She was the most beautiful woman of her age, but she also had the brains to match. She used her beauty to rise the ranks of London’s society and become one of the earliest female celebrities of the 18th century. But this was not all done in vain. Once she had created a name for herself, she transformed herself into one of the most respected and prolific writers of her day, and used her writing to advocate for both women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. She was beautiful, but she was also brilliant, and she deserves to be remembered just as much for her mind as she is for her stunningly good-looks. This episode explores the life of Mary Robinson, an accomplished actress, poet, writer, activist, and intellectual, and one of the most fascinating women of her age. In her lifetime, Mary was painted by renowned portraitists Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, George Romney, and John Hoppner. Be sure to also listen to Part Two of this episode, which finishes Mary's story and honors her immense legacy as the brilliant, talented, and brave woman she was; a woman who never let the tragedies of her life define her, a woman who became one of the most important writers of her day, a woman who used her writing to advocate for a better world, and a woman, as the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge once described, of “undoubted genius”.

In this special episode from our ArtMuse ArtTalks series, host Grace Anna is joined by the renowned British author, Paula Bryne. Throughout the course of the interview Grace Anna ask Paula Byrne about her biographies on both Dido Elizabeth Belle and Mary Robinson, as well as her recently published historical fiction novel, Six Weeks By the Sea, based on the famed female author, Jane Austen.

In this special episode from our ArtMuse ArtTalks series, host Grace Anna is joined by Lori Zimmer, author of "I’m Not Your Muse: Uncovering the Overshadowed Brilliance of Women Artists & Visionaries", which shares the stories of thirty-one forgotten women of art history, accompanied by gorgeous illustrations by illustrator Maria Krasinski. Though we hope to have full ArtMuse episodes on many of the women Lori Zimmer writes about in "I’m Not Your Muse", her collection offers stories of women not yet covered on ArtMuse, highlighting not only their individual lives, but just how many incredible women have been unfairly written out of art history. "I’m Not Your Muse" is an important contributor to bringing these women’s stories back into the spotlight they deserve. In this interview, host Grace Anna asks Lori Zimmer about what inspired her to write "I’m Not Your Muse", the important role each of these women played in the creation or preservation of works of art, and how we can honor these women’s legacies and undo their unjust erasure from the history of art.

In this special episode from our ArtMuse ArtTalk series, host Grace Anna interviews the author and podcaster Jennifer Dasal about Dasal's recently published book "The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Epoque Paris". In "The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Epoque Paris", Jennifer Dasal shares the never before told story of the American Girls’ Club in Paris. As the book end reads: “Opened in the 1890’s, the Club was a center of expatriate living and singularly harbored a generation of independent, talented, and driven American women dedicated to the fine arts…These women forged connections in the arts and letters with luminaries like Auguste Rodin and Gertrude Stein, or became activists through their relationships with the likes of Emmeline Pankhurst. But just as importantly, these women’s lives revealed the power of the Club itself, and the way that having a safe home of ambition allowed them to grow as teachers, artists, suffragists, and people”. 

In this special episode from our ArtMuse ArtTalks series, host Grace Anna is joined by the author Mark Braude, who wrote "Kiki Man Ray: Art, Love and Rivalry in 1920’s Paris", a gorgeously written biography on the fabulous Kiki de Montparnasse. Throughout the course of the interview, Grace Anna asks Mark about Kiki’s life, what inspired him to write his biography on her, Kiki's relationship with Man Ray, Kiki’s success as an artist across many mediums, and finally, the importance of honoring Kiki’s legacy today. If you have not yet listened to ArtMuse’s Two Part Episode on Kiki de Montparnasse, which deep dives into Kiki’s life, we encourage you to listen as an accompanying episode to this interview.

In this special episode from our ArtMuse ArtTalks series, host Grace Anna is joined by the acclaimed author Francine Prose, who wrote "The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women and the Artists They Inspired", a groundbreaking collection of the life stories of nine female muses, including Elizabeth Siddall and Gala Dali, whom we have full ArtMuse episodes on, as well as Hester Thrale, Alice Liddell, Lou Andreas-Salome, Lee Miller, Chris Weston, Suzanne Farrell, and Yoko Ono. Throughout the course of the interview, Grace Anna asks Francine Prose about what inspired her to write "The Lives of the Muses", which women’s stories resonated with her the most, the integral role the muse plays in the the creation of works of art, and the importance of sharing these women’s stories with the world and honoring their immense legacies.

In this episode, ArtMuse collaborates with Art of History, a podcast that explores different historical events and figures through an examination of works of art. Host Amanda Matta releases new episodes every month on wide-ranging topics. Her episodes discuss subjects from women artists and the spirit world, to forgotten princesses of history, and to even the ghosts of Hampton Court Palace, to name a few. This episode of Art of History explores the life of Lucrezia Borgia, the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI, who briefly ruled the Vatican in the Pope’s absence in 1501. Lucrezia, who eventually became the Duchess of Ferrara, lived a fascinating and drama-filled life, and despite the many restrictions on women of her time, was groundbreaking in her ascension to power. She not only briefly ruled the Vatican, but played an active role in the political landscape of Ferrara. We hope to have a full episode of ArtMuse dedicated to Lucrezia Borgia in a future season. There have been a number of portraits of Lucrezia Borgia made throughout history. Most famously, she is depicted in Pre-Raphaelite painter Frank Cadogan Cowper’s "Lucretia Borgia Reigns in the Vatican in the Absence of Pope Alexander VI" painted in 1910 and currently at the Tate in London. In the words of host Amanda Matta, “How did she gain this rare position of power? And how does Frank Cadogan Cowper’s striking Pre-Raphaelite painting mirror our cultural perception of her? Unravel the myths surrounding Lucrezia Borgia, explore the evolution of women’s roles in the Catholic Church, and examine how history, scandal, and art collide in depicting one of the Renaissance’s most enigmatic women“.

ArtMuse teams up with Ladies Who Lore, a podcast that deep dives into urban legends while diving into bottles of wine, sharing their episode on Lilith. Lilith is an important female figure from Jewish lore, traditionally known as Adam’s first wife, before Eve. Unlike Eve, Lilith refused to play a subordinate role and demanded that she and Adam be treated equally. Lilith eventually departed from Eden and went to the Red Sea. While many today celebrate Lilith as a feminist icon, she was for many centuries depicted as a nefarious and in some cases, demonic character. The history of her lore is fascinating, especially the many meanings Lilith has taken on throughout time. Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti is one of many artists who have captured the figure of Lilith on canvas. In Rossetti's version, Lilith is modeled by Fanny Cornforth, a prominent artist’s model for the Pre-Raphaelite group and one of Rossetti’s mistresses. She modeled for a number of different works by Rossetti, and we plan to have a full episode on Fanny Cornforth in a future season of ArtMuse. Until then, we hope you enjoy this special collaboration with Ladies Who Lore.

Enjoy our official trailer for Season Three of ArtMuse, which will focus on artist's models who were also performers in their own right. Season Three will begin its release in October of 2025. We are so excited to share these amazing women's stories with you!

In between seasons we are launching "ArtMuse ArtTalks", in which we share interviews and discussions on subjects relevant to ArtMuse. In this special episode, host Grace Anna interviews author B.A. Shapiro about her upcoming historical fiction novel, "The Lost Masterpiece", based on the artist's model, and painter in her own right, Berthe Morisot. Throughout the course of the interview, Grace Anna asks B.A. Shapiro about the importance of sharing Berthe Morisot's immense life story, the unjust erasure of female artists like Berthe Morisot from art history, and how we can begin to give Berthe Morisot, and female artists alike, the recognition they deserve.

In this special episode, host Grace Anna teams up with the Etymoleon Word History podcast, a podcast that uncovers the origins of words and names. In this episode, which was custom-made for ArtMuse's community, host Leon Bailey-Green shares the etymology of art related terms and name origins of the subjects of ArtMuse. It’s fascinating to learn the origins of these names and common art history terms, allowing us to appreciate these words in new ways. You can learn more about the Etymoleon Word History podcast at www.etymoleon.buzzsprout.com/ and you can stream their episodes on all listening platforms. We hope you enjoy and look forward to sharing season three of ArtMuse with you soon.

Today, instead of sharing the stories of the women behind famous works of art, this episode shares a little more about the women behind ArtMuse. In this special bonus episode, ArtMuse’s editor Erin Greenhouse interviews host Grace Anna. Throughout the course of the interview, Erin asks Grace Anna about the origins of ArtMuse, the mission behind the project, and plans for future seasons. Together they give listeners an inside look at how each of ArtMuse's episodes are made, from research, to writing, to production. They reflect on all that they've learned over the course of producing two full seasons of ArtMuse, and end by sharing some advice to other podcasters, especially those who may just be starting their own projects.

In Part One we explored Juliette’s childhood, her eventual move to Paris, and her mother’s careful grooming of her, helping Juliette blossom into an impressive young woman. We then explored Juliette’s marriage to Jacques Récamier, her rise as Paris’s most beloved society woman, Lucien and Napoleon Bonaparte’s attempts to win Juliette’s heart over, and finally, her magical first encounter with Madame Germaine de Staël. In Part Two we finish Juliette's story and honor her immense legacy as a forward-thinking woman who took ownership of her own beauty and used it as a means of power, who drove some of the most powerful men in European history wild with desire, who dared to love not only another woman but one of the greatest feminists of her day, who influenced some of the biggest artists, writers, philosophers, and politicians of the 19th century, and who inspired all with the goodness of her heart.

