Talk | Art Laughs: Art History’s Funniest Bits with Verity Babbs
6–7pm
£18 (£16.20 For Friends and other concessions)
[ Talk )
Buy Tickets >What do we miss when we take art too seriously? Some brilliant stories! Join art historian and comedian Verity Babbs as she guides us through art history’s funniest bits: artists flirting, feuding, and flinging insults with flair. Sharing stories from her book ‘The History of Art in One Sentence’ (Bloomsbury, 2025) – Verity takes us on a journey of 500 years of artists behaving badly, jaw-dropping artworks, and manifestos that’ll make you say “oh my!”. Come and celebrate the power of laughing at art, and leave seeing some of your favourite artists in a whole new light.
This talk is part of our February Late event. By purchasing this Talk ticket you gain free access to our Galleries, exhibitions and drop-in activities from 5-8.30pm.
Verity Babbs
Verity Babbs is an art historian, presenter, and comedian. She is the author of ‘The History of Art in One Sentence’ which was published by Bloomsbury in October 2025, and has written for the Guardian, RA Magazine, and Artnet News. She has worked on filmed projects for Tate, London Art Fair, and the British Museum, and is the host of art-themed comedy nights ‘Art Laughs’ which regularly perform at the National Gallery. She was named one of BBC HistoryExtra’s ’30 Under 30′ in 2024.
