Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hay Wain | 20240723 | 20250816 (R4) |  We have been making art for tens of thousands of years. But very few of these many millions of images have become truly famous. Only a handful of artworks have entered popular culture, as fridge magnets, greetings cards and biscuit tins – becoming instantly recognisable all over the world. Art historian Dr James Fox tells the story of one such painting, John Constable's The Hay Wain. For more than a century, The Hay Wain has been all around us. It's been reproduced in magazines and on merchandise, in cartoons and advertisements and featured on propaganda posters and at protests. But why did it hit the big time? Christine Riding of The National Gallery and the photomontage artist and activist Peter Kennard contribute as James traces The Hay Wain's progress through the artistic stratosphere to global celebrity. Producer: Julia Johnson A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4 James Fox asks how Constable's The Hay Wain became so famous. James Fox asks how Constable's The Hay Wain became one of the most famous paintings in the world. | |
| 01 | The Great Wave | 20250408 | 20250726 (R4) | 
But how and why did this humble woodblock print hit the big time? In this series, art historian Dr James Fox traces the twists of fate and happy accidents that propelled a handful of images into global pop culture, making them so famous they even have their own emojis. From first printing in Japan in 1831 to a rapturous reception in 19th century Europe, the surf boom of 1960s California and shops on every high street, James tells the story of how The Great Wave conquered the world. Contributors include: surf photographer Jeff Divine Kyota Ko, author of Horror Tales of Japan Terrie Isaac, trend forecaster with BDA London Matthew Broughton Lily Richards of Vintage, Penguin Random House The reader is Todd Kramer Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Laurence Bassett A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4 James Fox asks how Hokusai's The Great Wave became so famous. James Fox asks how Hokusai's The Great Wave became one of the most famous artworks in the world. James Fox explores what it is that propels just a handful\u202fof artworks to true global fame. |
| 02 | The Scream | 20250415 | 20250802 (R4) | 
In this series, art historian Dr James Fox traces the twists of fate and happy accidents that pushed a handful of artworks to the forefront of global pop culture. The story of The Scream is an unlikely one - over the decades it has been an obscure, experimental artwork, a national treasure, a stolen masterpiece, an inflatable, an emoji , the most expensive painting in the world and a gift to cartoonists. Both a profound expression of human suffering and an icon of kitsch, The Scream has somehow conquered the world. In conversation with James are the art historian Noah Charney, designer Angela Guzman, mural-painter and businessman Robert Fishbone and The Times political cartoonist Morten Morland. Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Laurence Bassett A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4 James Fox asks how Munch's The Scream became one of the most famous artworks in the world. James Fox asks how Edvard Munch's The Scream became one of the most famous artworks in the world. James Fox explores what it is that propels just a handful\u202fof artworks to true global fame. |
| 03 | The Mona Lisa | 20250422 | 20250809 (R4) |  When President Macron gave a press conference at the Louvre in January 2025, you can guess what painting he was standing next to. The Mona Lisa is probably the most celebrated artwork ever made, visited by millions of tourists every year, constantly re-invented by film-makers, meme-makers and advertisers. But for art historian James Fox, the Mona Lisa is not the greatest painting in the world, nor the greatest painting in the Louvre. For James, it's not even the greatest painting in the room. So how and why did Mona hit the big time? In this series, James traces the twists of fate and happy accidents that pushed a handful of artworks to the forefront of global pop culture. The story of the Mona LIsa is an eventful one. Stolen, vandalised, hidden in wartime and ruthlessly monetised for decades, the Mona Lisa has been a cultural ambassador for France, a tourist destination, a muse, a target and an advertiser's dream. It's a combination that has made her a global celebrity, seemingly impervious to shifts in cultural tastes. To explore the Mona Lisa's journey to fame, James is in conversation with the art historian Noah Charney, author of The Theft of the Mona Lisa, and Margaret Leslie Davis, author of Mona Lisa in Camelot. Also contributing are Paris tour guide Sophie Gacheny, Benoit Roques of media production company Iconoclast and David Masterman of advertising agency VCCP. Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Laurence Bassett A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4 James Fox asks how the Mona Lisa became the most famous painting in the world. James Fox traces the twists of fate that made the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world. |
A huge blue and white wave towers over three unfortunate boats, with Mount Fuji framed by the cresting wall of water. Katsushika Hokusai's Underneath the Wave off Kanagawa is a celebrity - one of a very few artworks known the world over, reproduced on everything from socks to surfboards, from book covers to beer bottles.
It's one of the most famous, reproduced and pastiched images of all time. Edvard Munch's The Scream is a celebrity, one of a small number of artworks known the world over. But how and why did The Scream hit the big time?