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Charles Dickens: Novelist, magazine editor, actor, performer, philanthropist, business man, brilliant letter-writer, tireless walker, father of 10 children, great hater and good friend, nearly MP for Reading.

Andrew Davis Extra-Mural Tutor for London, Essex and The Open University; Author of 9 books, including The East End Nobody Knows; frequent contributor to radio and television; has lectured all over the world; organises walks to complement his lectures

In his best known painting “Paris Street, Rainy Day”, Gustave Caillebotte gives us a striking image of the wide boulevards of the modern city, together with the people who pass through these new spaces. In the mid 19th century Paris had been transformed by the urban planner, Georges-Eugène Haussmann and Caillebotte’s painting captures this transformation. It was exhibited in 1877 at the Third Impressionist exhibition alongside works by Monet, Renoir, Morisot and Degas, who, like Caillebotte, wanted to paint the modern world around them

Sarah Burles studied History of Art at Cambridge University before doing a master’s degree at University College London. She went on to have a career in museum and gallery education, establishing new services in three different museums before working at the Fitzwilliam Museum for many years. Sarah is the founder of Cambridge Art Tours, which runs tours and courses in and around East Anglia, as well as online. She is a Tour Director for an award winning travel company and has led tours to Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and America. Sarah became an Arts Society accredited lecturer in 2021 and, since then, has given lectures and run study days for Arts Societies throughout the UK, as well as in Germany, Holland and New Zealand.

Follows the story of the Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs from their disappearance in the Revolution and subsequent deep unfashionability to their current status as one of the world's great collectables.
Between 1885 and 1916, Carl Fabergé made fifty jewelled eggs – Easter presents from Russia’s last two emperors to their wives. Since the brutal murder of the last tsar and his family in a Siberian basement, these eggs have become the most famous surviving symbols of the Romanov Empire: both supreme examples of the jeweller’s art and the vulgar playthings of a decadent court

Toby is an experienced lecturer and public speaker who has been accredited by The Arts Society since 2012. His career began with Natural Sciences at Cambridge and has been through investment banking, management consulting and five years as managing director of the publishing company founded by his grandfather, Faber and Faber, where he remains on the board. He is also non-executive Chairman of its sister company, Faber Music and a director of Liverpool University Press. Toby has written three narrative histories: Stradivarius – Five Violins, One Cello and a Genius; Faberge’s Eggs; and Faber & Faber – The Untold Story, as well as a novel, Close to the Edge. Of these, only the obvious one is published by the family firm.

Baroque "bad boy"? Mad, Violent, Hot headed? A Visionary of searing individuality who revolutionised the Religious art of his time, providing powerful images for the Catholic Church's Counter Reformation? He is of course, all of these, in different measure at different times.  
I shall pick out the most significant works which chart his progress from lowly "fruit specialist" to Superstar - and then his troubled wanderings to escape from the consequences of his crimes. As his later works show however, he felt Retribution was closing in as he chronicled his mood in his final works.

Ronnie Ireland : I am an artist, based in southern England. I exhibit my own work, teach art and give lectures on art history. My main interest is in the How and Why of art.  Why did the artist make this; how did they make this and crucially, how do these two aspects interact?    
Born, educated in Glasgow
Academic -  Glasgow School of Art; Jordanhill College; The Open University

" Your painter, my dearest Erasmus, is a wonderful artist"; so wrote Sir Thomas More to his friend the humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, whose letter of introduction Hans Holbein the Younger brought with him to England in 1526.  Holbein's fortunes may have fluctuated in the time he subsequently spent in London until his death in 1543, but few would have contradicted More’s statement.  His work has had a tremendous impact on British portraiture and his depictions of the court of King Henry VIII have coloured our modern view of the period.  This talk focuses on Holbein’s time in London and looks at some of the incredible works he created; powerful works of extraordinary realism that provide an insight into the personalities of the period

Rosalind Whyte: BA and MA from Goldsmith’s College, and an MA (distinction) from Birkbeck College. Experienced guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the Royal Academy and Greenwich. Lectures at Tate, to independent art societies and on cruises.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Holbein_the_Younger#/media/File:Hans_Holbein,_the_Younger_-_Sir_Thomas_More_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

In 1932 the artist Edward Bawden and his wife Charlotte moved into Brick House, in the Essex village of Great Bardfield, initially sharing the house with another artistic couple, Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood. It was to be the beginning of a fascinating artistic community.  In the years before and during the Second World War painters, printmakers and designers settled in the village, relishing the peace while remaining within easy reach of London.  While Bawden and Ravilious saw active service as War Artists (Ravilious dying in 1942), other artists captured the soon-to-change world of rural England through the Recording Britain project.

Jo Walton  Has combined teaching and lecturing with a career in art bookselling and has been a volunteer guide at both Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Now a freelance lecturer for The Arts Society, The National Gallery, The Art Fund, and local art societies

The Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher achieved cult status in the 1960s, featuring on album covers, book jackets and posters. Since then the popularity of his space-distorting geometrical constructions has soared, with exhibitions all over the world attracting hundreds of thousands of people. This lecture will explore the diverse and surprising sources of his inspiration. Be prepared for a journey which takes in Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, Piranesi’s dark fantasies, the Islamic art of Granada and the discoveries of modern mathematics

Rupert Dickens is an art historian based in south London with a special interest in Dutch and Flemish 16th and 17th century painting. He works at the Wallace Collection as a guide conducting public and private tours and lecturing on aspects of the collection. Rupert has accompanied groups on art-themed tours to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria and Italy. He has lectured to large audiences on subjects as diverse as the game of chess in art and Madame de Pompadour’s artistic patronage in 18th century France. He studied art history at Birkbeck College before undertaking a Masters in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London. Before that Rupert had a 26-year career as a BBC journalist ending as an editor in radio news.

Special Interest day - ticket required   see https://tascroydonarea.org.uk/Special/FutureSpecial.aspx

This lecture focuses on The Ming Dynasty, one of China's greatest dynasties. The period represents the re-establishment of Han Chinese identity, art and culture after a period of 'Barbarian' Mongol invasion and rule (Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368). The culture and artistic achievements of the dynasty will be defined by the sumptuous court costume and, in particular the emblems of rank and status. The origins and evolution of dragon and phoenix imagery, representing the Emperor and Empress, will be explored together with the other mythical creatures adopted by the court.

David Rosier spent 30 years working and living in East Asia.  He is an expert lecturer on Chinese Imperial Court Costume, plus all aspects of Imperial Court life, art and culture together with studies of China's greatest Emperors and Empresses.  He has organised and led Imperial Art Tours to China for a wide variety of organisations.

Timothy Schroder’s family were prosperous bankers and passionate collectors in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The collection they formed remains together and is exceptionally important. In addition to fine early domestic plate, primarily from England and Germany, it is mostly known for wonderfully virtuoso princely objects incorporating rare and exotic materials. This lecture came about through an exhibition at the Wallace Collection in 2007; it focuses in equal measure on the objects themselves as on the two generations of collectors who built the collection up over five or six decades between about 1880 and 1930.

Timothy Schroder is a historian and lecturer on the history of silver and goldsmiths’ work. Previous roles include head of silver at Christie’s, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Consultant Curator at the V&A. In addition to being a trustee of the Wallace Collection, he is a past Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company, a member of the Fabric Commission of Westminster Abbey and former chairman of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre

The Holburne Museum,  Bath is opening a new “ Schroder Gallery” to the public on September 10th 2025 . For more details  please  Click Here

When Diego Velázquez arrived at the court in Madrid from Seville, he stepped into a world that was the polar opposite to the bustle and chaos of his hometown. The court of Philip IV was governed by strict codes, hierarchies and prejudices. Yet, in his portraits of the king, courtiers, jesters, and dwarfs Velázquez manages to peel away mask of formality to reveal the individual beneath. This lecture explores these paintings and the relationships behind them. I will end with a discussion of Velázquez’s greatest and most enigmatic masterpiece, Las Meninas.

Isabelle Kent is an academic and educator specialising in the baroque, with a particular focus on Spain and its empire. She received a BA and  MPhil in the History of Art from Trinity College, Cambridge, where she is currently completing her PhD on the Art of Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbaran.

From 2017 to 2019 she worked as the Enriqueta Harris Frankfort Curatorial Assistant at the Wallace Collection and in her book Collecting Bartolome Esteban Murillo in Britian and Ireland was published by CEHH.
 Alongside her academia, Isobelle is an expert guide for a travel company, leading groups around Spain and beyond, and she also teaches regularly for the V&A, Art Fund, Payal Academy, Chelsea Arts Club, Wallace Collection and University of Cambridge.

