Mark Rothko (1903-1970) was at the forefront of a generation of American artists who revolutionized the scene, right down to the way we understand the very essence of the artistic process. Even as he rejected both the label of Abstract Expressionism and even the idea that his paintings were technical masterpieces, he is nonetheless a “key protagonist” of the Abstract Expressionist movement and a fierce advocate for the artist’s freedom of expression. Today's Image: Mark Rothko, ‘Untitled (Red over Dark Blue on Dark Gray)’ (1961). Oil on canvas. Berkeley Art Museum, University of California. ______ New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch! Email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/matta_of_fact Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast TikTok: @artofhistorypod // @matta_of_fact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite his short life, French painter Thèodore Gèricault (1791-1824) is remembered of one of the giants of art history. In his evocative masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa, Gèricault laid the groundwork for the Romantic era in the visual arts.  It's easy to get swept up in the vast spectrum of human emotion on display in the canvas. But how much of this painting was drawn from real life events? Today's image: Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa. (1818-19). Oil on Canvas. Musée du Louvre, Paris. ______ New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch! Email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/matta_of_fact Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast TikTok: @artofhistorypod // @matta_of_fact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marie-Rosalie, or Rosa, Bonheur (1822-1899) has been lauded as the most celebrated woman artist of her time. Her breathtaking animal paintings showcase not only her technical skill, but also her so-called “radical” ideals. But just how “radical” was Rosa—who has been lauded as a feminist art historical figure—actually setting out to be? Today's Image: Rosa Bonheur, The Horse Fair (1852–55). Oil on canvas; 96 1/4 x 199 1/2 in. (244.5 x 506.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Wayne Thiebaud on The Horse Fair Linda Nochlin: Why have there been no great women artists? ______ Please support the podcast by taking Airwave's short listener survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave. ______ New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch! Email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/matta_of_fact Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast ______ New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch! Email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/matta_of_fact Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast TikTok: @artofhistorypod // @matta_of_fact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, gender is largely understood as a fluid concept. And while an increasingly loud minority insist that "men are men and women are women," and that’s simply the way it’s always been…a look through the lens of art history is just one way to quickly realize how flawed that worldview just might be. Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652) provides that lens in his 1631 portrait of Magdalena Ventura, subtitled 'The Bearded Woman.' Is this a depiction of a woman boldly defying gender norms? Or simply a person existing with the hand they were dealt by nature? Today's Image: Jusepe de Ribera, Magdalena Ventura with Her Husband and Son (La Mujer Barbuda) (1631). Museo Fondación Duque de Lerma, Toledo, Spain. ______ Please support the podcast by taking Airwave's short listener survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave. ______ New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch! Email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/matta_of_fact Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part II of Edmonia Lewis' story takes us for a closer look at her masterpiece: the 1876 sculpture, 'Death of Cleopatra.' In an echo of Edmonia’s approach to her own biography, the work shows Egypt’s last queen “sealing her fate and having the last word on how she’ll be recorded in history.” Today's Image: Edmonia Lewis, Death of Cleopatra (1876). Marble. Smithsonian American Art Museum. ______ New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch! Email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/matta_of_fact Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast TikTok: @artofhistorypod // @matta_of_fact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices