Matter of Art

EP17. Invisible Hands: Who Really Made Early Modern Bronze Sculpture?

In this episode, I speak with Jen Liu [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-liu-754899218/], PhD student at the University of Toronto, about the hidden stories behind baroque bronze sculpture. Focusing on Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Cathedra Petri in St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as other contemporaneous projects in the Vatican, we discuss how large foundry teams—often erased from art historical narratives—were essential to bringing these works into being. Jen’s work as a research assistant on the technical study of Bernini’s bronze multiples [https://berninisbronzes.com/] has inspired her research and methodology. This conversation challenges the myth of the solitary artistic genius and invites you to rethink authorship, making, and the many invisible hands behind your favourite works. Check out the Bernini's Bronzes projects: https://berninisbronzes.com/ [https://berninisbronzes.com/] Connect with ⁠⁠Liz⁠⁠ [http://elizabethprovost.com/] at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://matterofart.crd.co/] Episode art: Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Italian, 1598–1680), Chair of Saint Peter, 1657–66, gilt bronze, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

EP16. Carving Out History: Rediscovering Emma Stebbins with Karli Wurzelbacher

In the heart of Central Park, the Angel of the Waters rises above the Bethesda Fountain—one of New York’s most beloved public monuments. But few know the name of the woman who created it. Emma Stebbins (1815–1882) was the first woman to receive a public art commission in New York City, a celebrated sculptor in her day, and a pioneering queer artist whose legacy was later written out of history. In this episode, Liz speaks with Dr. Karli Wurzelbacher [https://www.heckscher.org/people/karli-wurzelbacher/], Chief Curator at The Heckscher Museum of Art, about Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History [https://www.heckscher.org/exhibitions/emma-stebbins-carving-out-history/]—the world’s first exhibition and catalogue [https://www.heckscher.org/stebbinscatalog/] devoted to Stebbins’s life and work. Together, they trace Stebbins’s extraordinary career: from her groundbreaking depictions of American laborers to her intimate portrait of her wife, actress Charlotte Cushman, and finally, to the creation of the angel that came to define a city. The conversation explores how Stebbins used the language of neoclassicism to express radical ideas about gender, labour, and love, and how her art, once forgotten, continues to inspire new generations. Visit Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History at The Heckscher Museum of Art until March 15, 2026, and order the exhibition catalogue: https://www.heckscher.org/stebbinscatalog/ [https://www.heckscher.org/stebbinscatalog/]. Connect with ⁠Liz⁠ [http://elizabethprovost.com/] at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://matterofart.crd.co/] Episode art: Emma Stebbins (American, 1815–1882), Bethesda Fountain, 1870. Bronze and stone, 25 ft. high. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Photo by David Almeida

EP15. Rococo: Frivolous or Fabulous?

Too often written off as decorative fluff, the Rococo wasmore than gilded mirrors and pastel palettes: it marked a profound shift in art and society. In this episode, I’m joined by Faith Brooks, a PhD student in art history, to explore how the Rococo emerged in 18th-century France as the aristocracy turned away from Versailles-style absolutism toward intimacy,salons, and private pleasure. From Boucher’s paintings to Madame de Pompadour’s taste-making influence, we unpack how Rococo reflected a revolution of the elite against the monarchy, complicating Enlightenment ideals with its blend of politics, pleasure, and play. Connect with Liz [http://elizabethprovost.com/] at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://matterofart.crd.co/] Episode art: Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, c. 1767–68, The Wallace Collection, https://www.wallacecollection.org/explore/collection/search-the-collection/les-hazards-heureux-de-lescarpolette-swing/.

EP14. Archaeology, Museums, and Memory in Sardinia

How do museums tell stories—and whose stories do they tell? In this episode, I sit down with Emily Croft [https://www.queensu.ca/art/people/croft-emily], a PhD student whose research digs deep into the archaeological museums of Sardinia, Italy. Between 1861 and 1939, these museums were more than just quiet halls filled with ancient objects—they were political tools used to craft a national identity in a newly unified Italy. Emily takes us behind the scenes of curatorial choices, museum politics, and excavation histories, revealing how regional pride, central authority, and even personal rivalries shaped the way Sardinia's past was displayed. Connect with Emily [https://www.queensu.ca/art/people/croft-emily]: https://www.queensu.ca/art/people/croft-emily [https://www.queensu.ca/art/people/croft-emily] Follow the Nora Isthmos Project on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/isthmosproject.nora]: https://www.instagram.com/isthmosproject.nora [https://www.instagram.com/isthmosproject.nora ] Learn more about the origins of Modern Italy [https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Antiquity_of_the_Italian_Nation/dXfcAAAAQBAJ]: https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Antiquity_of_the_Italian_Nation/dXfcAAAAQBAJ [https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Antiquity_of_the_Italian_Nation/dXfcAAAAQBAJ] Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://matterofart.crd.co/] Episode art: Emily Croft, courtesy of. [https://www.queensu.ca/art/people/croft-emily]

EP13. What Art Can Tell Us About Love: A Conversation with Nick Trend

What can a painting tell us about passion—or pain? In this episode of Matter of Art, Liz sits down with author, art historian, and Daily Telegraph Culture Editor Nick Trend to discuss his new book, What Art Can Tell Us About Love (Laurence King, 2025). Together, they explore how love—ecstatic, enduring, obsessive, and even uncomfortable—has been expressed by artists across centuries. From Raphael’s ambiguous portraits to Clifford Prince King’s intimate photographs, this episode invites you to look beyond romantic clichés and consider how art reveals the complexity of human connection. The conversation touches on themes of mythmaking, the power of the artist’s gaze, and how women artists have redefined love’s visual language. Whether you’re a romantic, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode asks you to see love—and art—with new eyes. Get your copy of What Art Can Tell Us About Love: https://www.laurenceking.com/collections/author-nick-trend [https://www.laurenceking.com/collections/author-nick-trend] Connect with Nick: https://www.instagram.com/nicktrend/ [https://www.instagram.com/nicktrend/ ] Connect with Liz at Matter of Art on the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matterofart.crd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://matterofart.crd.co/]. Episode art: What Art Can Tell Us About Love (Laurence King, 2025). [https://www.laurenceking.com/products/what-art-can-tell-us-about-love?srsltid=AfmBOopLxKXnEnTXWxA-m5IcHqNyljp0PS7pesXzeXPii8nKGt1CRrhr]