The Essay Episodes Available now
Lynne Truss—Listener, They Won It
2/5 Writer Lynne Truss on the celebrity racehorse Eclipse captured in Stubbs's 1770 portrait.
Simon Barnes—Listener, They Won It
1/5 Simon Barnes on the immortalisation of Roger Bannister's mile in a still photograph.
The Snake—Wild Things II
Ruth Padel on our feelings towards the snake through biology, history and literature.
The Squirrel—Wild Things II
Ruth Padel explores our feelings towards squirrels in biology, history and literature.
Wild Salmon—Wild Things II
Ruth Padel explores the wild salmon's extraordinary life and its impact on humans.
The Owl—Wild Things II
Ruth Padel on what owls mean to us and what they can show about the British landscape.
Wild Ponies—Wild Things II
Ruth Padel explores how history and literature have shaped our reactions to wild ponies.
Sarah Kent—An Informal History of the Male Nude
5/5 Critic Sarah Kent contemplates the place of the male nude in contemporary art.
Matthew Sweet—An Informal History of the Male Nude
4/5 Matthew Sweet reflects on the male nude in Renaissance and Victorian art.
Gabriel Gbadamosi—An Informal History of the Male Nude
3/5 Gabriel Gbadamosi considers the meaning of the male nude in African art.
