ArtCurious: Stories of the Unexpected, Slightly Odd, and Strangely Wonderful in Art History

by Jennifer Dasal

A wildly entertaining and surprisingly educational dive into art history as you've never seen it before, from the host of the beloved ArtCurious podcast

We're all familiar with the works of Claude Monet, thanks in no small part to the ubiquitous reproductions of his water lilies on umbrellas, handbags, scarves, and dorm-room posters. But did you also know that Monet and his cohort were trailblazing rebels whose works were originally deemed unbelievably ugly and vulgar? And while you probably know the tale of Vincent van Gogh's suicide, you may not be aware that there's pretty compelling evidence that the artist didn't die by his own hand but was accidentally killed--or even murdered. Or how about the fact that one of Andy Warhol's most enduring legacies involves Caroline Kennedy's moldy birthday cake and a collection of toenail clippings?

ArtCurious is a colorful look at the world of art history, revealing some of the strangest, funniest, and most fascinating stories behind the world's great artists and masterpieces. Through these and other incredible, weird, and wonderful tales, ArtCurious presents an engaging look at why art history is, and continues to be, a riveting and relevant world to explore.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History, Art History, Book Club, Audiobook, Essays

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2020

Reviews

[Christina Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're an art history fan, this collection of quirky stories is pretty delightful. I especially enjoyed the chapters on Norman Rockwell, the Mona Lisa, van Gogh, and Hieronymous Bosch. Less interesting were the folks I'd never heard of and whose art didn't personally appeal to me.

You have to stay pretty close to your computer while you read this because you'll constantly be Googling works, and it's pretty hard to see on a phone screen. So if you're the type of person who hates to consult maps, family trees, or Wikipedia while you read--well, what are you doing anyhow, reading art history in the first place?

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who has two degrees in art history, was it even a question that I wouldn't like this book? The podcast must be pretty great if this is based off of it. You'll find something here for both art history novices and experts. I hope we see some reattribution one day for female artists Hilma af Klint (first abstract painting) and Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (for Fountain, historically attributed to Duchamp).

[James P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the writer’s take on the subject matter, I found myself getting impatient with this book. Part of my response, I guess, is due to the few chapters in the middle of the book titled The Slightly Odd.

I’m not a big fan of stories about sleuthing that are too complicated. Plus, if all the information about a mystery (is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre real?) adds up to pages and pages of alternate theories and dead ends, it’s frustrating. Just summarize, please.

Anyway, that objection aside, it was cool to read a fun book written in a breezy style about art. The stories are unusual, and I appreciated that. It reminded me that art needn’t always be treated with effete attitudes and kid gloves. Gimme a break. When it comes down to it, great art is of the earth. And, the really great stuff is stuff that moves us.

[Horatio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compilation of several episodes of Jennifer Dasal's podcast, Artcurious, and as such, wasn't really a book about art, but more a compilation of interesting stories of various artists and artworks. It didn't actually touch much on the technical aspects of these artworks, which I guess would've made sense in a podcast, as people want something engaging and interesting to listen to, rather than more academic. However, I felt like this didn't translate particularly well into book-form, as I wish that it were more rigorous and technical. In essence, it felt more like a sharing of fun facts without actually getting into what made these artworks and artists renowned or famous (some chapters were more analytical, though, based on the subject matter). As such, I felt like this book was made to lure people who didn't care much for art (in a very click-bait, attention grabbing style) by not talking about art, but instead discussing the interesting conspiracy theories and gossip in the art world.

An example of this was her chapter on the Mona Lisa and its history of being stolen. She briefly talks about the work itself, and only partially introduces the reader to the painting by vaguely talking about what makes it a masterpiece. Instead, she chooses to focus on the various theories about why and how it was stolen, which is interesting in itself, but not really why I chose to read this book (I would have much preferred if she had focused on why the Mona Lisa is a masterpiece).

While I enjoyed some of the pieces in this book (I thought that the essay on Norman Rockwell and his paintings of the Americana was brilliant), I also wish that many were more technical, which is also due to my expectations of the book. But I was clearly not the desired target audience, so I guess that's expected.

[Brenden Gallagher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book, and so I will keep it brief. "Artcurious" feels like a group of podcast episodes strung together more than it does a full text. It suffers from a lot of the superficial historical problems seen in other projects of the same ilk. The underresearched chapters (really episodes) fall back on easy "Hidden Figures" or "True Crime" style narratives that raise a lot of questions without having the answers to back them up. Though some chapters are somewhat compelling, chapters like the one on Jack the Ripper verge on conspiratorial hackery. While the skin-deep attention to detail might fly for patreon subscribers, I would be upset if I paid the sticker price for this book instead of borrowing it from the library. Podcasting is still a nascent form and this book shows the problems therein when it comes to doing history on a fast and breezy basis. Thumbs down.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was psyched for this seeing others' reviews of it and because I'm not "artsy" like that which is what Dasal talks about but I had put off sitting down to read it a few times and then when I started, I realized it still was not for me.