Her portrait by David is one of the most iconic paintings in the Louvre’s entire collection, and attracts millions of viewers each year. As she reclines on her sofa, a sofa she popularized so much that it now bears her name, she teases us with her curly hair, rosy cheeks, and inscrutable smile. Though her image has been reproduced in countless mediums across the globe, few know that she was one of the most remarkable women of the nineteenth century, and inspired the greatest artists, writers, intellects, and politicians of her day, with not only her unrivaled beauty but with the goodness of her heart. In this episode of ArtMuse, we share the immense life story of Madame Juliette Récamier, a French socialite and famed beauty, affectionately dubbed the “darling of Europe”. In fact, her looks were so enchanting, that she drove some of the most powerful men of all of history wild with desire, including Napoleon Bonaparte, his brother Lucien, and the Prince of Prussia.

Today we are sharing a special episode from our friends at the podcast History Daily, which releases daily episodes on interesting historical events that happened on that day. These episodes discuss all sorts of different histories; from famous war battles, to groundbreaking fashion, to important medical discoveries, and even to significant moments in sports. We chose to share their episode on the death of Queen Elizabeth I, which occurred on March 24th, 1603. Queen Elizabeth I, the daughter of the notorious King Henry the 8th and Anne Boleyn, reigned over England for forty-five years. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the house of tutor. Queen Elizabeth I was not only an extremely well-liked Queen, but the subject of over a hundred different breathtaking portraits, making her one of the most painted women in all of Western history. We hope to share Queen Elizabeth’s full life story in a future ArtMuse episode. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this special collaboration with History Daily.

In Part One we explored Kiki's beginnings her childhood in the countryside, her move to Paris, and her introduction to the creative circles of Monparnasse. We then explored her early days as an artist’s model, some of the many portraits of Kiki from this time, her relationship with Maurice Mendjisky, and of course the start of her relationship with Man Ray. In Part Two, we finish Kiki's incredulous life story and honor her legacy as the talented, forward-thinking, endlessly creative, and spirited woman she was. A woman who was never afraid to live her life as she pleased and dance to the beat of her own drum. A woman who rose from impoverished beginnings and created her own story. A woman who not only understood the power of her own image, but what it meant to take agency over it for herself.

Today we wanted to share an episode from our friends at Stars of the Golden Age Podcast, a show that highlights the lives of legends from film, music, and the birth of television during Hollywood’s Golden Age. In this episode host Erin Carlson shares the tragic life-story of jazz goddess, Billie Holiday, an iconic performer active in Harlem's Jazz Age. We hope you find this episode an enriching supplement to ArtMuse's two part episode on Alice Prin, as the New York and Parisian Jazz scenes were very much in conversation with one another.

In this episode, host Grace Anna shares the story of the model, performer, painter, and memoirist, Alice Prin, better known as Kiki de Montparnasse. Kiki not only blossomed in, but helped define the bohemian subculture burgeoning in Paris in the 1920’s. More specifically, Kiki moved amongst the circles of the Montparnasse district, the neighborhood in which some of the most famous artists of the twentieth century, like Picasso and Modigliani, worked and lived. She was so beloved amongst her community, that she was eventually crowned the Queen of Montparnasse, and became a local celebrity. And Kiki was not only a social icon, over her lifetime she became one of the most prolific art models in the history of western art, modeling for prominent artists such as Francis Picabia, Alexander Calder, and Man Ray, with whom she shared an eight year heated relationship with.

In Part One we explored Dido’s beginnings, her mother’s enslavement and her father’s capture of the slave ship that held her, the many mysteries surrounding Dido’s birth, and her father’s radical decision to bring Dido and her mother back with him to England. We then explored Dido’s upbringing at Kenwood House, Lord Mansfield’s important presiding over the Somerset case, and how Dido may have influenced his revolutionary decision. In Part Two, we finish Dido's immense life story and honor her lasting impact on English history. But Dido's story cannot be removed from the dark history of slavery itself. As much as Dido’s story attests to what was possible against all odds, we have to equally remember all that wasn’t possible for so many others like her. As we honor Dido’s life, we honor all of the lives of the people who were not as fortunate and were subject to the cruel and inhuman system of slavery.

Listen to Part One of ArtMuse's episode on Dido Elizabeth Belle, England’s first female aristocrat of color. Dido was born at the height of the transatlantic slave trade, to an enslaved mother and white father.  Dido’s life story is undeniably remarkable. That a woman born into slavery could later be raised as a member of an important aristocratic family at the height of the transatlantic slave trade was virtually unheard of. But though Dido was in many ways the exception, her story cannot be removed from the dark history of slavery itself. It’s essential that Dido’s life is understood within the context of the time she lived. And while we honor Dido and her incredible life, we also honor the lives of the innumerable black men and women whose stories have been unfairly lost to history.