Stories in Colour

Welcome back to a new series of 'Stories in Colour'. To kick off, we’re tackling one of the topics we received the most questions about − synaesthesia.
Join Beks and this week’s guests, composer Dr Deborah Pritchard and leading expert on synaesthesia Professor Jamie Ward, as they set out to answer questions such as: What is synaesthesia and what might yellow sound like?
We are also joined in the studio by violinist Greta Mutlu and cellist Richard Harwood. They help bring Deborah’s own personal experience of synaesthesia to life through music.
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Jamie is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. He is one of the world's leading experts on synaesthesia and is the author of several books, including ‘The Frog Who Croaked Blue: Synesthesia and the Mixing of the Senses’.
Deborah is an award-winning British composer known for her work relating to synaesthesia. She has been performed worldwide by the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and more. She is Associate of The Faculty of Music, Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music and was Visiting Fellow at Keble College, Oxford from 2022-2023.
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Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tko6NE4po0Y
You can email us with any questions via [email protected]
Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast
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Paintings mentioned:
Sassoferrato, ‘The Virgin in Prayer’, 1640-50 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/sassoferrato-the-virgin-in-prayer
Claude Monet, ‘Water-Lilies’, after 1916 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-water-lilies
Edvard Munch, ‘The Scream’, 1893. The National Museum, Oslo https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/collection/object/NG.M.00939
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Further reading:
Jamie Ward, ‘The Frog who Croaked Blue: Synesthesia and the Mixing of the Senses’, 2008
Wassily Kandinsky, ‘Concerning the Spiritual in Art’, 1911
Find out more about Deborah Pritchard’s ‘Wall of Water’ and the English String Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l4yX6sZqVw
Find out more about Maggi Hambling’s ‘Walls of Water’ exhibition 2014-15: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/maggi-hambling-walls-of-water
Find out more about composer Olivier Messiaen: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Olivier-Messiaen
Step into the 'National Gallery Imaginarium': https://imaginarium.nationalgallery.org.uk/
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Additional note: The 'National Gallery Imaginarium' digital experience features an introductory poem titled 'The Imaginarium' by poet and novelist Sir Ben Okri.
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Episode credits:
Guests: Dr Deborah Pritchard, Professor Jamie Ward
Musicians: Cellist Richard Harwood and Violinist Greta Mutlu
Host and executive producer: Beks Leary
Producer: Harry Rosehill
Researcher: Hannah Rogers
Technicians: Ian Warren and Tom Gulliver
Video Producers: Alessandro Sorenti and Amber Akaunu
Editor: Oli Mason
Theme music: Theo Elwell

What does colour sound like? Why was mauve the brat green of the Victorian era? And is pink really just for girls?
Welcome back to another series of 'Stories in Colour', the National Gallery's vibrant podcast. Join us on a journey that travels from mines in Afghanistan, to the East End of Victorian London. Hear from curators, scientists, historians and artists, for fresh perspectives and unexpected discoveries.
The first episode of series two is out now on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast

When the artist Louise Nevelson immigrated to America as a child, she was told that ‘the streets... would be paved in gold’. Obviously, they weren’t, but that hasn’t stopped modern artists turning pretty much everything else golden. Even a toilet.
Join National Gallery Courses and Events Programmer Caroline Miller, Associate Curator of Contemporary and Modern Priyesh Mistry and host Beks in the final episode of our sparkling miniseries, where we look to uses of gold in modern and contemporary art. From glistening gold in Gustav Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’ to an artwork so valuable it has hardly ever been displayed. We explore what gold has meant for contemporary artists and how they have tested the limits of this sparkling colour and material.
Caroline is the Courses and Events Programmer at the Gallery. She develops online and in-person courses that expand access and engagement for the National Gallery’s audiences worldwide.
Priyesh is Associate Curator, Contemporary and Modern at the National Gallery where he works towards an ambitious programme to integrate contemporary art within the context of the museum and its historic collections.
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Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3I4VzE_QPI
You can email us with any questions via [email protected]
Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast
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Paintings mentioned:
Joseph Beuys, ‘How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare’, 1965. Galerie Schmela, Düsseldorf [Performance art] https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/434.1997.9/
Anselm Kiefer, 'Mein Rhine', 2024. Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg Villa Kast [Exhibition] https://ropac.net/online-exhibitions/171-anselm-kiefer-mein-rhein/
Jan van Eyck, ‘The Arnolfini Portrait’, 1434. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-van-eyck-the-arnolfini-portrait
Anselm Kiefer, 'Field of the Cloth of Gold', 2021. Gagosian, Le Bourget [Exhibition] https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2021/anselm-kiefer-field-of-the-cloth-of-gold/
Anselm Kiefer, ‘Aus Herzen und Hirnen sprießen die Halme der Nacht (From Hearts and Brains the Stalks of Night Are Sprouting)’, 2019-2020. Emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, straw, gold leaf, wood, and metal on canvas, 185 ⅛ x 330 ¾ inches (470 x 840 cm) https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2021/anselm-kiefer-field-of-the-cloth-of-gold/
Gustav Klimt, 'Pallas Athene', 1898. Wein Museum, Vienna https://sammlung.wienmuseum.at/en/object/102991-pallas-athene/
Gustav Klimt, 'The Kiss (Lovers)', 1908 (completed 1909). Belvedere Museum, Vienna https://sammlung.belvedere.at/objects/6678/der-kuss-liebespaar
Barkley L. Hendricks, ‘Lawdy Mama’, 1969. Studio Museum in Harlem https://www.studiomuseum.org/artworks/lawdy-mama-2
Barkley L. Hendricks, ‘Father, Son, and...’, 1969. Art Bridges https://artbridgesfoundation.org/artworks/hendricks-father-son-and
Louise Nevelson, ‘Royal Tide II’, 1961–1963. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York https://whitney.org/collection/works/428
Chris Burden, ‘Tower of Power’, 1985. Exhibition: “Chris Burden: Extreme Measures” at New Museum, New York, 2013-14 https://archive.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/1861
Maurizio Cattelan, ‘AMERICA’, 2016. Bowl: 18K Gold; Pipes and flushmeter: gold plated. 72,4 cm x 35,6 cm x 68,6 cm. Exhibition: ‘Maurizio Cattelan: “America”’ at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2016-17 https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/maurizio-cattelan-america
[Episode artwork] Gustav Klimt, The Kiss (Lovers), 1908 (completed 1909). Belvedere Museum, Vienna https://sammlung.belvedere.at/objects/6678/der-kuss-liebespaar
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Further reading:
Discover more on gold in the National Gallery’s collection on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJUaHMnazU https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvb2y26xK6Y6T7IfNAc1jMa_zMoX231MX
Find out more about Angela Davis here: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Angela-Davis
Take a closer look at the artist Louise Nevelson and her assemblage art: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw72654/Louise-Nevelson
Find out more about Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘America’ (2016): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjev7vn4qp0o https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1j8z6r8zl6o
Find out more about artist Marcel Duchamp: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcel-Duchamp
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Episode credits:
Guests: Caroline Miller and Priyesh Mistry
Host and executive producer: Beks Leary
Producer: Harry Rosehill
Researcher: Hannah Rogers
Technician: Ian Warren
Video editors: Jeanne Kenyon...

