A Long Look Podcast
Episodes
The Bedroom by Pieter de Hooch
17 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Well, here we are my friends, the 100th and final episode! We go back to where it all started, the National Gallery of Art, for a look at one of ...
Beach at St. Malo by Maurice Prendergast
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When critics hinted Maurice Prendergast was getting a little repetitive as he approached 50, he could've hung up his brushes. After all, he'd been p...
Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir
22 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
So much better than Instagram! Pierre-Auguste Renoir invited 14 friends to lunch one summer--several lunches actually--and ended up creating this spe...
Callers by Walter Ufer
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No bows and arrows, no hunting buffalo on horseback. Walter Ufer saw first-hand that Native Americans in the 1920s weren't the romanticized caricatur...
Encore-Woman Holding a Balance by Vermeer
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While I'm taking a break, I thought you might enjoy this encore presentation of a popular episode from 2019—the gorgeous Woman Holding a Balance at...
Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
And you thought YOU were gonna have a lot of holiday company! Poor Mary, who's only given birth a week or so ago, now faces this onslaught of unexpec...
On the Coast of New Jersey by William Trost Richards
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is all about relaxing, taking a little break after a long year and before the holidays hit. So I offer you a quiet beach at the Jerse...
Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl by James Whistler
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back! I hope you all had a great summer. We'll be spending the rest of 2024 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, starting off with...
What's Ahead for A Long Look?
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"A Long Look" returns with new episodes soon! Meanwhile, I've been looking down the road trying to figure out the future of the show and realized I'...
American Art Finale
20 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, we've reached the end of our brief tour of the Smithsonian American Art Museum! I hope you've enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun getting to share ...
Floating Clouds by Hisako Hibi
22 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode we look at "Floating Clouds" by Hisako Hibi, one of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated in prison camps on the West ...
Extended Ep: Happy Anniversary, Impressionism!
18 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for your Memorial Day travels, here's an extended episode celebrating the anniversary of Impressionism! We take another look at three of ...
The South Ledges, Appledore by Childe Hassam
20 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's starting to get warm out so the seaside's on my mind! In the latest episode we visit Appledore on the Isles of Shoals with American painter Chil...
Man With the Cat by Cecilia Beaux
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Sturgis Drinker and Cecilia Beaux had a complicated history but that didn't get in the way of Cecilia making him the subject of one of her bes...
Confrontation by Hughie Lee-Smith
17 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Putting ordinary people in odd, unsettling surroundings was the specialty of Hughie Lee-Smith. In today's episode we look at his "Confrontation" from...
The Nativity by Petrus Christus
16 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas! For this year's holiday episode we're looking at this kind of unusual Nativity scene jammed packed with the detail those Northern Eu...
Still Life with Peacock Pie by Pieter Claesz
18 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for Thanksgiving, we take a look at this sumptuous feast by one of the stars of still-life painting, Pieter Claesz. We'll find out three ...
Childhood by Thomas Cole
21 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode we're looking at "Childhood" by Thomas Cole. It's the first of a series of enormous paintings he did called "The Voyage of Life." ...
Changes in the Air!
14 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Autumn is a season of change, so it seemed like the perfect time to announce a few changes happening with the show! First, I've got new music! The c...
Two Women Drinking Coffee by Edouard Vuillard
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This work by Edouard Vuillard reminds me of the old Magic Eye images that ran in the Sunday comics back in the '90s. You'd be presented with a dense,...
Ceres (Summer) by Antoine Watteau
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode takes us back to the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV, whose court was every bit as frothy as the clouds the harvest goddess Ceres i...
St. Francis at the Frick Collection
03 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet St. Francis, who's in the middle of receiving a…um…complicated divine visitation. This wealthy young party lover and man about town gave it a...
River Landscape by Annibale Carracci
06 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we get to picture ourselves in a dreamy landscape on a sunny afternoon courtesy of Annibale Carracci and the National Gallery of ...
Portrait of a Noblewoman by Lavinia Fontana
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Women's History Month, we find out about trailblazer Lavinia Fontana, a celebrity artist in Renaissance Italy. Her portraits were all th...
Vittore Carpaccio: So Many Mysteries
29 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our final episode in our long look at Vittore Carpaccio examines the mysteries raised by a reunited panel painting and how a good cleaning can make al...
