Art Historian
Comedian
Presenter

About

Verity's work focuses on making art history more accessible and bringing laughter into cultural spaces.

She is the author of ‘The History of Art in One Sentence’ which was published by Bloomsbury in 2025.

"Heaps of fun, and endlessly fascinating - a must read for any history of art enthusiast. Utterly brilliant." Alice Loxton​

Verity is the founder of Art Laughs live art-themed comedy events which frequently perform at the National Gallery. She regularly performs with Giddy Aunt Improv (Leicester Comedy Festival Best Variety Show Nominee 2026) and has appeared with Criminal Improv and the Oxford Imps.

"Mention must go to Verity Babbs for her consistently competent compering, and a few of the best gags of the day" Broadway Baby​

She graduated with a History of Art Degree from the University of Oxford and was named one of BBC HistoryExtra's '30 Under 30' in 2024.

She is represented by Daisy Chandley at Peters, Fraser & Dunlop (Literary).

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The History of Art in One Sentence

Want to know the difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco? Why the Impressionists made everything so blurry? How the CIA put Abstract Expressionism on the map?

Art historian and comedian Verity Babbs is here to guide you through 50 key art movements from the past 500 years, one sentence at a time. 

Answering 10 questions for each movement, this fact-filled pocket guide covers everything from Symbolist screams to Surrealist schisms, Renaissance rhinos to Pop Art ponies, Rococo romps to Cubist... cubes. 

Let this fun and fascinating book be your companion through galleries and museums, with plenty of laughs along the way.

A young woman with short blonde hair, earrings, and a nose piercing, smiling and holding a bright orange book titled 'The History of Art in One Sentence' with a yellow sticky note on it. She is wearing a green and white checkered sleeveless top and standing against a plain background.

Verity Babbs has done the impossible - taken a very high-brow, highly edu-mac-ated topic and stripped it back into bite-size pieces that make absolute sense. Nothing daunting about this book - get stuck in!

Roo Irvine, Presenter & Antiques Expert

Done with a delicious light humour that makes the whole book sing... this is a book of some brilliance and highly recommended.

Marcus Berkmann, The Spectator

Out now!

Buy from waterstones

Services

  • Writing

    Need an article, tour, video script, or essay written?

    Verity has written for the Guardian, Times, Artnet News, and RA Magazine as well as working directly with museums, galleries, auction houses, and artists for in-house publications.

  • Event Hosting

    Hosting an event and need a host, auctioneer, speaker, moderator, or panellist?

    Verity has worked on live events for Christie’s, the National Gallery, Acrylicize, Royal Museums Greenwich, and London Art Fair.

  • Presenting

    Looking to create social media content for your institution, or need a presenter for television or radio?

    See Verity’s Showreel below for previous presenting examples, including work for Tate, BBC 2, the British Museum, and HistoryHit.

  • Podcast Guest

    After someone who knows some stuff but is also a laugh?

    Verity has appeared on hit international podcasts including The Harry Hill Show, Loremen, Not Just the Tudors, Willy Willy Harry Stee, After Dark, and Lateral with Tom Scott.

Contact Verity for availability and pricing

Written Highlights

Art History’s Funniest Bits

‘Art History’s Funniest Bits’ is half- art history lecture, half- stand up hour, where Verity guides her audience through the last 500 years of art history: artists stabbing, shagging, and slagging each other off included.

A sell-out event at venues across the UK, including Modern Art Oxford, Pallant House Gallery, Wigtown Book Festival, and Chalke History Festival, ‘Funniest Bits’ has received high praise from critics and arts institutions.

“A comedy lecture that’s as accessible as it is entertaining … if you’re already an art history buff, you’ll appreciate the show’s wide-ranging scope, and if you’re completely new to the subject, Babbs’ enthusiasm and irreverent humour will quickly help you find your footing.” Oxford Daily Info

“F***ing funny. Well-paced, entertaining, well-judged. Her enthusiasm for art entertained the experts and pleased the purile!” Wigtown Book Festival

Live Shows

Showreel

Verity has worked as a presenter for Tate, the British Museum, London Art Fair, and the Royal Academy. She has appeared as an arts expert on BBC 2’s ‘Lowry: The Unheard Tapes’, BBC News, and BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Naked Week’ and ‘Front Row’. 

Her online art historical content has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, and has been shared by BBC Upload and BBC 2. Her recent series of videos, diving into the historical background of collectables she finds “amongst the tat” in UK charity shops allow her to explore her passion for antiques and design. 

She was the host of Voice FM's weekly Arts & Culture Show between 2022 and 2025, for which she was shortlisted for the Community Radio Awards’ Newcomer of the Year award in 2023.