I think her voice might work for her podcast and how she approaches it there, but it didn't translate for me into print with this book. There's still too much art-splaining because/in the middle/after these "unexpected, slightly odd, and strangely wonderful" stories that I was frustrated and annoyed. I wanted her to get to the stories, get to the point.

So it was a fail for me. Maybe I needed a different headspace but I really just think it wasn't going to work for me in this format. Or maybe I should try an audiobook version? Either way, a dud for me.

[Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the various stories were really interesting and enjoyed the humor of the book. My only real complaint is the constant mentioning of artwork without showing it, which tended to take me out of the book as i’d usually end up trying to find it, but I’m not sure if there’s a cost factor with that. Thanks to this book, I’ll most likely be keeping my eye out for more art history books.

[Maggie Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t have to love art to love this book, the stories and theories are fascinating on their own! Artists moonlighting as murderers and painters who claim that ghosts are possessing them, just all around fun read!

[eve rozier · Rating 3 out of 5]

this girl simultaneously has a bunch of hot takes without actually having an opinion

[Mac Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy Warhol was a hoarder. Jack the Ripper may have been a respected artist. A famous Leonardo DaVinci may not have been painted by the artist. If you are an art enthusiast or a skeptic, you'll be entertained and maybe surprised by the fun facts contained in this book.

[Pat McManus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a change of pace from fiction-FYI this was a book selected by the Johns Hopkins online book club.

An entertaining and enlightening non-fiction book based on her art history podcast Artcurious. I will now occasionally listen to that podcast, as I enjoyed the book and insights.

[Millie Pageau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book challenged so many of my longstanding art history opinions. I was reminded that art history is not only learned through the inspiration behind the work but by a myriad of factors surrounding the artist, life at the time of the arts creation, and so much more!

[Rachel (Kalanadi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Gina P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had never heard of the ArtCurious podcast, but I find art history fascinating and hoped to learn a few things from this book. Unfortunately, I would not recommend it. It had lots of potential, particularly with regard to content, but that’s about it.

My biggest gripe was with the author’s voice and long-windedness. I can’t believe her editor let her get away with so much. It feels like reading one long blog post where the writer needs to hit a certain word count for the sake of search engine optimization. She has no concept of being concise and manages to go on and on without adding substance. Honestly, I skimmed parts of it.

With regard to voice, she includes her own plucky commentary alongside the content, but it does not add value to the book. It feels like she is trying to make the content more approachable, or maybe she is insecure about whether or not her readers will really care about what she’s writing, but in any case it takes impact away from the actual art history. (Particularly when she ends big revelations with “Gross!” Or “Sorry!” Or “Pun intended!” in parentheses.)

I can see the whole thing working as a podcast, but it needed to be re-envisioned to be a book. It could have worked with more (better quality) pictures, and about half the amount of words. It’s too bad because I am the perfect audience for this book as someone who did not study art history but has always found it fascinating.

[Jeanne Puckett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite excited about this book as I live in the same city as the author. I love art history. This book seemed to be dumbed down to a level that was hard to support. Maybe it is meant for a younger audience- if so, I’d have more positive to share. I can appreciate an author trying to interest people in art.

[Nohely · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5! As someone who loves art history but doesn't have the patience for a dry textbook, this was a nice little change of pace. It felt like diving into art world gossip! For true art history buffs, I can see how the rumors and speculation might feel a little off the mark, but for me, it kept things interesting.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

# The Book in 3(ish) Sentences

1. This book is all about stories; it highlights some unexpected, odd, and wonderful stories in the art world.
2. This book places artists within a certain cultural, historical or experiential framework. It helps color some of the lives of artists that is often not shown in an exhibit or museum.
3. This book tries to convince the reader that Art isn’t boring and is, in fact, filled stories about why the artist creates what they do.

# Impressions

- I generally favor reading books that give me a more expansive look into a new topic, but this one was more narrow in its scope. Despite this, I enjoyed the book, and felt that focusing on a limited set of 12 stories made the book easier to digest. Given the hodgepodge collection of stories, there wasn’t an overall theme or focus tying them together. Some were more intriguing than others for me; I especially enjoyed the chapters on Monet, Van Gogh, Salvador Mundi. The book is dispersed with smaller anecdotes all throughout the book that relate in some way to the content of the chapter. Those felt a bit disruptive, but there were enough interesting stories in between that caught my attention that I’m willing to look past the disruption to flow they cause. Overall, I like that upon finishing the book, I feel a greater sense of appreciation of the artwork and appreciate the added details I now have about the lives behind the artists.

