Hannah Gadsby

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

Hannah Gadsby is an Australian stand-up comic who won international acclaim for her powerful and emotionally raw 2018 Netflix special, “Nanette,” in which she announced that she was quitting comedy.

It is better to experience this special with as little information as possible beforehand. However, her visceral account of personal traumatic events will absolutely stick with you long after the special is over.

One thing I especially love about Hannah Gadsby is that she is also an art historian (!) and that she incorporates pertinent art historical information into her storytelling. In her special, “Nanette,” Gadsby references the power of the color blue, Picasso and Cubism and Vincent van Gogh.

Gadsby has a new special on Netflix titled “Douglas” that takes the art historical references even further.

How do you follow a stand-up comedy special in which you decide to quit comedy? By redefining the entire genre and Gadsby does just that. Part stand-up, part personal testimonial, part art history lecture, “Douglas” is really something new, different and necessary for our times. While the special seems like a slow burn of childhood stories and unexpected encounters at the dog park, the end result is an explosion of laughter in the most surprising form yet – an art historical slide show.

Both specials can be viewed on Netflix and for more information on Hannah Gadsby, please visit…

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.