Vittore Carpaccio: Virgin Reading
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our next stop is Carpaccio's "Virgin Reading." We discover a hidden Jesus, a still-unsolved art mystery, and how Carpaccio broke the rules in his unus...
Vittore Carpaccio: St. Augustine in His Study
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Next up in our tour of Vittore Carpaccio is "Saint Augustine in His Study." Carpaccio was a specialist in creating series of huge paintings designed ...
Vittore Carpaccio: Lion of St. Mark
03 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We kick off Season 7's spotlight on Renaissance artist Vittore Carpaccio with his majestic, "Lion of St. Mark." This enormous painting announces Venic...
Vittore Carpaccio: Renaissance Storyteller
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Vittore Carpaccio, a famous Renaissance artist you might never have heard of. He's the star of the National Gallery of Art's exhibition, "Vittore...
Madonna and Child by Giotto
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're going old school in this Christmas episode as we look at "Madonna and Child" by Giotto di Bondone, a guy who got so famous he goes by one name, ...
The Autumn Episode 2021
03 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Well, it's fall, my favorite time of year! I decided to celebrate by pulling together three past episodes related to this beautiful season. We'll revi...
Extended Ep: Woman with a Sunflower by Mary Cassatt
14 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Woman with a Sunflower looks like one of Mary Cassatt's charming domestic scenes. But when she painted this in 1905, times were changing and this is a...
End of Season 6
03 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Well, I've wrapped up our virtual road trip! I hope you enjoyed exploring works at other fantastic museums around the country. They all have great onl...
Vale of Kashmir
26 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This final episode of our virtual museum road trip takes us to the Cleveland Museum of Art to see the dreamy Vale of Kashmir by Robert S. Duncanson. W...
Grainstack: Sun in the Mist
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode takes us to the Minneapolis Institute of Art for a long look at Claude Monet. We'll find out how the morning light on a neighbor's h...
Allegory of Fortune
24 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabella d'Este knew a thing or two about bad luck. A philandering husband who was out of town most of the time, the loss of three children, and oh ye...
The Great Wave
10 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we travel to the Art Institute of Chicago for a long look at this iconic print by Japanese artist, Hokusai. You might remember ...
Adam and Eve
27 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today's A Long Look, we'll find out how German artist Albrecht Dürer pushed the limits of engraving by experimenting with tools used by armorers a...
The Apostle Judas Thaddeus
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Talk about a bad rep. Poor Judas Thaddeus has had to contend with the shame of being confused with Judas Iscariot, the traitor who sold out Jesus for ...
Season 6 Hits the Road
06 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6 is finally here but with a twist! We'll start at the Gallery but then travel virtually to other museums with fantastic online offerings. ...
Exciting Changes Coming!
20 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a busy 2021 at A Long Look! I'll be launching a new site at its new home, alonglookpodcast.com. The new home page features a grid of the la...
The Christmas Episode
20 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I wasn't sure I wanted to celebrate Christmas after this dumpster fire of a year. But we're starting to have some good news, so I've become cautiously...
The Thanksgiving Episode
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I've been trying to practice gratitude this year to fight against the fear and toxicity that's felt overwhelming at times. So, I decided to make a spe...
End of Season 5
17 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We've reached the end of Season 5 and as this unbelievable year comes to a close, I'll be taking some time off to figure out what's next for the sh...
Quarry by Edward Loper
03 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know the US government once actually paid artists to work? During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration helped launch the ca...
Still Life by Margaret Burroughs
12 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret Taylor Burroughs was an author, painter, sculptor, printmaker, curator, museum director, activist, and teacher who left an amazing artistic a...
The Good Shepherd by Henry Ossawa Tanner
29 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Ossawa Tanner became one of America's most famous Black artists by depicting dream-like Bible scenes like this one. Click here to see it on the ...
Autumn Drama by Alma Thomas
15 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Click here to view "Autumn Drama" on the Gallery's site. Clicking the image on their page will open a viewer that allows you to zoom in and pan around...
Correcting the Canon: The Evans-Tibbs Collection
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to "A Long Look!" For the rest of the season, I'll be presenting paintings from the Evans-Tibbs Collection, one of the most important col...
The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew by Duccio di Buoninsegna
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This colorful panel painting depicts an episode early in Jesus's career–the moment he called Peter and his brother Andrew to join his ministry. It w...
