John-Paul Stonard
@johnpaulstonard.com
Author and Art Historian and Public Lecturer.
Absolutely all of James Joyce's Ulysses on a single wall.
134G A10, London E2
Brick building side with painted advertisement and graffiti
#reference #materialreference #buildingreference
Brick building side with painted advertisement and graffiti
#reference #materialreference #buildingreference
December 19, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Absolutely all of James Joyce's Ulysses on a single wall.
Jane Austen's Arcadia, and why she knew nothing about art. Latest On Art, on #Substack
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Austen's Arcadia
IN A STRANGE AND VIRTUALLY UNREADABLE essay on the architectural settings of Jane Austen’s novels, the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner laments Austen’s vagueness in describing buildings.
open.substack.com
December 14, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Jane Austen's Arcadia, and why she knew nothing about art. Latest On Art, on #Substack
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
This is really superb, the culmination of a year-long series of conversations that could not have been more engaging, more provoking, more enlightening.
James Wood and Jonathan Rée's Conversations in Philosophy, on Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
@lrb.co.uk
www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...
James Wood and Jonathan Rée's Conversations in Philosophy, on Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
@lrb.co.uk
www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...
Podcast: Jonathan Rée and James Wood · Conversations in Philosophy: 'To the Lighthouse' by Virginia Woolf
www.lrb.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 3:09 PM
This is really superb, the culmination of a year-long series of conversations that could not have been more engaging, more provoking, more enlightening.
James Wood and Jonathan Rée's Conversations in Philosophy, on Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
@lrb.co.uk
www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...
James Wood and Jonathan Rée's Conversations in Philosophy, on Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
@lrb.co.uk
www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
This absolutely glorious photo of painter Yasuo Kuniyoshi in his 14th Street studio, NYC, 1940 www.si.edu/object/yasuo...
December 3, 2025 at 11:10 PM
This absolutely glorious photo of painter Yasuo Kuniyoshi in his 14th Street studio, NYC, 1940 www.si.edu/object/yasuo...
Stupidity is a greatly underrated subject, it would make an excellent subject for a PhD.
Here is a piece on the most stupid artist of the nineteenth century, the ridiculous Mr Nollekens (at least in the eyes of his biographer, J T Smith).
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Here is a piece on the most stupid artist of the nineteenth century, the ridiculous Mr Nollekens (at least in the eyes of his biographer, J T Smith).
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
The Ridiculous Mr Nollekens
JOSEPH NOLLEKENS WAS THE MOST STUPID artist of his day.
open.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Stupidity is a greatly underrated subject, it would make an excellent subject for a PhD.
Here is a piece on the most stupid artist of the nineteenth century, the ridiculous Mr Nollekens (at least in the eyes of his biographer, J T Smith).
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Here is a piece on the most stupid artist of the nineteenth century, the ridiculous Mr Nollekens (at least in the eyes of his biographer, J T Smith).
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Grateful to anyone wanting to take a look at this On Art Substack post on the excellent and timely film 'Colossal Wreck'.
For Substack, you have to enter your email, but it's all free (unless your pockets are deep). I try and post every Thursday.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
For Substack, you have to enter your email, but it's all free (unless your pockets are deep). I try and post every Thursday.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Schopenhauer does Bladerunner
On 'Colossal Wreck'
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Grateful to anyone wanting to take a look at this On Art Substack post on the excellent and timely film 'Colossal Wreck'.
For Substack, you have to enter your email, but it's all free (unless your pockets are deep). I try and post every Thursday.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
For Substack, you have to enter your email, but it's all free (unless your pockets are deep). I try and post every Thursday.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
The Greatest Essay on Art Ever Written open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
The Greatest Essay on Art ever Written
A thrust into the awesome
open.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:03 PM
The Greatest Essay on Art Ever Written open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
‘Freud knew that the family was the ultimate ghost story, a tendency reflected in the narratives that have become attached to ghost sightings, which often concern disputed inheritances, dynastic continuity or betrayed love.’
Jon Day on the unheimlich
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Jon Day on the unheimlich
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Jon Day · Gloomth: Haunted Houses
Haunted house stories tend to end in one of two ways: either the family flees, or the ghosts are soothed, and everyone...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 7:10 PM
‘Freud knew that the family was the ultimate ghost story, a tendency reflected in the narratives that have become attached to ghost sightings, which often concern disputed inheritances, dynastic continuity or betrayed love.’
