Ancient Art Podcast (audio)

It's a cosmic collision of contemporary and antiquity on the Ancient Art Podcast! The prophesied comet of the century, Comet ISON, may have bit the dust, but that's no reason to pile dirt on our exploration of comets of past and present in the world of art. In two rare examples of auspicious comets in antiquity, Augustus Caesar and Mithridates VI of Pontus exploit coinage as vehicle for propaganda. We discuss the cameo of Halley's Comet on the Bayeux Tapestry capturing the Battle of Hastings in AD 1066, then trace Halley's Comet's apparitions back to 87 BC, 164 BC, ... no wait, 240 BC. Holy smokes ... 466 BC!? Chinese observers take the cake with the Comet Atlas of Mawangdui. And does the ancient, sacred, and much-maligned symbol of the swastika owe its origin to ancient comets? Lastly, has the ancient Egyptian demon serpent of chaos, Apophis, set his sights on Earth with a firestorm from above in 2036? Transcript, Credits, Photo Gallery and more at http://ancientartpodcast.org/60. Connect at http://facebook.com/ancientartpodcast and http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston.

Episode 57 of the Ancient Art Podcast builds on what we learned in episode 53 about the mythology and artistry of the creepy creature of chaos, the Gorgon Medusa. This episode delves deeper into her primal lair. We confront her petrifying gaze while closely examining a few famous works of ancient art exploring Medusa’s roots, influences, and evolutions. Included are the Bronze Age Minoan "Snake Goddesses," the Polyphemus Amphora, the Nessos Amphora, the Temple of Artemis at Corfu, kylix eye-cups, and the Egyptian god Bes. Most images are of works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. http://ancientartpodcast.org/56. Connect at http://facebook.com/ancientartpodcast and http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston.

Jump in for a VIP visit to the Art Institute of Chicago's new Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art. Quadruple in size from the museum's earlier ancient art galleries, the new vista boasts a massive display of 550 ancient treasures from the Art Institute and collections around the world, including the British Museum, Getty Villa, Oriental Institute, Field Museum, and more. In this episode, we explore the aesthetics and merits of the new gallery design, point out some pitfalls, see old friends in a new light, and get close and personal with a few new kids on the block. We also explore the Art Institute's new interactive multimedia iPad app, LaunchPad. Also mentioned: Lycurgus Cup, Projecta Casket, Cycladic Female Figurines, Proto-Elamite/Mesopotamian Statuette of a Striding Figure, Roman mosaics, conservation, Kulapat Yantrasast, wHY Architecture, Etruscans, Sardinia, Getty Villa, British Museum, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, Apple iPad. Explore the image gallery, credits, transcript, and more at http://ancientartpodcast.org/55. Connect at http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston and http://facebook.com/ancientartpodcast.

He's knows when you are sleeping.
He knows when you're awake.
He knows when you've been bad or good,
So be good, for YOUR LIFE'S AT STAKE!

Who's that hiding behind Santa's jolly mask? Episode 54 of the Ancient Art Podcast takes a holiday to the Austrian Alps to discover the true meaning of Christmas and meet Santa's various spooky, sooty sidekicks! We lift the lid on the mysterious, fur-clad, horned, Yuletide devil, Krampus, exploring his origin in pagan myths, history throughout the ages, and modern permutations. We'll cross the globe to root out the tongue-lashing demon, and risk his whip's wrath in the Krampuslauf. Also meet jolly ole Saint Nick's other companions, including the Nordic Yule Goat, Belgium and the Netherlands' Black Peter (Zwarte Piet), the German Knecht Ruprecht, and Belsnickel/Pelznikel. And we thought keeping Santa's reindeer straight was hard enough! So, dive in and enjoy this spectacular nightmare before Christmas! Discover more at http://ancientartpodcast.org/krampus. Connect at http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston and http://facebook.com/ancientartpodcast.

A short announcement about some changes to the Ancient Art Podcast. The Ancient Art Podcast and Curious.com have teamed up to host episodes of the podcast at Curious.com. Episodes now include quizzes, handouts, discussions, and more. Visit http://ancientartpodcast.org/curious to see more!

You can now help support the Ancient Art Podcast. Visit http://ancientartpodcast.org/ and click on the "Donate" link. Thanks for the support and for 7 great years and counting! Connect at http://facebook.com/ancientartpodcast and http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston.