In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees delve into the history and cultural significance of Vincent van Gogh's 'Self Portrait with a Bandaged Ear.' They explore what makes the painting so moving, talk about Van Gogh's life and mental state during its creation, and the pivotal role played by the unsung woman who worked to get his works into museums. The hosts also discuss Van Gogh's artistic influences, his tumultuous relationship with Paul Gauguin, and the enduring emotional power of the painting. Tune in for a deeper understanding of why this compelling work deserves its place in the Courtauld museum.

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.

In this episode of 'Why'd They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Sarah Lees, a museum curator and researcher, and Beth Bacon, an avid museum goer and children's book author, discuss Faith Ringgold's 'Tar Beach,' which is a part of her 'Woman on a Bridge' series. This colorful work defies categorization. It blends painting, quilting, and storytelling. It’s an artwork… and also a Caldecott-winning picture book. We start by talking about the quilt version of the work in the New York Guggenheim, which shows a family hanging out on a New York City rooftop on a summer evening. We talk about the work’s magical and fantastic elements (it depicts a girl, Cassie Louise Lightfoot, flying in a starlit sky above the George Washington Bridge). Its text mentions both heart wrenching political messages and the hope that's born in the imagination. Why did the Guggenheim Museum choose this piece for their collection? To answer that, we explore Ringgold's influences from Tibeten thangka, to African-American quiltmaking, to abstract expressionism. We also go back to look at her career, starting in the 1960’s and her insistence that her work is worth preserving and valuing. We talk about how the personal can be political. And we ponder other works, such as ‘The Flag Is Bleeding’ and ‘Die’ which is featured at MOMA, in honored place next to Picasso’s ‘Demoiselles D’Avignon.’ Why did MOMA put a Ringgold work next to a Picasso? Listen to the podcast and find out.

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.

Sarah Lees, a museum curator, and Beth Bacon, an art enthusiast, co-host a podcast called 'Why Do They Put That in a Museum?' In this episode, talk about the cage crinoline, an undergarment from Victorian England that's currently in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. It's basically the hoop inside the hoop skirts that were popular in the 1860's. No one knows who made it. So what's it doing in a museum? Is it beautiful? Not really. Was it associated with a famous person? Maybe (or maybe not). Was it technically innovative? Listen to the podcast and decide.

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.

In this episode of 'Why'd They Put That in a Museum?' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss how Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, the Mona Lisa, ended up in the Louvre (hint—it was brought to the Louvre before the Louvre was a museum!). They also talk about the time the Mona Lisa was stolen from the museum and Picasso was accused of the robbery. Beth asks Sarah why art curators think Mona Lisa is such a great masterpiece so you can decide if you agree whether it's one of the best pantings in the world.

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.

In this episode of Why They Put That in a Museum, Sarah Lees and Beth Bacon discuss a stoneware jar made by Dave The Potter, a skilled enslaved potter from South Carolina. They discuss the inscription on the jar, which is a lighthearted description (dare we say roast?) of people in the town. They also explore other aspects of the jar, such as the clay it was made from, the history of its creation, and its various owners over the years. Finally they ponder its cultural context as an object from the Metropolitan Museum of Art—what is its place in a broader narrative of slavery and artistry? What are the ethical and cultural considerations behind displaying such objects in a museum? Listen to the podcast and find out. See the object at the Metropolitan Museum of New York website: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/747045

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.

Beth Bacon visits Richard Serra's 'Joe' and talks with Sarah Lees about her experience while walking around this large steel sculpture. In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' Beth and Sarah wrestle with the opposing thoughts and feelings that arise when encountering this enormous steel sculpture located at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri. Beth provides an on-site description of the piece, made from a huge coil of weathering steel. The piece invites visitors to walk inside and really experience what it feels like in a space created by an artist. Sarah and Beth ponder the contrasts that arise from taking in this piece: it is minimal yet powerful, solid yet undulating, imposing yet open, made of rough, industrial metal yet its curves are elegantly smooth. They talk about how the context of a museum setting matters for a piece like this. In comparison, another one of Serra’s sculptures that was placed in a public space was so ill-thought-of that it was forced to be removed. So whether or not something is in a museum, it seems, can be a factor in whether a piece is admired.

00:00 Welcome to 'Why They Put That in a Museum'

02:05 Live from the Pulitzer Arts Foundation

03:16 Exploring Richard Serra's 'Joe'

06:06 The Experience of Walking Through 'Joe'

08:25 The Art and Power of Richard Serra

13:57 The Story Behind 'Joe' and Other Works

22:06 Public Reaction to Serra's Art

25:36 Final Thoughts and Reflections

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.

In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss a rare 1846 daguerreotype of Dolley Madison recently acquired by National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. Dolley Madison was the wife of the fourth U.S. President, James Madison. What is a daguerreotype? To answer that question, they do a quick overview of early photography and some of the inventor-artists who got this technology started using glass and silver-plated copper sheets. What’s cool about this portrait was that it was almost lost to time. It was discovered in a basement! Then it was sent to auction where it sold at 4 times the asking price. Why is it so valuable? Listen to the fascinating story of this unique and beautiful image of one of the most beloved First Ladies in US history. Daguerreotype of Dolley Madison: Early Photography.

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.

In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss the unusual story of Vivian Meier, an unknown nanny whose extraordinary street photography was discovered by chance in an unclaimed storage locker. They discuss the unique and enigmatic nature of her photographs and the very unusual way her body of work came to be known. In fact, none of Meier’s powerful and thought-provoking photos are on display in traditional museums. Sarah and Beth go on to explore broader questions about the definition and purpose of museums. Tune in to discover why Vivian Meier's photography is a hidden gem waiting to be explored.

Suggested Links

https://www.vivianmaier.com/

https://newyork.fotografiska.com/en/exhibitions/vivian-maier

Timeline

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

01:50 Today's Subject: Vivian Meyer

02:21 The Discovery of Vivian Meyer's Work

05:15 Analyzing Vivian Meier's Photography

11:33 The Debate: Should Meier's Work Be in a Museum?

20:47 The Purpose of Museums

22:34 Conclusion

Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whyd-they-put-that-in-a-museum/id1792614250

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© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.