# Who Should Read It?

- People without a strong background in art or art history but nevertheless have an interest should read this book. It’s very accessible and written in a down-to-earth voice that is easy to follow along.

# How the Book Changed Me

- The book will shine most the next time I go to an art museum. I love the idea of being able to build connections with what I read with the artwork I see myself in-person. In this sense, the book has given me more confidence to walk into a museum and better understand what these artists where thinking or what their historical context was when they made their artwork.

# Top 3 Quotes

1. For me, the enduring legacy of Impressionism comes down to two things. First is these artists’ commitment to modernity, of finding worthy subject matter in a world that is still so familiar to us today: a suburban dinner party, a dimly lit city street, a crowded restaurant. Impressionism pulls us in because we can see our own lives in it, as if we’re the ones enjoying our leisure time in the company of friends, raising a glass of wine. We, as modern people in a modern world, are the subjects. Second, Impressionism—for one of the first times in art history— was about valuing the subjective point of view about things that seem like they should be objective: light, color, shadow.

2. Art is often taken sooo seriously. But artists have been having fun —for the sake of fun!—for centuries…My favorite example is Marcel Duchamp’s irreverent L.H.O.O.Q. (1919, Centre Pompidou, Paris; reproductions elsewhere), one of the artist’s signature “ready- mades,” which are detailed in chapter 11…When pronounced in French, the letters sound similar to the phrase “Elle a chaud au cul,” which roughly translates, in English, to “She has a hot ass.”

3. When asked by Gene Swenson, an art critic for ARTnews, to define Pop Art, Warhol simply replied, “It’s liking things.”

[Mac Millard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to like this as I have no interest in art but found it to be quite fascinating! The first half was really entertaining and made me appreciate art and the process more, but then the second half was much slower and not very enjoyable. I really put no stock in abstract art like a painting of a square and the author was pushing hard for this to be seen as an insane turn in the history of art and I just literally couldn’t care less lol. I loved reading the conspiracy theories that Jack the Ripper was actually the artist Walter Sickert and that the Mona Lisa on display is actually a fake and the true story of how the CIA funded art in the Cold War. But don’t talk to me about paintings of squares

[Michi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and well researched!! I tend to lean more towards fiction so this book was less captivating than my usual reads.

The good:
- the biographies. Many of the artists mentioned in this book were pretty obscure (at least to me), so their biographies were helpful and included details about their importance / broader impact on the art world

The bad:
- This book definitely requires a good amount of background knowledge on art / art history. I found some of the references to be niche / not explained thoroughly bc it was assumed the audience was familiar w/ what was being talked about and it was difficult to hold my attention at these points.

[Paige Costinescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this amalgamation of stories surrounding influential artists in history. They made for an engaging and fun read.

Whilst I'm quite familiar with many of the artists, there were some whose names I had not heard before. The stories of both Georgiana Houghton and Hilma af Klint caught my attention, and I would really like to learn more about their contributions to the development of Modern Art.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
the few beginning essays, in my opinion, don’t really fall under the “slightly odd” or “strangely wonderful” umbrella, rather just musings of certain artists that dasal found interesting. the real downside is that she would reference artworks, suggest the reader to “google it,” causing me to go into an internet deep dive scavenging for this work she is referencing.

[mikaela (spinebreaker)]

dnf

i literally cannot compel myself to pick this up again and it's been almost a month. You can really tell that this is a podcast turned into a book, rather than a book on the same subject as the podcast. It's very surface level, throwing facts at you instead of giving you an interesting narrative story. That's not what I prefer in my nonfiction so I'm not going to spend my time on it.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fantastic book would get 5 stars from me were it not for the fact that next to none of the artworks mentioned therein is accompanied by a picture of said art work. Such a weird and nonsensical choice. Still well worth reading.

[Jake Hattis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read. There are two things that this book makes me want to do. The first is look at more art, because it is fascinating. The second is to read more about Art History. This book feels like a great introduction to the color that is art history for those who don't know where to start.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only liked a few of the essays sadly. My favorite was the conspiracy behind Mona Lisa being stolen twice and Andy Warhol's time capsule obsession.

overall not the riveting book I've read but it was interesting enough.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly fun while still touching on some of the most important art historical debates today. My one qualm was the lack of pictures! Show me the wacky and weird paintings!

[Roxanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My start in to art history. Opened my eyes to the importance of the backstory to artwork, it can greatly change the percieved value of art pieces.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall enjoyed, good combo of being interesting and well written, only obvious miss is lack of illustrations of pieces being discussed.

[Barbara Haunton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written with little that’s new.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Wildly entertaining “ is a bit of an overstatement from the blurb, though it was for the most part enjoyable.