Plus Andrew Graham-Dixon on Caravaggio, and Canaletto’s view paintings (the ultimate status symbol).
#44
Episode 44
In the June 2010 podcast, how to capture the Thames on paper, Renaissance paintings for all the senses, and new angles on art.
#43
Episode 43
In the May 2010 podcast, the Gallery's latest associate artist, Delaroche on revolution, and the collection that changed British tastes in art.
#42
Episode 42
In the April 2010 podcast, Dutch paintings decoded. Plus Delaroche on the stage, and what kids can teach us about art.
#41
Episode 41
In the March 2010 podcast, painting history: uncovering the tragic story of Lady Jane Grey at our latest exhibition. Plus shedding new light on the Gallery, and Hogarth's homes.
#40
Episode 40
In the February 2010 podcast, a special investigating the Claude's enchanted landscapes and heavenly skies. Plus Michelangelo's male nudes.
#39
Episode 39
In the January 2010 podcast, composing music to accompany 'The Sacred Made Real'. Also tragedy in Rubens, and touring the Gallery's facade. Includes bonus track with music from Stephen Hough.
#38
Episode 38
In the December 2009 podcast, we walk through the National Gallery’s red-light district. Plus 17th-century special effects, and cooking with Carlo Crivelli - download a bonus recipe.
#37
Episode 37
In the November 2009 podcast, curator's introduction: 'Sacred Made Real' (with Xavier Bray). Plus listen to art on the 'Sounds of the Gallery tour, and get a beginner's guide to painting in gold.
#36
Episode 36
In the October 2009 podcast, Director Nicholas Penny shares some inside knowledge. Plus preview 'The Sacred Made Real', and find some sun at the Gallery.
#35
Episode 35
In the September 2009 podcast, learn how to spot a Fragonard by reading the clues in a painting. Plus the difference a donation makes.
#34
Episode 34
In the August 2009 podcast, learn to draw root and branch. Plus the Barbizon painters, and tips on preserving Renaissance panels.
#33
Episode 33
In the July 2009 podcast, discover our latest exhibition ‘Corot to Monet’. Plus optical illusions and the Gallery on your iPhone.
#32
Episode 32
In the June 2009 podcast, go picnicking among the paintings. A special podcast looking at the origins of the National Gallery.
#31
Episode 31
In the May 2009 podcast, find out about the versatility of Pablo Picasso. Plus social climbing with Joshua Reynolds and the appeal of Ruben's nudes.
#30
Episode 30
In the April 2009 podcast, discover the international appeal of Saint George. Plus tall tales about ships and a short guide to religious art in this month's bonus track
#29
Episode 29
In the March 2009 podcast, discover the art of cookery with the National Dining Room's Oliver Peyton. Plus Picasso's women and a costume parade at the Gallery.
#28
Episode 28
In the February 2009 podcast, Picasso takes on past masters at our latest exhibition. Plus find out more about Tintoretto's creation myths, and Kenneth Clark's 'Civilisation' at 40.
#27
Episode 27
In the January 2009 podcast, Hear about new acquistions at the Gallery by Monet and Gauguin. Plus learn about the journey of ultramarine through the ages, and find out how to get more from your cultural life.
#26
Episode 26
In the December 2008 podcast, unlock the hidden codes within religious art. Plus interviews with artist Humphrey Ocean and photographer David LaChapelle.
#25
Episode 25
In the November 2008 podcast, learn the ugly truth about a National Gallery painting. Plus the campaign to buy a Titian masterpiece, and Impressionism in Britain.
#24
Episode 24
In the October 2008 podcast, discover what's so funny about Renaissance faces? Plus the secret lives of paintings, and Bonnie Greer on 'Madame Moitessier'.
#23
Episode 23
In the September 2008 podcast, bombs, buns and Beethoven - wartime at the National Gallery in this month's podcast. Plus curator Lois Oliver on the Love exhibition, and two beautiful panel paintings reunited and restored.
#22
Episode 22
In the December 2008 podcast, priceless paintings fly into town for ‘Renaissance Faces’. Plus sixties folk star Shirley Collins, and a wandering Van Dyck masterpiece.
#21
Episode 21
In the July 2008 podcast, hear about the "gayest painting at the Gallery'". Plus learn about the painting techniques of the Divisionists and take ballet lessons from Van Dyck. Bonus track: an extract from the Radical Light audio tour.