Jon Day on the unheimlich
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Jon Day on the unheimlich
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
‘Carus’s “Nine Letters on Landscape Painting” shows him shaking off Friedrich’s influence, with all its moonlight and mountain mists, in favour of a more scientific, Goethean concept of art.’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and scientist.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and scientist.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
John-Paul Stonard · At the National Gallery: View from a Prison Window
Carl Gustav Carus made copies of paintings by Caspar David Friedrich, or sought out the locations he had painted,...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 11:15 AM
‘Carus’s “Nine Letters on Landscape Painting” shows him shaking off Friedrich’s influence, with all its moonlight and mountain mists, in favour of a more scientific, Goethean concept of art.’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and scientist.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and scientist.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
‘For Carus, “Erdlebenbildkunst” (“Earth-life painting”) was a matter of representing the interconnected whole of nature, which might be indicated in the smallest detail.’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and friend of Caspar David Friedrich.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and friend of Caspar David Friedrich.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
John-Paul Stonard · At the National Gallery: View from a Prison Window
Carl Gustav Carus made copies of paintings by Caspar David Friedrich, or sought out the locations he had painted,...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 12:57 PM
‘For Carus, “Erdlebenbildkunst” (“Earth-life painting”) was a matter of representing the interconnected whole of nature, which might be indicated in the smallest detail.’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and friend of Caspar David Friedrich.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter and friend of Caspar David Friedrich.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
‘The term “landscape painting” (𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘪) became a bugbear for Carl Gustav Carus: “There is something artisan-like about it that revolts my whole being.”’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
John-Paul Stonard · At the National Gallery: View from a Prison Window
www.lrb.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 1:08 PM
‘The term “landscape painting” (𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘪) became a bugbear for Carl Gustav Carus: “There is something artisan-like about it that revolts my whole being.”’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the German painter:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
‘Carus made copies of paintings by Friedrich, or sought out the locations he had painted, producing works that are so close to the originals that they were often mistaken for them. When Friedrich fell out of favour, so did Carus.’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the painter.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the painter.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
John-Paul Stonard · At the National Gallery: View from a Prison Window
www.lrb.co.uk
October 31, 2025 at 10:35 AM
‘Carus made copies of paintings by Friedrich, or sought out the locations he had painted, producing works that are so close to the originals that they were often mistaken for them. When Friedrich fell out of favour, so did Carus.’
@johnpaulstonard.com on the painter.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@johnpaulstonard.com on the painter.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
I’m not sure I share John-Paul’s hatred of Cezanne’s Les Grandes Baigneuses; but having caught the Cezanne exhibition at the Musée Granet in Aix just before it closed earlier this month, I would trade it for almost any other picture on show there.
1/2
1/2
Weary of how amazing and excellent art is, all the time, everywhere?
I wrote about hating a painting, and found it liberating.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
I wrote about hating a painting, and found it liberating.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
A painting I hate
In the National Gallery, London.
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:20 PM
I’m not sure I share John-Paul’s hatred of Cezanne’s Les Grandes Baigneuses; but having caught the Cezanne exhibition at the Musée Granet in Aix just before it closed earlier this month, I would trade it for almost any other picture on show there.
1/2
1/2
Weary of how amazing and excellent art is, all the time, everywhere?
I wrote about hating a painting, and found it liberating.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
I wrote about hating a painting, and found it liberating.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
A painting I hate
In the National Gallery, London.
open.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Weary of how amazing and excellent art is, all the time, everywhere?
I wrote about hating a painting, and found it liberating.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
I wrote about hating a painting, and found it liberating.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Reposted by John-Paul Stonard
Feed: "The Art Newspaper - International art news and events"
By: John-Paul Stonard on Friday, October 17, 2025
By: John-Paul Stonard on Friday, October 17, 2025
Cultural issues define the Greens and Reform, so what are their arts policies?
Zack Polanski, the new UK Green Party leader, has big plans for the culture sector, while Reform’s Nigel Farage is giving little away
www.theartnewspaper.com
October 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Feed: "The Art Newspaper - International art news and events"
By: John-Paul Stonard on Friday, October 17, 2025
By: John-Paul Stonard on Friday, October 17, 2025
The remarkable story of a great modern painting, and an introduction to the great Oskar Schlemmer.
Latest but one on #Substack.
History Up and Down
#art #painting #germany
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Latest but one on #Substack.
History Up and Down
#art #painting #germany
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
History Up and Down
The remarkable story of a great modern painting, Oskar Schlemmer's 'Bauhaustreppe', 1932.
open.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The remarkable story of a great modern painting, and an introduction to the great Oskar Schlemmer.
Latest but one on #Substack.
History Up and Down
#art #painting #germany
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Latest but one on #Substack.
History Up and Down
#art #painting #germany
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Reminder of why I write for the @lrb.co.uk, subscribe to the @economist.com, and have never been to Hay @hayfestival.bsky.social
(Economist, 31st May, 'Bagehot: The Rise of Middle-Class Consciousness')
(Economist, 31st May, 'Bagehot: The Rise of Middle-Class Consciousness')
June 18, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reminder of why I write for the @lrb.co.uk, subscribe to the @economist.com, and have never been to Hay @hayfestival.bsky.social
(Economist, 31st May, 'Bagehot: The Rise of Middle-Class Consciousness')
(Economist, 31st May, 'Bagehot: The Rise of Middle-Class Consciousness')
On the first accurate images of the moon, by the great Jan van Eyck.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Van Eyck's Moon
The first great images of the modern world.
open.substack.com
June 2, 2025 at 9:22 PM
On the first accurate images of the moon, by the great Jan van Eyck.
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
open.substack.com/pub/jpstonar...
Words like 'fascism' are never really helpful, except to fascists, and comparisons with the 1930s only go so far. But lest we forget....
www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/28/t...
www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/28/t...
Comment | The 1930s all over again? Trump and ‘Entartete Kunst’ revisited
There are alarming echoes of the notorious Nazi-organised exhibition in America today—but we also need to acknowledge the differences between the world today and 1930s Europe
www.theartnewspaper.com
April 13, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Words like 'fascism' are never really helpful, except to fascists, and comparisons with the 1930s only go so far. But lest we forget....
www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/28/t...
www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/28/t...