Podcasts




Nitrogen in the atmosphere: is it worth worrying that there is so much of it?

Duration: 0:35:31

Artyom Oganov will discuss composition of the atmosphere of different planets . Find out why the air shell of our Earth is unique, why there is so much nitrogen in its atmosphere, about what is above the surface of Mars, Venus and other planets.


Inventors of Oil Painting - Eck Brothers

Duration: 0:09:01.653288

From the elegance of Venus, but Picasso's unconventional entry into the modernist confusion, a master of virus-like art, listen to the original text of Western art history by Wen Ping Plains. The inventor of oil painting, in the Western art history, especially in the history of painting during the Renaissance, there are two centers, one is Italy, and the other is yours. In terms of the content and form of art, Dutch art and Italian art have completely different characteristics. Before we talk about the inventor of oil painting today, let's first introduce some geographical knowledge. Netherlands is actually Holland. In the language of Nederland, the Holland we usually say is just another name for Nederland. Related to Holland, there are Flanders and Holland, Netherlands, and Flanders are three interesting concepts, with deep historical origins in their names. Among them, Nederland is the oldest name and the largest range, covering Holland and Flanders. These three parts have a significant position in Western art history. For example, the brothers Van Eyck, who invented oil painting, represent Dutch art and the inventor of oil painting. This famous Rubens is called Flanders. Rubens, on the other hand, was a Dutch painter. However, these concepts are not strictly defined, just like the regions they belong to often overlap. Artists sometimes belong to one region, and sometimes they belong to another. So, an artist like the Van Eyck brothers can be said to be a Dutch artist, or they can be said to be a Flemish artist. Dutch art was given a loud title in terms of content, Realism, which is different from the religious subjects, mythological subjects, or aristocratic painting subjects of Italian art. Dutch artists focused more on common people. In terms of form, Dutch artists' works do not have the vibrant colors of the Venetian school or the perfect composition and thunderous force of Michelangelo and Da Vinci, but compared to their works, they do have a distinct feature. This feature can be expressed with a seemingly unrelated term, warmth, which integrates their neither strong nor weak colors with simple and clear compositions, and a simple and natural comparative. The greatest contribution of the Van Eyck brothers to art is that they invented the oil painting technique. Before this, the methods used were mostly tempera paint, egg tempera dries too quickly, which was a fatal weakness for Western painters who valued meticulous work. So they wanted to find a new method that had the advantages of egg tempera and could eliminate its disadvantages. Many people made this effort, but none were successful until the Van Eyck brothers finally found a great way to mix a very ideal medium, using this medium with pigments to be able to have the rich color expression of egg tempera painting style. One of the most famous paintings is the Arnolfini Portrait. Van Eyck's works are characterized by two things, realism and meticulousness. The people depicted in the painting are not like religious figures such as Venus or Apollo but rather ordinary people. And these two people are named individuals. The couple in the Arnolfini Portrait is very impressive, not because the composition is very intricate, but because of the mirror between the two figures. If you look carefully at the mirror, you can see all the details on the other side, such as the window, the backs of the couple, and even the painter himself. How do we know that this person is the painter himself? Because there is a clear inscription on the mirror, including the year of the work and the painter's signature. This work is very vivid, giving the impression of a scene from everyday life where a husband and wife, with the wife pregnant, are interacting in a domestic setting. The husband appears both happy and worried, happy to become a father but worried about the future of the child. The painting is very three-dimensional and gives a clear picture of the story being told. To see the high-definition image of the story, please follow the WeChat public account for the next installment of the content.


Language: Chinese

Bruegel the Peasant Painter

Duration: 0:08:42.566485

From the elegance of Venus to the modernist and bizarre gifts of Picasso, the legendary life of the master of virus art is a story of Western art. Born in 1525, the peasant painter Bruegel, possibly from the Netherlands or from a place called Bruegel, learned painting from a man named Cook in Antwerp. He later became a professional painter and gained fame for his detailed and precise works. After traveling to Italy and back to the Netherlands, Bruegel settled in Brussels and focused on painting, depicting ordinary people and farmers in his works with a deep love and understanding. His paintings also reflected the harsh political realities of Spain's oppression of the Dutch people and their resistance. Bruegel died in 1569 at the age of 44, leaving behind a masterpiece called "The Hunters in the Snow," which is considered one of the greatest winter paintings in Western art history. The painting, created in 1565, depicts hunters walking in the snow with a tranquil and serene atmosphere, capturing the essence of winter with its simple and clean colors. Bruegel's unique style and nationalistic approach have made "The Hunters in the Snow" an immortal classic in art history.


Unique Bosi

Duration: 0:08:57.566576

Coming from the elegance of Venus, but entering the chaotic world of Picasso, the legendary life of the virus art master in the modernist era, please listen to the original Western art story text by P Yuanbo. Today, we will discuss the unique Bosch in Western art history, a relatively unique artist who is also Dutch. His family has a history of painting, with both his grandfather and father being painters. Little is known about his life, except that he never left his hometown. He was trained in meticulous painting techniques and became a member of the Brotherhood of Our Lady, a group that focused on themes of death, the devil, and evil, holding a pessimistic view of the world. Around 1490, he began painting altarpieces for the Brotherhood's chapel. Only about 40 of his works survive, with only a few confirmed to be his. One of his famous works is the Garden of Earthly Delights. This painting is divided into three parts representing heaven, earth, and hell. The left side depicts heaven with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, while the right side portrays hell with bizarre and monstrous creatures. The middle section shows a vibrant and colorful depiction of earthly pleasures and activities. Bosch's imaginative and surreal artworks in the Garden of Earthly Delights are considered masterpieces in Western art history. The paintings are filled with unique buildings, animals, and scenes that are unlike anything seen before. The composition and colors are carefully chosen, creating a unified and magnificent artwork that stands out in art history. Bosch's incredible imagination makes the Garden of Earthly Delights one of the most striking works in Western art history.