Stories in Colour podcast

Stories in Colour

These are the stories of how colour has changed the world. 'Stories in Colour’ is a vibrant new podcast from the National Gallery in London. In each episode, we uncover the hidden mysteries woven into colour from antiquity to the present day. Along the way, you'll hear from curators, scientists, historians, artists, and more experts, looking at humanity’s efforts to make colour and make meaning with it. And amongst these stories, you will see - and hear - the National Gallery’s paintings in a whole new spectrum of light. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast

These are the stories of how colour has changed the world. 'Stories in Colour’ is a vibrant new podcast from the National Gallery in London. In each episode, we uncover the hidden mysteries woven into colour from antiquity to the present day. Along the way, you'll hear from curators, scientists, historians, artists, and more experts, looking at humanity’s efforts to make colour and make meaning with it. And amongst these stories, you will see - and hear - the National Gallery’s paintings in a whole new spectrum of light. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast

 

#9

Painting the rainbow

What exactly is a rainbow and how is it formed? Why does it have seven colours? And what h... more

08 Jul 2025

1 HR 03 MINS

1:03:57

08 Jul 2025


#8

How snails made purple a royal colour

Why do we see purple as the colour of royalty? It all starts on the Mediterranean coast wi... more

01 Jul 2025

52 MINS

52:40

01 Jul 2025


#7

The fear of colour: chromophobia

Where did all the colour go? And how might Western culture have feared it, or deemed it su... more

24 Jun 2025

45 MINS

45:29

24 Jun 2025


#6

Don’t eat your deadly greens

Why does the colour green remind you of poison and radioactivity? We're telling the story ... more

17 Jun 2025

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:26

17 Jun 2025


#5

Why we feel what we feel about colour

We're asking how we feel about colour – or more accurately how colours make us feel – and ... more

10 Jun 2025

45 MINS

45:15

10 Jun 2025


#4

How bugs turned the world red

We're on the search for the 'perfect red' with a pigment and dye that was so prized that i... more

03 Jun 2025

59 MINS

59:00

03 Jun 2025


#3

The first modern synthetic pigment

Meet an enigmatic pigment discovered entirely by accident at the start of the 18th century... more

28 May 2025

44 MINS

44:28

28 May 2025


#2

Do you see the same colour I see?

Welcome to Stories in Colour! We're starting at the very beginning to ask an age-old quest... more

28 May 2025

53 MINS

53:56

28 May 2025


#1

Introducing: Stories in Colour - Series 1 Trailer

How has colour changed the world? A vibrant new podcast from the National Gallery, Stories... more

22 May 2025

00 MINS

00:57

22 May 2025