Ticket only event

please follow the link https://tascroydonarea.org.uk/Special/FutureSpecial.aspx  for more details 

As his work makes abundantly clear, Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985) remained deeply loyal to his humble Russian - Jewish origins.  Yet he also wished his art to have a universal appeal - which, judging by its popularity, it undoubtedly achieved.  This lecture will trace his long, chequered and colourful career, giving particular emphasis to the creative tensions produced by the very different cultural and artistic environments in which he found himself: starting with his hometown of Vitebsk (up to 1906), then St Petersburg (1906 -10), Paris (1910-14), Revolutionary Russia (1914 -22), Berlin (1922-3), Paris again (1923 -40), America during World War Two, and back to France in 1948.

Monica Bohm - Duchene is a London-based, freelance lecturer, writer, and exhibition organiser. She has lectured for Tate, the National Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Open University, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and the Courtauld Institute of Art.  An Associate lecturer at Birkbeck College since 2005, she has led many tours. Publications include Understanding Modern Art, (1991), Chagall (1998 to 2001), The Private Life of a Masterpiece (2001), The Art and Life of Josef Herman (2009) and Art and the Second World War (2013).
She is the initiator and Creative Director of the nationwide Insiders/Outsiders arts festival (see https://insidersoutsidersfestival.org/  and is contributing editor of the companion volume  Insiders/Outsiders: Refugees from Nazi Europe and their Contribution to British Visual Culture (2019).

"Take 4" is a series of theme based lectures presented by Ronnie Ireland in which he looks at the theme through the work of 4 different artists in different places and periods, or from 4 different points of view.
In this lecture, INTERIOR, The artists are :- Edouard Vuillard;   Jan Van Eyck;   Jan Vermeer;   Edward Hopper.
In each case, there is a "main" image with other supporting images.   The lecture will show the different character, attitudes and techniques that each artist used, how they differ and how they inform us about the times and places in which they lived.

RONNIE IRELAND D.A.  B.A. (Hons)
Ronnie is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art (Drawing and Painting) with a Teaching Diploma from Jordanhill and B.A.(Hons) from The Open University.
He currently lives in South East England where he exhibits and teaches his own classes including life drawing.  He gives demonstrations, conducts workshops and lectures throughout the country.
Ronnie’s teaching focuses on both Technique and Creativity

From the 1820s the French province of Normandy attracted the attention of many of the most important and innovative British and French painters of the nineteenth century. At first it was British artists such as Turner, Bonington and Cotman who were drawn to the area by its coastal scenery, its many fine buildings and its strong historical links to England. Later the French painters Boudin and Monet (who were both brought up in Normandy) also painted many Norman scenes, particularly in response to the development of the province's coastal towns as tourist resorts

Stephen Duffy was formerly Senior Curator of the Wallace Collection where he had particular responsibility for exhibitions and nineteenth-century paintings. He has given countless tours of the Collection for visiting groups as well as many lectures on its art and other art historical subjects at home and abroad. His most recent publication, The Discovery of Paris, is a book on early nineteenth-century watercolour views of Paris by major British artists such as Girtin, Turner and Bonington. He has written many articles and reviews for art.

The designs created by William Morris and his daughter May abound with greenery and growing things. Orchards, hedgerows, kitchen gardens and wild woods all provided inspiration for their art and lectures.
Throughout their lives, they looked for ways to connect domestic spaces with their gardens, as they constructed beautiful patterns from honeysuckle, apple blossom and roses. Their creativity was bound up with a recognition of the fragility of the natural world. In his lecture, 'Art and the Beauty of the Earth', William Morris urged his audience to take responsibility for protecting their environment. He believed that artists should lead the way as activists and advocates for Nature.
This talk accompanies a new exhibition curated by Suzanne for 2025-26 in Winchester

Dr. Suzanne Fagence Cooper is a writer, broadcaster and curator with expertise in 19th and 20th century British art and culture. She spent 12 years at the V&A Museum, researching the Victorian collections, and is in demand as historical consultant for TV and film. She is an invited lecturer for the Arts Society and Cunard voyages. Suzanne was Research Curator for Ruskin, Turner & the Storm Cloud (York Art Gallery, 2019).  She has written The Model Wife: Effie Gray, Ruskin & Millais and To See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters. Her latest book is At Home with Jane and William Morris.  
Follow her on Instagram @suzannefagence   http://www.suzannefagencecooper.blogspot.com

How can you best understand one of the most prolific, complex and influential painters of the 20th century?  By taking just ten of Picasso’s paintings this lecture will examine his life and attempt to explain the evolution of his painting styles through a career that spanned more than seventy years.
Looking at the genesis of each work, examining its biographical meaning, its moment in history and its significance in the canon of modern art, this will reveal the truth behind this most enigmatic and powerful artist.

Alan Read holds Master’s and First Class Honours degrees in History of Art from Birkbeck College, University of London. He is a gallery guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery and has lectured at many galleries including the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Plymouth City Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. He is also a London Blue Badge Guide and City of London Guide.

Norman Rockwell’s folksy images of middle America were dismissed for decades by art critics as over-sentimental and banal.  But his reputation has soared in recent years as a new generation comes to appreciate his humanity and inventiveness and he is revered by film directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg for his brilliant storytelling. At their best, his paintings reconcile midwestern values with progressive ideals and artistic traditionalism with optimism about the modern world.  This lecture traces the roots of Rockwell’s art through his immediate predecessor and idol J.C. Leyendecker, back to the 19th century work of Winslow Homer and Howard Pyle.
Rupert Dickens is an art historian based in south London with a special interest in Dutch and Flemish 16th and 17th century painting.

Rupert Dickens works at the Wallace Collection as a guide conducting public and private tours and lecturing on aspects of the collection. Rupert is also a tour director for a Cambridge-based company accompanying groups on art-themed tours to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria and Italy. He has lectured to large audiences on subjects as diverse as the game of chess in art and Madame de Pompadour’s artistic patronage in 18th century France. He studied art history at Birkbeck College before undertaking a Masters in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London. Before that Rupert had a 26-year career as a BBC journalist ending as an editor in radio news.

In 'The Art Of The Cartoonist' Harry will be tracing the history of his profession with examples from early practitioners like Cruickshank and Hogarth, to more contemporary artists such as Giles and Schulz, bringing events right up to date with cartoons produced fresh on the page that day! Yes, Harry will be drawing live. Prepare to hear some tricks of his trade, learn where to put eyebrows for maximum effect and discover exactly what the eskimo brothers said in the funniest joke ever (possibly).

Harry Venning is a cartoonist, comedy writer and performer based in Brighton. Harry’s cartoons have appeared in publications as diverse as Mathematics Today, Radio Times, Music Teacher and The Stage. For twenty five years he provided The Guardian with the weekly strip cartoon Clare In The Community, about an unaware and empathy free social worker. In 2004 he developed Clare In The Community into a successful BBC Radio 4 sitcom starring Sally Philips which ran for twelve series. When not at a desk , Harry tours his cartoon workshop around schools, theatres, arts centres, cruise ships and festivals. He is an accredited lecturer with the UK Arts Society, an Honorary Fellow of the English/Creative Writing departments of Aberystwyth University, resident cartoonist with the Blue Hat team building organisation, UK Social Workers Union honorary ambassador, winner of a Sony Radio Award for Comedy and a former UK Strip Cartoonist Of The Year. He cannot draw hands or horses

For more information follow the  Link

Examines how one town in northern Italy came to produce violins that remain the best in the world, three hundred years after its golden age came to an end.
For about two hundred years from the middle of the sixteenth century, workshops in the small Northern Italian town of Cremona produced the violins and other string instruments which still dominate concert halls today. This lecture traces the story of that golden age, beginning with Andrea Amati in the 1560s and following it through the generations to the death of Antonio Stradivari in 1737. It will talk about the shape of the violin, the principles behind it, the methods used in its construction and the innovations made by successive makers before Stradivari brought the form to perfection. It will address the question of why techniques have been lost and whether they can ever be recovered. And it will introduce some of Cremona’s celebrated customers: not just the most famous violinists of their era, but also Galileo Galilei and royal patrons like Catherine de Medici, Queen of France.
This lecture includes some recorded music and has some overlap in images and subject matter with The Genius of Antonio Stradivari.

Toby Faber

Toby is an experienced lecturer and public speaker who has been accredited by The Arts Society since 2012. His career began with Natural Sciences at Cambridge and has been through investment banking, management consulting and five years as managing director of the publishing company founded by his grandfather, Faber and Faber, where he remains on the board. He is also non-executive Chairman of its sister company, Faber Music and a director of Liverpool University Press. Toby has written three narrative histories: Stradivarius – Five Violins, One Cello and a Genius; Faberge’s Eggs; and Faber & Faber – The Untold Story, as well as a novel, Close to the Edge. Of these, only the obvious one is published by the family firm

This gallery sits adjacent to the Guildhall and is one of London’s lesser known, but delightful, galleries. The City of London has been commissioning and acquiring art for nearly 350 years and now owns a vast and diverse collection. We will look at paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries as well as the sparkling Victorian collection and some impressive contemporary works. We finish this virtual tour with a trip beneath the building to the Roman amphitheatre which was discovered by chance in the 1980s

Ian Swankie is a Londoner with a contagious enthusiasm for art and architecture.  He is an official guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Guildhall Art Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral. He is also a freelance London tour guide. Since 2012 he has led a popular weekly independent art lecture group in his home town of Richmond in West London. He is an Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars, one of the City livery companies.

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) is one of the most important figures in twentieth century German art. She was a pioneering and controversial artist, the first woman to be elected to the Prussian Academy of Art, at a time when there were numerous barriers to women pursuing an artistic career. Kollwitz’s deep humanity and social conscience permeates her work. She addresses important social issues in powerfully realised prints and sculptures. We will follow her career, which begins at the end of the nineteenth century and encompasses two world wars. Her son Peter died in the First World War and her grandson died in the Second World War.  Kollwitz expressed her bereavement, pacifism and left-wing beliefs in her art and towards the end of her life was persecuted by the Nazis. She died just a few weeks before the end of World War II but her profound spirit of compassionate humanism lives on in her work

Colin Pink has a BA in Philosophy and Politics from the University of Southampton and a MA in the History of Art from Birkbeck, University of London. He specialises in twentieth century and contemporary art in Europe and North America. He lectures at Morley College London. He has also curated exhibitions of contemporary art and has published four books of poetry: Acrobats of Sound, 2016, The Ventriloquist Dummy’s Lament, 2019, Typicity, 2021 and Wreck of the Jeanne Gougy, 2021.  Colin is an experienced lecturer and public speaker who has been accredited by The Arts Society since 2012.

follow the link for full details     August Special Interest Day Link

The Sainte Chapelle is a gem of beauty and technical innovation in the heart of Paris, possibly the most perfect surviving medieval ensemble. It was designed not only to celebrate France and its kings, but as a life-size reliquary, a worthy shrine for some of the most significant and talismanic of Christian remains, including the Crown of Thorns. Built in a mere 5 years (1243-1248), this extraordinary survival captures the best of the arts at a precise moment in time, summoned up by all the resources available to a king. This lecture looks at the architecture, the sculpture but, above all, the exquisite stained glass, setting Louis IX in the company of the blessed and turning the interior into a floating vision of heaven on earth.

Follow this link for a great introduction to La Sainte Chapelle from Culture Critic on X ( formally twitter )https://x.com/culture_crit/status/1798434566589268155?s=12&t=pzqX-JXIi3ui28kO7bV8UQ

Nicole Mezey studied Art History at the Universities of Sussex, York and Paris. She was Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University, Belfast until 2009, working primarily with adults, managing and teaching on both the Part-Time degree and Extra-Mural programmes and conducting annual, international study-tours. She also established and was first Director of the Department of Art History, the first in the north of Ireland. Nicole now lives in central London and is a freelance lecturer, working for organisations including the National Museums, universities, the National Trust and private companies. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Higher Education Academy and her publications focus on adult education and the arts.

John Singer Sargent became one of the most sought-after artists for an elite sector of society - “The” society portrait painter    He had the requisite technical and social skills to give this social class what they wanted.  Although he grew to hate it, this aspect of his work gave him a highly successful and lucrative career.

Ronnie Ireland is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art (Drawing and Painting);  Teaching Diploma (Jordanhill);  B.A.(Hons)  Open University.  
He is currently living in South East England -  Exhibiting; Teaching his own classes; Teaching life drawing;  Demonstrations, Workshops and Lectures throughout the country
Teaching focuses on both Technique and Creativity

There is currenly an Exhibition at the Tate Britain:    Sargent and  Fashion running until the 7th July 2024

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/sargent-and-fashion

W.H.Auden once described cathedrals as " luxury liners laden with souls " - and we are indeed lucky in this country to have so many varied and beautiful buildings. Each has their own unique story to tell and we will explore the well-known (Canterbury, York, Salisbury) and the sometimes overlooked (Southwell, Rochester, Truro.

Andrew Davies
Extra-Mural Tutor for London, Essex and The Open University; Author of nine books, including The East End Nobody Knows; frequent contributor to radio and television; has lectured all over the world; organises walks to complement his lectures

The map of German-speaking lands in the fifteenth century presents a confusing mosaic of states defined by various bloodlines, interspersed with ecclesiastic holdings, and territories compressed against imperial free cities. Crossing this potluck of regional identities artists and artisans, along with their goods, made their way to the cultural hubs of Paris and Prague. We will begin our exploration of German sculpture with the stylistic internationalism that sprang forth from this remarkable cultural mobility during the fifteenth century. We will examine monumental altarpieces combining carved and painted elements, as well as highly detailed portable sculpture intended for private devotion. Four key artists will provide case studies, culminating with the unparalleled refinement in the work of Tilman Riemenschneider

Albert Godetzky’s research concentrates on Northern European art of the early modern period. He is currently Associate Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute where he received his PhD with a thesis on ‘Haarlem Mannerism’. Before joining the Courtauld, Albert was Visiting Lecturer at The Victoria & Albert Museum and the Harry M. Weinrebe Curatorial Fellow at the National Gallery, London, where he contributed to exhibitions including Rembrandt: The Late Works and Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure. Albert also works as a cultural advisor to several international corporate institutions and private individuals, drawing on his experience in the field and using education to widen understanding of and participation in the study of art history

Johannes Vermeer’s The Milkmaid is one of the most famous paintings in the world and regarded as one of the most beautiful, and yet it remains enigmatic and mysterious. Should we take what we see at face value or are there hidden messages to be uncovered? By placing the picture in the context of the mid-seventeenth century and its position in Vermeer’s oeuvre we can begin to understand its subject matter and why we find it so beguiling. Along the way we will discover details of 17th century Dutch domestic life, food, costume, colour, paint, pottery, servants and even heating.

Dr Peter Ross
Peter has a History of Art degree, an MA in London history, a PhD in the cultural history of an English Criminal, and qualifications in the teaching of adults. Currently Principal Librarian at Guildhall Library, he has for 20 years lectured on a broad range of topics including the history of English books, portraiture, and London history. Peter has appeared on TV and radio as a consultant on the 18th century criminal Jack Sheppard and on the history of English food. His most recent publication, The Curious Cookbook, was published by the British Library.

Bomberg was one of the most talented artists associated with the Vorticist movement (1914-5) but his style changed many times over the course of his life. From his early avant garde work the experience of the First World War brought about the first of many major shifts in his style; a style which continues to exert influence on some of the most important British painters working today.

Alan Read
Alan holds Master’s and First-Class Honours degrees in History of Art from Birkbeck College, University of London. He is a gallery guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery and has lectured at many galleries including the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Plymouth City Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. He is also a London Blue Badge Guide and City of London Guide

In 1565, Pieter Bruegel the Elder was commissioned to create a series of paintings for a dining room in Antwerp. The images, charting the course of a year, changed the way we view the world through art. Landscape had previously been a decorative backdrop to dramas both sacred and profane. But in Bruegel's hands the landscape and our interaction with it became the focus. Looking at paintings such as The Return of the Herd, Hunters in the Snow and The Gloomy Day, this lecture explores how Bruegel pioneered a whole new way of thinking about the environment and our individual places within a shifting cosmos

Gavin Plumley
A writer and broadcaster, appearing on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and contributing to newspapers, magazines and opera and concert programmes worldwide. Lectures widely about the culture of Central Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries. Recent talks include the Royal Opera House, the National Gallery, the National Trust, the National Theatre, the British Museum, the V&A, the Southbank Centre, the Tate and the Neue Galerie, New York. His first book, A Home for All Seasons, was published in June 2022

Diego Rivera was a giant figure of the Mexican mural movement, while  Frida Kahlo was best known for her self-portraits.  We will explore some of Diego’s  murals and ideas on democratic art in Mexico City and Detroit.  In the work of Frida Kahlo, we will discover why she has become a icon of feminism and self-discovery.  Recently, she became the most valued painter in Latin America after her self-portrait "Diego and I" was sold for $34million at a major auction house in New York.

John Francis is an inspirational speaker who has delivered lecturers, workshops in the US (Texas, California, Massachusetts), Beijing, Malaysia and the UK. Initially trained as a painter, John was awarded the Max Beckmann Memorial Scholarship in painting in Brooklyn, New York and went on to be artist in resident for the state of Texas. Later in his career John produced and directed several short films and animations. He has taught film, art and pedagogy at the University of Exeter, Arts University Bournemouth, University Sains Malaysia, Southwestern College, California, Brunel University, London and Kingston University. Lectures and workshops.

Before the British arrived in India, the Indian subcontinent was ruled by the Mughal Emperors.  The stunning buildings and gardens they constructed from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries have left an indelible stamp on India’s architectural and cultural landscape.  Mughal architecture fused elements from Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural traditions, and gave rise to some of the most beautiful and iconic buildings in the world.  From the Jama Masjid in Delhi, to the Taj Mahal in Agra, to the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, this lecture will take you on a tour of some of India’s greatest buildings and provide insight into the historical contexts and colourful personalities involved in their construction

Dr John Stevens is a Research Associate at SOAS, University of London, and a member of academic staff at the SOAS South Asia Institute. His PhD in History is from University College London. He teaches British Imperial history, Indian history and Bengali language, and is a regular visitor to India and Bangladesh. He publishes widely in the fields of British and Indian history. His biography of the Indian guru Keshab Chandra Sen – Keshab: Bengal’s Forgotten Prophet - was published by Hurst and Oxford University Press in 2018. He appears regularly in the Indian media, and was a guest on BBC Radio Four’s In Our Time, discussing the poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore

In 1936 Dame Laura Knight became the first woman to be elected as a full member of the Royal Academy in London, 168 years after its establishment.  In her extraordinary career she painted landscapes, portraits and seascapes, as well as scenes from the circus, the ballet and the theatre.  She was the only woman to be given War Commissions in both the First and Second World Wars and the only British artist to cover the Nuremberg Trials of 1946.  This lecture provides an overview of her fascinating career and some of the remarkable achievements of her long life.

Rosalind Whyte has a Masters in Art History from Goldsmiths College, University of London and a Masters in Gender, Society and Culture from Birkbeck College, University of London. She is a guide and lecturer at Tate Britain and Tate Modern, as well as guiding at the Royal Academy. She is an accredited lecturer with The Arts Society and has led Art Appreciation holidays to various locations. She has represented the Tate as a cruise speaker and has lectured independently on cruises, with Swan Hellenic and Saga Holidays.
Rosalind is a History Graduate and has been a member of the Greenwich Tour Guides’ Association, carrying out regular tours of the historic sites of Greenwich. She has also given specific tours of the Queen’s House in Greenwich, including the history of the House and the art on display, which is from the National Maritime Museum’s collection.
Having previously worked as a London Tour Guide, she also has a good general knowledge of the history and culture of the capital as a whole

In 402AD Ravenna became the capital of the Western Roman Empire and continued to prosper under Ostrogoth and then Byzantine rule. This past eminence left Ravenna with a legacy of richly decorated early Christian buildings, which has earned it UNESCO World Heritage site status. This lecture will explore some of these buildings and their magnificent mosaics: The domed church of San Vitale home of the celebrated portrait panels of the emperor Justinian I and his wife, the notorious empress Theodora; the basilica church of S. Apollinare Nuovo decorated with spectacular processions of male and female saints, and with surprising evidence of its past life as the palace chapel of Ostrogoth King Theodoric; the basilica church of S. Apollinare in Classe featuring a magical starry sky apse mosaic; and the cruciform oratory of imperial princess Galla Placidia, with its inspiring mosaics against a heavenly blue background.

Dr Helen Rufus-Ward

is an art historian with a BA (1st), Masters with distinction, and doctorate (DPhil) from the University of Sussex. She has published on Late Antique and Byzantine ivory carvings, plaster casting of art works and 19th century collecting. As well as holding a Higher Education Academy teaching qualification, Helen is a member of the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies, the Society of Jewellery Historians, and is the Chairman of Eastbourne Arts Circle that has raised significant sums of money for the Towner Art Gallery Eastbourne.
 
Photos taken by Simon Lane

http://www.helenrufus-ward.com

While Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475- 1564) are two of the most familiar figures in Italian Renaissance art, the rivalry and antipathy that existed between them remains a story without an author. This lecture throws light on these themes using select examples of their works which, it is argued, hold the key to understanding the motivations for their animosity. Particular emphasis is given to the commission bestowed upon them to undertake frescoes for the great council chamber in Florence. Though unfinished, the surviving designs placed Leonardo and Michelangelo in direct competition with one another, as well as indicating their differing artistic approaches. 

Dr. James Lindow was the first Renaissance PhD from the Royal College of Art and the V&A. He has convened and presented at international conferences, lectures widely in the UK and overseas and is currently a fine art underwriter in the City. He has written articles on diverse aspects of the Renaissance, and his book entitled The Renaissance Palace in Florence: Magnificence and Splendour in Fifteenth-Century Italy was published by Ashgate Press in 2007 to widespread critical acclaim.

Hokusai is the best-known and most highly publicised of all ukiyo-e artists in the West. His ‘Great Wave’ has been reproduced on tea towels and jigsaws, in film animation, and even as Lego. Along with the Mona Lisa, it is arguably one of the most famous images in the world today.

Hokusai died in 1849, two years before his contemporary the English painter J.M.Turner. Both shared humble beginnings and both displayed great confidence in their maverick talents. Yet while Turner was eventually welcomed by the art establishment of his day, Hokusai was never accepted by his peers. In this lecture, through comparing the two artists, a greater understanding can be gained of the differing roles art played in the societies where they emerged. 

Carol Wilhide Justin is an artist-printmaker who specialises in Japanese woodcut.

In 2014 Carol was awarded a residency at the MI-LAB studio, Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, where she was taught the mokuhanga technique by Japanese sensei. She graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2017 with an MA in Print.

She has exhibited in a number of independent shows and larger mixed exhibitions such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair and Bankside Gallery. Her work is held in private and public collections including Clifford Chance and the V&A.

She also teaches Japanese Woodcut at Morley College, the City Literary Institute and the Art Academy

The Impressionists were an innovative and radical group of artists who took Paris by storm in the 1870s. Using new colours and techniques, they created paintings of modern life which shocked and horrified the art establishment. From the start the group included women artists but their contribution to Impressionism has often been overshadowed by their male contemporaries. Marie Bracquemond, Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt all exhibited regularly at the Impressionist exhibitions alongside artists such as Monet, Renoir and Degas.

In 1894 they were given the title “Les Trois Grandes Dames d’Impressionisme” by the art critic Gustave Geffroy. This lecture will discuss the lives of each of these artists and their work, revealing their skill and originality as well as their willingness to take risks, despite the additional obstacles they faced as women.

Sarah Burles studied History of Art at Cambridge University before doing a master’s degree at University College London. She went on to have a career in museum and gallery education, establishing new services in three different museums before working at the Fitzwilliam Museum for many years.

NOTE Berthe Morisot - Shaping Impressionism 

Members may like to also arrange a visit to Dulwich Picture Gallery for this exhibition which opens on 31st March, 2023 and runs until 10th September, 2023

https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2023/april/berthe-morisot/

 ***Just announced

There will be a showing of the film “Mary Cassatt - Painting the Modern Woman" at Croydon’s David Lean Cinema at 7.30pm on Tuesday 30th May, 2023

Tickets available online from Tuesday 4th April from 9am

http://www.davidleancinema.org.uk

David Lean Cinema

Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET

Best known for his outlandish appearances dressed as his feminine alter ego, Claire, Grayson Perry is now a core part of the art establishment, a Turner Prize winner, Royal Academician, popular broadcaster and colourful character. He’s possibly one of the world’s best-known contemporary artists. His works of ceramics, textiles, tapestries and prints are highly sought after. Often controversial, he tackles difficult subjects in a poignant yet witty way and holds a mirror up to society. This talk will examine Grayson Perry’s work, his exciting and thought-provoking exhibitions, and the unique character inside the flamboyant frocks.

Ian Swankie

A Londoner with a passion for art and architecture, Ian is an official guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Guildhall Art Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral, and gives tours around each venue. He is also a qualified and active freelance London guide and leads regular tours for various corporations and organisations. Since 2012 he has led a popular weekly independent art lecture group in his home town of Richmond in West London. He is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars, one of the City livery companies.

One of the most extraordinary Spanish artists from Valencia; Joaquin Sorolla has become better known more recently. He lived from 1863 to 1923 and created a world full of light and colour which delights the senses. Sometimes a social painter he was more concerned with capturing light falling on bodies and sea-scapes and his wonderful technique will be considered in this colourful lecture. His final Visions of Spain now in New York will also be shown.

Jacqueline Cockburn is Managing Director of an art tours company, running residential courses in Andalucía, Southern Spain in the art and culture of the region www.artandculturetravel.com  Jacqueline is a course director and lecturer at the V&A and also lectures at The Royal Academy, The Art Fund, The London Art History Society and has toured New Zealand and Australia for The Arts Society. Her specialist field is Spanish Art, but she also lectures on European Art 1790-1950. Her most recent publication is A Taste of Art, London (Unicorn Press 2019). Jacqueline films her lectures and is currently delivering lectures, study days and courses online and live.

From the beginnings of the Renaissance in 13th century Italy to the birth of Abstraction in the 20th century, this lecture charts the main developments of Western European painting.

Born in Paris in 1976, Aliki Braine studied at The Ruskin School of Fine Art, Oxford, The Slade School of Fine Art, London and The Courtauld Institute where she was awarded a distinction for her masters in 17th century painting. After working for the National Gallery for 20 years, she now teaches for Christie’s Education and the Wallace Collection, and is an Associate Lecturer for the Camberwell College of Art and University of the Arts London.  Aliki is also a practicing artist who regularly exhibits her photographic work internationally.

What is it that conductors do that makes orchestras respond in so many different ways?  Is it a good baton technique?  A strong personality?  The way they look?  And why are there relatively few women found on the podium?   And why are the conductors paid so much more than anyone else on the concert platform?  Drawing on history and his own musical experiences from well over six thousand performances and recordings, Nigel seeks out some answers.  This lecture contains some rare video footage of conductors in rehearsal and performance

Nigel Bates

Nigel Bates has been a performer for more than forty years in and out of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, including seventeen years as Principal Percussionist with the Orchestra and eight years as the Music Administrator of The Royal Ballet.

He has worked with many of the leading figures in the classical music industry and was also a producer for both the BBC’s Maestro at the Opera and Pappano’s Classical Voices documentary series. He is a regular contributor to the printed and online content of the ROH.

He has given lectures for over 30 years, including many arts societies and conservatoires in the UK and across Australia.

This is a live music  lecture-recital with singer and pianist.

'A Rare meeting of music poetry and art' is an exciting lecture looking at the arts in the way they were viewed in the early 20th century in Paris  when they seemed to fuse together and artists, poets, musicians all freely intermingled, inspiring one another through their creations.

The centrepiece of our lecture recital will be Le Travail du Peintre (The work of Painters)  a set of 7 songs about the art of Picasso, Chagall, Braque and other contemporary painters. The music is by the French composer, Francis Poulenc, the surreal poetry by one of the leading poets of the time, Paul Eluard. We will be showing pictures while we perform the songs, and ask our audience to indulge in what we hope will be a multi-sensory experience! The music is very approachable and composed in a late Romantic style.

Preceding these songs we will look at the fusion of poetry and music in some Schubert songs and then art and music in some piano pieces from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Marguerite Duncan-Sutherland has sung extensively in Germany, Austria, Italy and particularly in France – French being her second language. She and Stephen Baron have performed many concerts together specializing in the works of Poulenc for whom they share a great love and admiration.

Stephen Baron is a well-known pianist, accompanist and composer is also an experienced lecturer in music, having worked for seventeen years at Birkbeck College and several other London institutions. He has recently released a Chopin CD and also a CD of songs wth Marguerite.

https://vimeo.com/268651142

The Philippines has a rich and well-established fine art tradition, introduced in the 18th century by resident Spanish Jesuits to provide religious imagery for the devout, and propaganda for the not-so-devout. In the 19th century, Filipino artists working within the Western tradition, such as Juan Luna (1857-1899) and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo (1855-1913), achieved success in the Salons of Europe, a direct result of access to formal art education at the new art schools of the Philippines. The turn of the century saw American colonisation and led to a hybrid modernism in the artistic culture of the 20th century. Today that culture has resulted in some of the most exciting contemporary art in Southeast Asia. This lecture will include a discussion of some of the leading figures in the Philippine art world, with whom the speaker has worked directly as a curator

It is possible to ‘read’ the passage of time, of movements, cultures and peoples in the architecture and art forms evident in many of our older English country churches. This lecture takes us from the pre-Christian era, through the arrival of the Romans and onwards to the sixteenth century and the epoch changing Tudors Simple indicators are given how to identify churches with Roman and Saxon origins. The great flowering of Romanesque and gothic architecture that followed the invasion of the Normans in the eleventh century are explained with illustrated examples. Onwards into the high Middle Ages and the tumultuous changes of the Reformation we can see the architectural and structural evidence of a period of great change.

The REV’D DR. NICHOLAS HENDERSON

A graduate of Selwyn College, Cambridge, Nicholas trained for the Anglican ministry at Ripon Hall, Oxford. Inspired by a period working on the staff of Coventry Cathedral he has gained a wide experience of international matters. He was formerly Bishop-elect for the Diocese of Lake Malawi in Central Africa (2005-2009) and undertook his doctorate on Lay Anglican Ecclesiology with the University of Wales, Lampeter. Nicholas has a particular interest in the period of the English Reformation and the associated cultural, architectural and social changes it has produced. He lectures regularly and currently assists as a priest in the Diocese of London.

This lecture covers surprising attempts to create some graphic unity, even in the 1860s and 70s, expansion of the Underground and the need to create some cohesion between the different operating companies, Leslie Green's architecture and the Arts & Crafts movement, Frank Pick, Edward Johnston's typeface, Charles Holden's architecture and the Streamline Moderne/Art Deco movement, the New Works Programme, post war austerity/design, Victoria Line, loss of Johnston & rescue by Kono, Jubilee Line Extension/architecture, creation of TfL, recent schemes and future works including the Elizabeth Line/Northern Line extension to Battersea etc

The lecture title borrows William Shakespeare's stirring words from King Richard II and Horace Walpole's vivid description of a pearl-laden Queen Elizabeth I. Medieval and Tudor monarchs understood that the visual beauty and rarity of precious gem-stones, including luminous sapphires, rubies and spinels alongside lustrous pearls and clear rock crystal, expressed and enhanced their regal power and status. Resplendence and awe-inspiring magnificence transcend the passage of time in portraits of monarchs from King Richard II in the Wilton Diptych to Queen Elizabeth I in Nicholas Hilliard's painted miniatures. Hilliard himself trained as a goldsmith and the technical brilliance of other anonymous masters of this craft is still evidenced in surviving jewels such as Princess Blanche's dazzling crown, the Royal Gold Cup in the British Museum and Henry V's rock crystal sceptre linked to the City of London and the Battle of Agincourt. Tracing the sources of the stones in distant lands, the lecture follows a journey from the gem-stone mines of Asia, the pearl fisheries of the Persian Gulf, mountains with crystal mines and freshwater pearls from the rivers of Scotland, to the merchants of Venice and Bruges, Medieval markets in Avignon and Champagne and on to the goldsmiths of Paris and London.

French 17th century design owes much to one man; an ambitious visionary named Nicholas Fouquet. A man little spoken of however, as he made one grave error of judgement which he would live to regret: he upstaged the young Louis XIV by employing the best creative talent of the day to commission a spectacular chateau for himself. The result was a radical new look for the century.

The origins and development of three distinctive styles in Western art which were often confused together, showing their differences and characteristics

Unknown and known craftsmen have left a legacy of superb objects which we either admire or are disdainful towards according to our aesthetic preferences which in themselves are subjective, however an in-depth understanding of the techniques of manufacture and the innovation of production can alter that perspective. This lecture is designed to gently persuade and enlighten to the skills and ingenuity of these master craftsmen and enable us to appreciate those items that are sometimes dismissed as ugly or just awful as well as those that are universally considered magnificent

Here is a video from Peter on Silver  https://youtu.be/RiHMP3GAUIA

The 14th century artist Cennino Cennini recommended using “the chicken bones that you will find under the dining table” for making charcoaled bone black to paint with. His treatise, The Artists’ handbook, gives us an understanding of some of the surprising materials which any artist had to master before he could begin to paint, such as the tail of a squirrel to make his paintbrushes. But many of these materials were difficult to use and have an effect on the finished look of paintings from the centuries before industrial processes changed the artist’s world. This lecture will explain the techniques and the reasons for some of the features of 15th and 16th century paintings which may seem odd to our modern eyes. I will bring examples of the materials mentioned in the talk to pass round and discuss with participants

This is the entertaining story of how documentary films started from the early French and Edwardian days of silent movies. Film was still at a very much experimental stage and we will look at the Soviet influence with Battleship Potemkin and Man with a Movie Camera to the formation of the GPO Film Unit by John Grierson with Alberto Cavalcanti in the 1930s.
• The lecture has many clips from films like Coalface, The Granton Trawler, Love on the Wing, Spare Time and of course, Night Mail, the classic film featuring the poetry of W H Auden and music by Benjamin Britten.
• The influence of the GPO Film Unit was extraordinary over its short life. Many of the team joined the Crown Film Unit or went on to production companies like Ealing Studios to use their innovative skills in feature films.

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is the most isolated piece of permanently inhabited land on the planet, and yet it produced a most extraordinary Stone Age culture: hundreds of sophisticated coastal stone platforms, more than a thousand enormous stone statues, the richest rock art in the Pacific, and a unique writing system. This talk will provide an introduction to the history of the discovery of this culture; to its principal features; and to what archaeology, oral traditions and, more recently, palaeobotanical evidence have combined to teach us about the island’s cultural rise and decline, its environmental crisis, and the lessons all this can teach us about how we look after the Earth as a whole.

The Nazis looted over 20% of Western Art during World War II, confiscating art from Jewish families and emptying museums throughout Europe. This lecture will provide an overview of Nazi looting by setting the scene in Nazi Germany, discussing Hitler’s obsession with art and how the Monuments Men recovered art after the war. Several landmark cases will be discussed in detail, including Gustav Klimt’s celebrated Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer and the stash of over 1200 artworks found in possession of the son of a notorious Nazi dealer.

Dates:             Monday 9, 16, 23 November 2020
Time:              11:00 – 12:00
Venue:            All 3 lectures will be via ZOOM
Lecturer:         Anne Anderson
Cost:              £10 per lecture or £25 for all three lectures
SCO:               Susan Branfield, 17 Claytons Meadow, Bourne end, SL8 5DQ
Email:             susanbranfield@waitrose.com

To obtain tickets for this Zoom study course please email Susan Branfield
Please note: ZOOM links will be sent to participants at the beginning of November
No cheques will be banked until all 3 sessions have been completed.

This series of three interconnected lectures follows on from the highly acclaimed exhibition held at the National Gallery, London in 2019: Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light.  For many this will have been their first experience of ‘Spain’s John Singer Sargent’.  In his day Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) was acclaimed for his dexterous representation of people and landscapes under the bright sunlight of his native land. Sorolla's work is often exhibited together with that of his contemporaries and friends, Sargent,  Anders Zorn and Severin Peder Kroyer.  The 17th century Spanish artist Diego Velazquez influenced their painterly style, all four artists known for their bravura technique. Born in Valencia, Sorolla and his sister were orphaned at an early age. His talent recognised, Sorolla was awarded a grant which enabled him to study in Rome.  An extended sojourn in Paris in 1885 provided his first exposure to modern painting. He created a highly coloured, luminous, interpretation of impressionism, with many paintings lit and composed like snapshots. His art looks fast; Sorolla was known to be quick, not least because he normally worked outdoors, even when painting on vast canvases. Famous in his day, Sorolla’s reputation was eclipsed by Cubism and Abstraction.  But like his contemporaries, Sorolla has been recuperated, his art seen to embody the modernity of the fin de siècle.

This is the entertaining story of how documentary films started from the early French and Edwardian days of silent movies. Film was still at a very much experimental stage and we will look at the Soviet influence with Battleship Potemkin and Man with a Movie Camera to the formation of the GPO Film Unit by John Grierson with Alberto Cavalcanti in the 1930s. 

• The lecture has many clips from films like Coalface, The Granton Trawler, Love on the Wing, Spare Time and of course, Night Mail, the classic film featuring the poetry of W H Auden and music by Benjamin Britten.  

• The influence of the GPO Film Unit was extraordinary over its short life. Many of the team joined the Crown Film Unit or went on to production companies like Ealing Studios to use their innovative skills in feature films.

The origins and development of three distinctive styles in Western art which were often confused together, showing their differences and characteristics.

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is the most isolated piece of permanently inhabited land on the planet, and yet it produced a most extraordinary Stone Age culture: hundreds of sophisticated coastal stone platforms, more than a thousand enormous stone statues, the richest rock art in the Pacific, and a unique writing system. This talk will provide an introduction to the history of the discovery of this culture; to its principal features; and to what archaeology, oral traditions and, more recently, palaeobotanical evidence have combined to teach us about the island’s cultural rise and decline, its environmental crisis, and the lessons all this can teach us about how we look after the Earth as a whole. 

Tim Redmond

Big Ben is one of the most iconic buildings in the world – it identifies the UK and democracy in the Western world. But there is a lot more to this tower than the beautiful external gothic architecture; and Tim will prove this to you. Using stunning images, he will take you on a virtual tour of the interior, saving you the effort of climbing 334 spiral stairs. He will explain the historical background and discuss the friction between the often controversial personalities involved in the building and designing of the tower. Tim will then take you behind those magnificent clock faces; show and explain the workings of the enormous clock mechanism; before finally taking you into the belfry and presenting before you – Big Ben, the most famous bell in the world!  After all that excitement Tim will ensure you safely descend the stairs ready for your well-earned cup of tea!

Raphael is often referred to as one of the three giants of the High Renaissance in Italy, alongside Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, yet his fame and position in the canon of art history may seem hard to explain. He made no discoveries like those of his celebrated rivals: although undoubtedly a draughtsman of exceptional talent he made no great progress in the fields of anatomy, science and construction nor did he share the wide-ranging talents which Leonardo and Michelangelo demonstrated in so many disciplines. Furthermore, his career was short-lived as he died tragically young, aged 37. Yet in this relatively short space of time Raphael managed to move from humble initial commissions in and around his home town of Urbino to the covetous position of one of the leading artists at the court of the most important patron in Italy, Pope Julius II, for whom he created some of the most sublime and influential frescoes of the early 16th century. We explore how Raphael achieved this extraordinary rise in status, tracing the development of early works and influences to the masterpieces created in Rome.

Wallpaper is often regarded as the Cinderella of the Decorative Arts – the most ephemeral and least precious of the decorations produced for the home. Yet, the history of wallpaper is a long and fascinating subject that dates back to the 16th century and encompasses a huge range of beautiful patterns created both by anonymous hands and by some of the best-known designers of the 19th and 20th centuries. This lecture explores the history and development of this product from earliest times up to the present day. It includes a discussion of the changing ways in which wallpaper was made and a survey of designs from the first black and white patterns, the creation of elegant flock hangings, the fashion for Chinese hand-painted papers, the introduction of machine-printing, the designs of Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement, and the taste for Modernist and Contemporary designs in the 20th century. It also includes a discussion of the ways that wallpapers were used within grand and more ordinary homes and hopes to justify the claim that they were indeed a truly Decorative Art.

Where do our notions of ‘traditional Christmas fare’ come from, and when modern writers ‘reinvent’ the Christmas meal, are they really doing anything so very different? This lecture charts the traditions of dinner, along with the specific foods consumed, from the high medieval to the Edwardian period. From the celebration of the twelve days under Edward I, to the masques and merriment of Elizabeth’s court, Christmas has been a celebration. But it dwindled and nearly died under the Georgians, before being reborn under Victoria. Concentrating on dinner, this talk covers the way the English have celebrated Christmas through the medium of the table. It uses recipe books, literary description and illustrations, as well as experimental work on recipes from the everyday to the spectacular. 