River Landscape with Ferry by Salomon van Ruysdael
03 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Salomon van Ruysdael absolutely nails the feeling of optimism, enjoyment, maybe even relief, as his fellow Dutch citizens ferry across a river on a so...
The Lackawanna Valley by George Inness
18 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
George Inness painted this scene of a train chugging through a bucolic landscape for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad to commemorate the ...
Season 5 Begins
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To be honest, I wasn't sure how appropriate it would be to start another season of an arts podcast during the Covid-19 pandemic. But the incredibly cr...
End of Season 4
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The blossoms are starting to bloom, so "A Long Look" is going on spring break! If you've been enjoying the show I'd really appreciate if you would spr...
The Mother and Sister of the Artist by Berthe Morisot
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When Berthe Morisot and her sister Edma wanted to learn how to paint, their parents willingly obliged. After all, that was part of an upper-class youn...
Autumn – On the Hudson River by Jasper Cropsey
08 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When Jasper Cropsey painted Autumn – On the Hudson River, he set out to create a breathtaking vista to promote the idea of American grandeur and vas...
La Condition Humaine by René Magritte
25 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rene Magritte is one of the best known Surrealist painters and loved turning expectations on their heads. Which could explain A LOT about some of the ...
The Annunciation by Masolino da Panicale
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's Christmas and that means it's time to look at another of the Gallery's gorgeous Annunciation paintings. The elaborate inlay work decorating alm...
The Dancing Couple by Jan Steen
07 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I realized I've been talking a lot lately about pure and pious saints. So, it's time to lighten up by hanging out with people who know how to party–...
Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) by Winslow Homer
23 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Breezing Up was a huge hit when Homer exhibited it during the American centennial, 1876. Viewers loved the optimism he conveyed in this scene of a tri...
Her Appeal to the Dauphin by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel
09 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A young person kneels before a crowd of one-percenters in this kaleidoscopic medieval scene. Meet Joan of Arc, one very tough teen. She's here to conv...
Saint George and the Dragon by Sodoma
26 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Slaying dragons and rescuing damsels–all in a day's work for St. George of Cappadocia. We get his story from The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragin...
Season 4 Update
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Excited for Season 4 to get started! We'll be looking at one big favorite and a couple of hidden gems. Plus one artist I'd never even heard of! A Long...
End of Season 3
10 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We've reached the end of Season 3! Thanks to all you returning listeners and welcome to our new audience members. If you've been enjoying the show, yo...
The Martyrdom and Last Communion of St. Lucy by Veronese
04 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This dramatic scene was painted by Paolo Veronese during the Counter-Reformation. The Church, reeling from years of corruption and the rise of Protest...
Farmhouse in Provence by Vincent van Gogh
20 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This deceptively peaceful summer landscape actually bristles with energy! Van Gogh painted this in Arles, in the south of France where he tried to esc...
Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) by Wassily Kandinsky
06 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today's painting was a real challenge to describe! It's by Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian artist who was one of the pioneers of abstract art. We'll find...
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Edgar Degas
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Degas broke the rules with his innovative sculpture of Marie van Goethem, a young ballet student at the Paris Opera. We'll find out where she came fro...
The Conversion of Saint Paul by Jacopo Tintoretto
07 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Saul of Tarsus is having a very bad day at work. We'll find out what (or who) is causing all the chaos he encounters on the road and how picking a fig...
A Pastoral Visit by Richard Norris Brooke
11 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 1800s, it was common for families to have their pastor over for Sunday dinner. That's what Richard Norris Brooke is depicting in this cozy...
Wivenhoe Park, Essex by John Constable
27 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
John Constable painted this bucolic landscape for Major General Francis Slater–Rebow but it's not what it appears to be! We'll talk about the headac...
Cape Cod Evening by Edward Hopper
13 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Edward Hopper was famous for his ambiguous paintings and "Cape Cod Evening" is no exception. We'll find out the possible pop culture influence for the...
Portrait of Madame du Barry by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
31 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a complete 180 from the spiritual contemplation of our last episode, today we're looking at the portrait of Jeanne Bécu, who became Madame du Bar...
Woman Holding a Balance by Johannes Vermeer
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back for Season 3! We're starting with one of Vermeer's gorgeous, mysterious paintings. We'll discover the layers of meaning in this simple do...
Season 3 Update
08 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I just wanted to let you know I'm hard at work on Season 3! We're going to start off with another Gallery favorite, this time by Vermeer. The new seas...
