Feb 08 2026 to Feb 08 2026 11:30 a.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Art History Made Accessible is an illustrated talk from James Payne of Great Art Explained designed to open up art history to everyone.

“In a world of noise and distraction,” Payne says, “great art slows us down. It demands attention, reflection, and interpretation. It doesn’t exist to give us easy answers – but it does give us better questions.”

Using carefully chosen images and clear, engaging storytelling, the talk explores some of the world’s most celebrated artworks not as distant masterpieces, but as works made by real people, shaped by the pressures, beliefs, and ambitions of their own time. Rather than relying on academic jargon or dense theory, it focuses on essential questions: why was this work made, what did it mean when it was created, and why does it still matter today?

Visual analysis is combined with historical context and human stories to show how art is influenced by power, class, money, religion, politics, and everyday life. Throughout the talk, Payne encourages audiences to slow down and really look. Details often missed in galleries are brought into focus, helping viewers understand how artists guide the eye, create meaning, and communicate emotion. As much as it is about learning facts, the talk is about learning how to look.

At its heart, this talk on Art History Made Accessible is about openness. Now Payne has created a book, which like his channel takes the same no-nonsense approach to art analysis. It challenges the idea that art history belongs only to experts or institutions, and instead presents it as something open, democratic, and relevant.

Speaker

James Payne
Author & Youtuber
James Payne has a lifelong passion for art and has worked in the field for over three decades. He trained as an artist at Central Saint Martins in London, became a curator, and then opened a gallery in East London. He is also a critic and essayist, who has contributed to several art publications and books. Throughout his career Payne has made it his mission to make art accessible, and to explain why art can be thrilling and can resonate to all of us, any of us, on a deep personal level.

Five years ago, during lockdown, he created a YouTube channel as a way of keeping his own interest in art history alive and to keep himself occupied during an enforced career break. It is now the biggest art history channel on YouTube with over 2 million subscribers and over 60 million views worldwide. His new book on Thames &Hudson (now available in India through Roli Books) is an international bestseller.