The Golden Age of English Gothic manuscript illumination ranges from 1200 to 1500. Like roof bosses high above cathedral naves which escaped the iconoclasm of the Reformation, illuminated manuscripts provide direct contact with one of the great expressions of medieval English art. With reference to a wide range of examples like the Sherborne Missal, the Luttrell Psalter and the Bedford Hours, the lecture will explore the nature and scale of this astonishing artistic achievement.

Scandal, politics, botany, art and wit - this talk has it all. Following the life of the ‘grotto nymph’ and creator of botanic paper mosaicks, Mary Delany. Feted by Erasmus Darwin, acclaimed by Sir Joseph Banks and personal friend of Queen Charlotte, after a life of gardening and ‘shell work’ she embarked, aged 72, on a fabulous Flora of paper portrayals of exotic plants. Heavily illustrated talk drawing on Mary Delany’s own words.

There is something special about Nordic nature. Its vastness, wilderness, and remoteness are some of the reasons it is so fascinating. Let’s not forget the exceptional light conditions, such as the midnight sun and auroras. Surely, nature has been a cornerstone of life in the Nordic countries. This importance is reflected in the history of art by the significant place held by landscape painting. We will explore various ways in which nature has been represented by Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish painters from 1840 to 1910. As we will see, nature was rarely just represented in a transparent, unmediated manner. It mirrored a national identity or an artist’s inner world.

It’s all Juvenal’s fault. A political strategy for keeping the masses happy – give them food and entertainment. So they had gladiators and exotic animals and chariot races – mostly pretty cruel and violent – but they also had plays and pantomimes and public baths. The Circus Maximus was huge, seating 350,000 people and one could exit via the gift shop. In 1768 the circus was reinvented in Britain by Philip Astley and celebrates its 250 th anniversary in 2018 – think of those legendary names Bertram Mills, Chipperfields and Billy Smart. Find fun, frolic and freak shows in my inimitable innovative multi-media format lecture, combining art (Laura Knight, Georges Roualt etc), photographs, archival film, songs, music and quotations from writers and poets. There might even be some bread.

The Maya created one of the most sophisticated civilizations in the ancient world.  Their achievements in the arts and sciences, along with their complex social, political and economic systems, make them one of the most remarkable culture groups in the Precolumbian Americas. These people brought us an intricate calendar system, complex hieroglyphic writing, some of the largest pyramids in the world, a form of ballgame that was like no other and most importantly chocolate! This lecture will discuss the major achievements of the Maya as well as pointing out the common misunderstandings we have of this remarkable civilization.

London’s great drivers have always been finance and culture. But while the arts are celebrated in the capital, physical culture is often overlooked. In this lecture, Simon traces London’s sporting culture back to the 12th century, taking in manuscripts in the British Library, records of jousting at the College of Arms, and the obscure game of Pall Mall, from which the current thoroughfare takes its name. Much of this story concerns the battle for open space, an issue for the Finsbury Archers of the 17th century no less than campaigners for playing fields in the 20th century East End slums. Other themes include the story of the German Gymnasium, boathouses on the Thames and the mania for lidos in the 1930s. Although focusing on London, several elements of this lecture (such as the Olympics, Lord’s, Wimbledon and the University Boat Race) will be of interest to audiences elsewhere. 

The lecture will follow the Anuual General meeting which will start at 10.30 am.

From King Edgar in 973 to Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the coronation ceremonies of successive monarchs have been both bastions of tradition and prime examples of adaptation to new needs and circumstances. This talk looks at the development of the ceremonies, their purpose, and the myths that surround the public recognition and crowning of a monarch. The associated regalia – crowns, sceptres and orbs, and also the more obscure items such as armills and buskins – developed as part of the coronation ceremonies over the years, and their use (and misuse) is considered. One of the most important aspects of a coronation has always been music, from plainchant, through the compositions of composers like Byrd, Purcell, Handel, Stanford and Parry to the works written for the current Queen’s crowning. The talk will examine what makes a good ceremonial piece, the texts that were set and will include audio examples. There will also be answers to some interesting questions, including: What did Elgar say about the speed of the National Anthem? How did the youngest chorister obey a call of nature in 1953 – and where did peers keep their sandwiches during the ceremony? How did the Archbishop injure Queen Victoria? And who occupied the 'Loose Box' in the Abbey in 1902? 

Edward Bune-Jones embodies many of the principles of the Pre-Raphaelites though he was not one of the original seven members.  This lecture examines the life and career of Burne-Jones from humble beginnings in Birmingham to the title of baronet and a memorial service in Westminster Abbey.  It considers the work of this great Victorian artist and his achievements in painting and applied art.  Often referred to as a member of the ‘Second Generation Pre-Raphaelites’, this lecture argues that Burne-Jones was actually the most complete Pre-Raphaelite and was responsible for the movement bearing fruit and maturing into the Aesthetic Movement and Symbolism which dominated European art at the end of the nineteenth century.  Rather than the Last of the Pre-Raphaelites (as he has been called) perhaps Burne-Jones should be recognised as the First of the Moderns.

Britain’s oldest fine arts institution will be celebrating its 250th Anniversary in 2018.  The Royal Academy has an illustrious history that spans from the mid-18th century through to the 21th century.  We contemplate its past and review its various homes before settling on its current Mayfair location in Burlington House.  This fully illustrated talk explores a selection of its ground-breaking temporary loan exhibitions and considers its role and impact on the arts scene, both on British soil and overseas.  The talk would not be complete without a behind the scene look at the Summer Exhibition - held without interruption since 1769 - which displays works in a variety of media and genres by emerging and established artists.  In addition, anecdotal stories will also be revealed by the lecturer based on her twelve year career with the institution.  We also consider the influence of certain world-renowned Royal Academicians, exemplary artists in their chosen field, and the pivotal role that is played by the RA Schools. The impressive roll call of RAs over the past 250 years include household names such as Reynolds, Constable, Turner, Munnings and, more recently, Hockney, Paolozzi, Foster, Craig-Martin and Gormley.  By charting its history through intriguing and important archival photographs and considering its place in Britain’s artistic heritage, we can mark this significant anniversary and consider its future with much excitement and anticipation. 

Louis XVI's Queen acted as a patron to Elizabeth Vigée Lebrun, one of France's most famous female artists (and one whose husband gambled away her hard-earned fortune).  Both women shared a dress designer in the rags-to-riches Rose Bertin.  It was Bertin's fashions and Vigée Lebrun's naturalistic style of portraiture that created Marie-Antoinette's image and attempted to defuse 'the Austrian's' unpopularity.

Explore their creative collaborations and learn what became of these remarquable women during the French Revolution.

Among the most important and valuable works of art from Africa, these antique bronze sculptures from the West African kingdom of Benin astounded critics when they were first seen in Europe in the late 1890s.  They could hardly believe that such technically accomplished sculptures were created by African artists.  The superb workmanship and outstanding aesthetic quality of Benin's royal sculptures rivals the very best work of the Italian Renaissance.

This lecture reveals the sophisticatred production processes, the symbolism and the ritual use of the bronzes, as well as investigating the response of avant-garde artists of the early 20th century, such as Picasso and Matisse, who struggled to place them within their category of 'the primitive'.

One of the richest collections of the Benin bronzes is in the British Museum, but many examples are on show in museums across Britain and Europe.

From the Edwardian era to the outbreak of World War II millions of artist-drawn, humorous postcards were produced, not just for entertainment but to bolster morale, to inspire, instruct, motivate and persuade.  Discover the popular themes and styles of the period by the masters of the medium such as Mabel Lucie Atwell, Dudley Buxton, Donald McGill and Fred Spurgin, and the reasons why their popularity waned with the British public.

Relatively little is known in this country about Germany's complex post-war process of remembrance and the counter memorial movement that started there in the 1980s and continues to this day.

Germany's very specific situation rendered all traditional concepts of monuments and memorials irrelevant and inappropriate.  Instead of commemorating their own losses German artists looked to creating art forms that would respond to questions of apology and atonement.  But how does a nation of former persecutors mourn its victims?

The idea behind counter memorials is to keep the memories and lessons of the past alive in the individual psyches of the people.  The results are extraordinary, brave and inspiring.

With her Anglo-German roots, artistic background and years of research, Angela is in an ideal position to give insights into Germany's fascinating and on-going efforts to find artistic forms for the remembrance of the victims of one of history's darkest periods.