When did gold become a colour? In this episode we journey from the majestic mosaics of the Byzantine era to the brilliantly burnished panel paintings of the early Renaissance to answer this very question.
Join Laura Llewellyn, National Gallery Curator of Italian Paintings before 1500, art historian and educator Ben Street and National Gallery host Beks on this sparkling adventure. Together, they delve into the Gallery’s paintings to explore how artists were creating with gold and capturing this glittering metal in paint.
Laura Llewellyn is Curator of Italian Paintings Before 1500 here at the National Gallery. She was also the co-curator of our exhibition ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350'.
Ben Street is an art historian and educator. He is the author of ‘How to Enjoy Art: A Guide for Everyone’ and the award-winning children’s book ‘How to be an Art Rebel’.
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Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/gisKAcY-5XA
You can email us with any questions via [email protected]
Find out more about the podcast on our website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast
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Paintings mentioned:
Masaccio, 'The Virgin and Child', 1426. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/masaccio-the-virgin-and-child
Jacopo di Cione, 'The Crucifixion', about 1369-70. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-di-cione-the-crucifixion
Bridget Riley, 'Messengers', 2019. The National Gallery, London © 2019 Bridget Riley https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/bridget-riley-messengers
Fra Angelico, 'Fiesole San Domenico Altarpiece', about 1423-4. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/fra-angelico-christ-glorified-in-the-court-of-heaven
Andrea Mantegna, 'The Virgin and Child with the Magdalen and Saint John the Baptist', about 1490-1505. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/andrea-mantegna-the-virgin-and-child-with-saints
Giovanni Bellini, 'The Agony in the Garden', about 1458-60. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/giovanni-bellini-the-agony-in-the-garden
Sandro Botticelli, 'Birth of Venus', around 1485. The Uffizi Gallery, Firenze, Italy https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/birth-of-venus
Sandro Botticelli, 'Saint Francis of Assisi with Angels', about 1475-80. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/sandro-botticelli-saint-francis-of-assisi-with-angels
Titian, 'Bacchus and Ariadne', 1520-3. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-bacchus-and-ariadne
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Further reading:
Discover more on gold in the National Gallery’s collection on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJUaHMnazU https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvb2y26xK6Y6T7IfNAc1jMa_zMoX231MX
Take a closer look at the use of gold in Jacopo di Cione’s 'The Crucifixion': https://artsandculture.google.com/story/4gUB2kjMQI3paA
Find out more about the the National Gallery’s past exhibition ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350' (2025): https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/siena-the-rise-of-painting
Find out more about the winter solstice: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/solstices-equinoxes
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Episode credits:
Guests: Laura Llewellyn and Ben Street
Host and executive producer: Beks Leary
Producer: Harry Rosehill
Researcher: Hannah Rogers
Technicians: Ian Warren and Tom Gulliver
Video editors: Amber Akaunu and Alessandro Sorenti
Theme music: Theo Elwell

Welcome back to Stories in Colour! And welcome to the first episode of our new miniseries in which we'll be telling the story of a rare, sparkling and glistening colour – or should we say material?
Join Nelly von Aderkas from the National Gallery’s Scientific department and host Beks as they dive into the ancient origins of gold! From colliding supernovas to the tomb of Tutankhamun and the man with the Midas touch, we will be exploring the materiality of gold, where this precious metal comes from and its symbolism in art and literature.
Nelly is a Specialist Scientist and Organic Analyst at the National Gallery with a background in paintings conservation.
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Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z2Xr4O8sqE
You can email us with any questions via [email protected]
Find out more about the podcast on our website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast
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Paintings mentioned:
Jacopo di Cione, 'The Crucifixion', about 1369-70. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-di-cione-the-crucifixion
Nicolas Poussin, 'Midas Washing at the Source of the Pactolus', ca. 1627. The Metropolitan Museum of Art https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437328
Jean-François de Troy, 'The Capture of the Golden Fleece', 1742-3. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jean-francois-de-troy-the-capture-of-the-golden-fleece
Nicolas Poussin, 'The Adoration of the Golden Calf', 1633-4. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/nicolas-poussin-the-adoration-of-the-golden-calf
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Further reading:
Discover more on gold in the National Gallery’s collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJUaHMnazU https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvb2y26xK6Y6T7IfNAc1jMa_zMoX231MX
Find out more about gold in Jacopo di Cione’s 'The Crucifixion': https://artsandculture.google.com/story/4gUB2kjMQI3paA
Find out more about Tutankhamun's Golden Burial Mask: https://gem.eg/en/collection/artefacts/the-golden-burial-mask-of-tutankhamun
Find out more about Tutankhamun's coffins: https://egypt-museum.com/innermost-coffin-of-tutankhamun/
Take a look at Egyptian coffins in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum: https://egyptiancoffins.org/coffin-catalogue
Cennino Cennini, 'Il libro dell'arte', written late 14th century
Kassia St Clair, 'The Secret Lives of Colour', 2016
J.R.R. Tolkein, 'The Hobbit', 1937
Apollonius Rhodius, 'Argonautica', written around 3rd century BC
[Author unknown], 'Beowulf', [date unknown]
Ovid, 'Metamorphoses', composed around 8th century AD
Stephen Fry, 'Troy: The Greek Myths Reimagined', 2021
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Episode credits:
Guest: Nelly von Aderkas
Host and executive producer: Beks Leary
Producer: Harry Rosehill
Researcher: Hannah Rogers
Technicians: Ian Warren and Timothy Carpenter
Video Producer: Jeanne Kenyon
Video Editor: Alessandro Sorenti
Theme music: Theo Elwell