The Art of Crime

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Latest Episodes:

Adolf Hitler and the Ghosts of the Great War: Otto Dix (Assassins) May 31, 2023

Show notes

After serving in WWI, German painter Otto Dix rose to fame in the 1920s partly through his unflinching portrayal of modern warfare and the toll it took on the human body. However, these themes landed him on the blacklist following the Nazi seizure of power in 1933. After a no-name carpenter masterminded—and nearly pulled off—a daring attempt on Hitler's life in 1939, the Nazis came knocking at Dix's door, suspecting that he aided the would-be assassin. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

"What an Artist Dies in Me" : Nero, Pt. II (Assassins) May 17, 2023

Show notes

After the assassination of his mother, Agrippina, Nero threw himself into the performing arts like never before, training to become both a musician and a tragic actor. He even toured Greece to compete in its famous sports and arts festivals. As Nero's megalomania and abuses of office grew more outrageous, however, a group of conspirators plotted his assassination. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

A Portrait of the Tyrant as a Young Man: Nero, Pt. I (Assassins) May 03, 2023

Show notes

Nero became emperor of Rome in 54 A.D., largely thanks to the scheming of his mother, Agrippina. The teenaged ruler showed promise early on, yet major flaws swiftly revealed themselves, including an obsession with becoming a musician. As his enemies multiplied, Nero retained power by brutal means. In 59, he ordered one of the most notorious assassinations of the century, inspired by a special effect he saw at the theater. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Shooting Andy Warhol: Valerie Solanas (Assassins) Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

When Valerie Solanas moved to New York in the early-to-mid 1960s, she wanted nothing more than to become a writer. Within a few years, she approached perhaps the most admired—and reviled—artist in the United States, Andy Warhol, proposing that he produce her pipe-bomb of a comedy, Up Your Ass. Though promising at first, their relationship went south, and in 1968, Solanas walked into Warhol's studio with the intention of shooting him dead. As you can probably tell from this summary alone, this episode contains language that may offend some listeners. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

The Assassinations of Leon Trotsky: David Alfaro Siqueiros (Assassins) Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

A diehard Communist, David Alfaro Siqueiros fought in the Mexican Revolution in the mid-1910s. Over the next several decades, he would revolutionize the theory and practice of muralism in Mexico and abroad, largely inspired by his radical politics. In 1940, his political convictions led to a less honorable enterprise when he spearheaded an assault on the home of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky as he and his family slept in their beds. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Introducing Assassins Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

Season 2 of The Art of Crime explores a new theme. Listen to this trailer to find out what it is! Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Ask Me Anything (Artists Accused of Being Jack the Ripper) Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions! Let me know if you'd like to hear more AMA episodes in the future at artofcrimepodcast@gmail.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Arthur Conan Doyle, Consulting Detective (Artists Accused of Being Jack the Ripper) Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Arthur Conan Doyle rose to fame as the inventor of Sherlock Holmes. Not unlike his literary creation, Doyle had a knack for making inferences about others based on observation alone and even brought that talent to bear on real-life criminal cases. He also weighed in on the Ripper killings, drawing curve-ball conclusions about how the murderer committed his crimes. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Toynbee Hall and Jack the Ripper (Artists Accused of Being Jack the Ripper) Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

In 1884, the Reverend Samuel Barnett and his wife, Henrietta, founded Toynbee Hall, a charitable institution meant to improve the lives of Whitechapel residents. From its inception, Toynbee Hall offered both arts education and programming. The Ripper's victims died within walking distance of its doorstep, and Bruce Robinson believes that the Hall was essential to Michael Maybrick's s plan to get away with murder. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Inquest Scenes (Artists Accused of Being Jack the Ripper) Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

In 1913, Marie Belloc Lowndes published her novel, The Lodger, inspired by a story that painter Walter Sickert heard from his landlady. At one point, the heroine attends a farcical inquest, during which a witness offers bogus testimony. This fictional debacle resonates with one of the more bizarre episodes in the Whitechapel murders. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

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