This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast 'The Week in Art' covers three major art stories. Host Ben Luke is joined by managing editor Louis Jebb to discuss Pope Francis's deep engagement with art and the Vatican collections following his death on Easter Monday. The podcast also marks the 250th anniversary of J.M.W. Turner's birth, featuring an interview with Tate Britain senior curator Amy Concannon about Turner's enduring appeal. The episode's 'Work of the Week' is John Singer Sargent's 'Madame X' (1883-84), discussed with co-curator Stephanie L. Herdrich ahead of a major Sargent exhibition opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and traveling to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
This episode matters because it connects three significant threads in the art world: the legacy of a pope who actively shaped Vatican art collections and engaged with visual culture, the ongoing celebration of Turner's 250th birthday through exhibitions and events, and the renewed attention on Sargent's most famous and controversial painting as part of a transatlantic exhibition. The podcast format provides expert commentary and context, making complex art historical topics accessible to a broad audience while highlighting current exhibitions and institutional programming.