#20
Episode 20
In the June 2008 podcast, Jon Snow tells us about his fascination with Lake Keitele, Dave Brown on reinventing famous paintings and an introduction to the exhibition Radical Light.
#19
Episode 19
In the May 2008 podcast, Nicholas Penny on returning to the Gallery as Director, Rachel Ruysch’s celebrated blooms, and a house where art meets science.
#18
Episode 18
Go beneath the sheets to a world of colour in associate artist Alison Watt's 'Phantom'; plus a very rich lady in red, and a Dutch landscape in the wrong shade of yellow...
#17
Episode 17
In the March 2008 podcast, hear about sexual escapades on the Grand Tour, piece together a puzzling mosaic, and talk to associate artist Alison Watt.
#16
Episode 16
In the February 2008 podcast, stylish gentlemen seek art, antiquity and the ultimate Roman holiday as 'Pompeo Batoni' opens at the Gallery.
#15
Episode 15
In the January 2008 podcast, hear a concert inside a painting and make your New Year's resolutions with Louis XV's courtesan, Madame de Pompadour. Bonus track: music from the Renaissance.
#15
Episode 15 bonus track
A setting of the hymn tune 'Ave Maris Stella' from the Trent Codex, played by Bridget Cunningham and Laura Justice.
#14
Episode 14
In the December 2007 podcast, go angel spotting around the Gallery, and glimpse heaven in stained glass at our latest exhibition.
#13
Episode 13
In the November 2007 podcast, light the fuse and stand well back for talks about Saint Catherine. Also, explore a different Renaissance in Siena while hearing about how our new exhibition was put together.
#12
Episode 12
In the October 2007 podcast, hear about concerts to celebrate Dame Myra Hess; listen to a history of the dye indigo set in the four corners of the globe; and learn about a series of drawing events at the Gallery.
#11
Episode 11
In the September 2007 podcast, investigate marks on a painting with the conservation department and hear about how you can bring your children along to Family Sundays.
#10
Episode 10
In the August 2007 podcast, Professor Chris McManus explains what happens in our brains when we look at a painting. Hear about Rembrandt's famous painting of surgeons dissecting a corpse in the 'Dutch Portraits' exhibition. Also learn how Croydon GPs have been using the Gallery's masterpieces to diagnose illness.
#9
Episode 9
In the July 2007 podcast, from the slave trade to smiling Dutchmen - two new exhibitions: 'Dutch Portraits: The Age of Rembrandt and Frans Hals' and 'Scratch the Surface'. Plus singing bus drivers hit the Gallery.
#8
Episode 8
In the June 2007 podcast, Polish artist and writer Roman Halter talks us through memories of the Holocaust. School kids examine a 17th-century masterpiece in the Take One Picture project. Life-size reproductions of paintings hit the streets.
#7
Episode 7
In the May 2007 podcast, find out what goes on at the National Gallery after dark. Night-time tales from security guards on patrol and author Tracy Chevalier ('Girl with a Pearl Earring'). Writer Marina Warner discusses bringing art to life.
#7
Episode 7 bonus track
Original poetry from two writers’ collectives, ‘The Vineyard’ and ‘Malika’s Kitchen’, inspired by the National Gallery after dark.
#6
Episode 6
In the December 2007 podcast, a mix of gardening, beauty and art. Tips from gardening expert Sarah Raven will help you recreate 'Renoir Landscapes' in your own garden. 'The body in art' - beauty tips from Rubens and Joachim Wtewael. Leon Kossoff exhibition: the artist and the National Gallery.
#5
Episode 5
In the March 2007 podcast, Gallery news, including the 'Renoir Landscapes' exhibition, a sound-piece inspired by Pissarro's 'Fox Hill, Upper Norwood' and the Gallery's touring 'Work, Rest & Play' exhibition.
#4
Episode 4
In the February 2007 podcast, Gallery news, including the 'Renoir Landscapes' exhibition, classic French cinema, Chinese New Year events and a touch of romance.
#3
Episode 3
Gallery news, including the new Tim Gardner exhibition and Frank Skinner's pick of the collection, plus interactive sound art.
#2
Episode 2
News on exhibitions including 'Velázquez', 'Cézanne in Britain' and 'Dutch Winter Scenes.