End of Season 2
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We've reached the end of Season 2! Thanks to everyone who came back and all the new listeners and subscribers who joined us. I appreciate your support...
The Adoration of the Shepherds by Giorgione
15 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Gallery calls Giorgione "one of the most mysterious artists in the history of art." We'll talk about his innovative landscape style and where he g...
The Skater (Portrait of William Grant) by Gilbert Stuart
30 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This full-length portrait of Scottish lawyer William Grant was Stuart's first but already he was innovating. We'll find out how a cold day in the stud...
Place du Carrousel by Camille Pissarro
18 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Camille Pissarro was an Impressionist painter who created this sun-drenched view of a famous park in 1900. We'll find out where this lovely scene take...
Daniel in the Lions' Den by Sir Peter Paul Rubens
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A big naked guy is shown sitting around with a bunch of lions in Rubens' over-the-top painting. Meet Daniel, a favorite counselor to the Persian king ...
Ghost by Rachel Whiteread
21 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"Ghost," the ambitious sculpture by Rachel Whiteread tells a story of family, memory, impending loss and survival. We'll find out the mind-blowing ide...
The Nativity of the Virgin – Andrea di Bartolo
06 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Just like the Annunciation I talked about a while ago, there's a lot going on in this scene portraying the birth of the Virgin Mary. This stunning pan...
Nonchaloir (Repose) – John Singer Sargent
21 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
John Singer Sargent was famous for his high society portraits set in elegant rooms like this. Find out why he gave up what he called "a pimp's profess...
River Landscape with Cows – Aelbert Cuyp
01 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This evening scene celebrates the peace and prosperity the Dutch were finally enjoying after 80 years of war with Spain. But don't be fooled by its bu...
The Return of the Prodigal Son – Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
18 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's enormous, dramatic painting focuses on the emotional homecoming in the Biblical story of "The Prodigal Son" in which yo...
Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci
03 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back for Season 2! I'm starting off with one of the Gallery's greatest hits, the portrait of Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci. It's the ...
Hiatus Update from Karen
14 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hey everybody, I just wanted to let you know I'm hard at work on Season 2! We're going to start off with one of the Gallery's greatest hits, the only ...
12 End of Season 1
21 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
So we've reached the end of Season 1! The show will go on hiatus while I review, assess and prep for Season 2. I hope you've been enjoying the show a...
11 Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight – Turner
14 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Joseph Mallord William Turner was quite a painter and quite a character. He's described as vulgar, uncouth, unsophisticated and cheap. And yet, he bec...
10 Slow Art Day is Here (Almost)!
12 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everybody! Just wanted to remind you all that Slow Art Day is this Saturday, April 14! If you've been listening to the show, you know that American...
09 Doylestown House-The Stove – Sheeler
25 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This gelatin silver print by American artist Charles Sheeler is one of several images he created while experimenting with the modernist ideas he'd dis...
08 Skiffs – Caillebotte
10 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This sunny, warm painting is a welcome relief in this miserable March. "Skiffs" is one in a series of young men boating by Gustave Caillebotte who was...
07 Judith Leyster Self-Portrait
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This warm and welcoming self-portrait by Dutch master Judith Leyster is a gallery favorite. Join me while I talk about how this remarkable woman accom...
06 The Railway – Manet
05 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'll be looking at "The Railway" by Édouard Manet. This enigmatic painting has fascinated viewers since its creation in 1873. Set in a rapidly...
05 Blue Morning – Bellows
20 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'll be looking at "Blue Morning" by George Bellows. Bellows lived and worked in New York at the turn of the 20th century and studied under art...
04 The Annunciation – Van Eyck
06 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this belated holiday episode, I'll be looking at another favorite of mine, "The Annunciation," by Jan Van Eyck. This complicated and fascinating pa...
03 The Boating Party – Cassatt
25 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'll be looking at Mary Cassatt's "The Boating Party." This large painting represents a big break in style for Cassatt. She was one of the few ...
02 Young Girl Reading – Fragonard
09 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I take a long look at Jean Honoré Fragonard's "Young Girl Reading," part of his famous series of "Fantasy Figures." Or is she? Join me while w...
01 The Mill – Rembrandt
09 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll be looking at Rembrandt's "The Mill," a long time favorite of mine. You can find a larger version on the gallery's website. Look...