The merchants of seventeenth century Holland filled their town houses with paintings. A favourite subject was scenes of everyday lie, depicting behaviour both good ... and bad.  But these upright Calvinist citizens rejected Catholic Baroque melodrama.  They wanted nothing to alarm the in-laws or corrupt the children.  Innocent subjects hint at adult themes:  plucked chickens and lap dogs, lutes and virginals, oysters and artichokes, foot warmers and bed warmers.  This is a world of subtle hints and double-entendre, spoken through a language of symbols, emblems and motifs.  Join me to explore the hidden meanings in everyday scenes and become a fluent reader of 'Double Dutch'.

(Please note date.  It was incorrect in the Programme.)

The  Annual General Meeting will preceed the lecture at 10.15 a.m.

This lecture will be accompanied by an exhibition of relevant imperial Textiles by courtesy and kind permission of The Wendy and David Rosier collection.

The Emperor Qianlong was arguably the greatest of all Qing Emperors as he guided China through a period of unquestionable political, economic and cultural prosperity which rivalled any comparable period of high achievement in Chinese history.  Territorially Qianlong added more than 30 per cent of landmass to the Empire through successful military campaigns and astute diplomacy.  He was passionate about preserving Manchu culture whilst respecting and nurturing other ethnic Chinese cultures.  Qianlong travelled his Empire regularly undertaking lavish expeditions to the South and West designed to forge loyalty to his Imperial rule.  Despite all these successes as a ruler it is in the fields of the sciences, arts and culture that Qianlong made the greatest contribution to China's heritage.  Qianlong was a noted scholar who during his lifetime wrote and published over 43,000 poems, painted on virtually a daily basis and was accomplished in the art of calligraphy.  It was perhaps as a Collector of Fine Art that Qianlong created his greatest legacy.  He amassed a treasure trove of hundreds of thousands of works of art from previous dynasties or which represented the finest current workmanship.  His collection spanned all genres of the arts including paintings, porcelain, jade, textiles, enamelling, ivory carvings and snuff bottles.  This lecture will provide an insight into Qianlong not only as a successful Emperor of China but also as a scholar and 'ultimate' collector of fine art.  A wide range of items of the highest quality, produced by the Imperial Workshops, will illustrate this lecture.

From Woolf's letters, diaries and novels.  In her greatest novel To the Lighthouse Woolf describes most vividly the feelings of a young woman artist, faced by a blank canvas.  "Where to begin?  That was the question;  one line placed on the canvas committed her to innumerable risks..."  Woolf neither painted nor drew.  But her closeness to her artist sister Vanessa, and the charismatic teacher and critic Roger Fry, stimulated a passionate curiosity, and some illuminating comparisons between writing and painting.  Elsewhere, her entertainingly frank confessions - "I hate buying clothes.  In particular, I hate buying suspenders..." - offer insights into the tribulations of Woolf's life in her beloved London.  With paintings by Spencer Gore, Harold Gilman, Charles Ginner and other artists from the Camden Group of Artists; and by Vanessa Bell.

Printed in 1636, Annalia Dubrensia - the Annals of Dover - is an exceptionally rare and valuable little book, which celebrates the famous Cotswolds Olympics and their founder, Robert Dover, who is credited with inventing the modern Olympic Games in England in 1612.  The book contains a series of tributes from his friends and admirers, among them Ben Johnson.  The games are still held each June on Dover's Hill in Chipping Campden, and are organised by the Robert Dover's Games Society.  In 2013 the Society was fortunate to acquire a copy of Annalia Dubrensia, and I was asked to look at the book with a view to conserving it.  This lecture tells the fascinating story of the Olympics, and then shows in detail the cleaning, mending and rebinding, in period style, of this charming little book.

This is a Special Interest Day.  See more details in the Special Interest Days section.

To many people, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a turkey and trimmings, pudding and brandy butter and a feeling by the end of the day that movement was impossible.  But where do our notions of 'traditional fare' come from, and when modern writers 'reinvent' the Christmas meal, are they really doing anything so very different?  This lecture charts the traditions of dinner, along with the specific foods consumed, from the high medieval to the Edwardian period.  From the celebration of the twelve days under Edward I, to the masques and merriment of Elizabeth's court, Christmas has been a celebration.  But it dwindled and nearly died under the Georgians, before being reborn under Victoria.  Concentrating on dinner, this talk covers the way the English have celebrated Christmas through the medium of the table.  It uses recipe books, literary description and illustrations, as well as experimental work on recipes from the everyday to the spectacular.

Son of the first prime minister, author of the first gothic novel The Castle of Otranto, art connoisseur and collector of art, great letter writer, gossip and wit - Horace Walpole had a distinguished and colourful life, but is perhaps best known as the creator of his little gothic 'castle' by the Thames at Twickenham - Strawberry Hill.  Although disapproved of by Augustus Pugin and his Victorian contemporaries, Strawberry Hill is nevertheless the inspiration for such buildings as St Pancras Station and the Houses of Parliament.  The talk will look at why he chose 'gothic' in an age of neo-classicism, the influences that went into the house and the fascinating life he lived there.  Walpole famously said that "My buildings, like my writings are of paper, and will blow away ten years after I am dead".  In 2011 over 200 years after his death, his 'fairy palace' has re-opened after a glorious restoration.

Just as Stonehenge must have been an inspiration to those who worshipped there in prehistoric times, so has it inspired generations of writers, artists and musicians.  It is on the subject of Stonehenge as lasting inspiration that Julian 's talk continues from Blake, Turner and Constable to Moore and Jeremy Deller's recent 'bouncy' interpretation.

In the mid-1820s Constable added the newly fashionable seaside resort of Brighton to his familiar motifs of the Suffolk countryside and the skies of Hampstead Heath.  His family began to take regular holidays there from 1824 in response to his wife's deteriorating health (she died of consumption in 1828).  In Brighton Constable was confronted with the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan life against the backdrop of traditional fishing and coastal industry.  He developed striking techniques such as 'slapping' paint on with a palette knife and 'tickling' it about with the point of a brush handle to create movement and texture in some of the most fabulous depictions of the British coast and sky ever painted.  From an accumulation of virtuoso outdoor oil sketches and studio studies he created one of his most famous "sixfooters".

This lecture is illustrated with recent research and images of oil sketches from the V& A and Royal Academy collections, studio studies and the full-size The Chain Pier, Brighton examined during the Constable Research Project, and it also touches on Sarah's examination of A Sea Beach, Brighton for BBC1's 'Fake or Fortune?  Constable' in 2014.

This new title is timed to coincide with the exhibition 'Constable in Brighton' at the Brighton Museum, Summer 2017.

IMAGE:  Sarah Cove, Constable Research Project/V&A, London

1940 is arguably the pivotal year in British 20th century history - the Battle of France, Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and the Blitz.  Mr Punch's cartoons reflected the cheerful resolve of the British people to carry on a way of life threatened by invasion.  Regular features such as 'From the Home Front' and 'At the Pictures' dealt with topical issues in an informed but humourous way.  "A fig for Nazidom.  Prunes to HawHaw" as Mr Punch said!  This lecture is based on a complete edition of Punch Magazine 1940 discovered at a car boot sale...for £4.

Ramesses II (c1279-c1213 BC) is known to many as 'Ramesses the Great.  He left his mark throughout Egypt, building extraordinary temples (notably Abu Simbel and the Ramesseum) and adorning them with colossal statues of himself and his wives.  In this lecture we will explore the art and architecture of this particularly long reign, and piece together the great achievements of this bold ruler during a golden age of Egypt's pharaonic history.

Thomas Hardy's Wessex is the land of his creative imagination - a sort of 'dream Dorset' based on the county of his birth - which provided the rich and complex background for his passionate and original novels and poems of pastoral life.  It is a palimpsest of the real thing, a backdrop for his scenes of tragedy and comedy, rural life and glimpses of a world which was vanishing even during his own lifetime.  He gave it what he called a 'flexible identity', changing names and locations, enlarging or shrinking areas as it suited his creative purpose.  The talented watercolourist Henry Moule was a close friend of Hardy and later became curator of the Dorset County Museum.  Walter Tyndale was a Victorian painter who specialised in landscape and architectural watercolours.  His detailed yet delicate application of watercolour imbued his work with a vivid sense of life and colour.  Looking at their paintings of rural Dorset and through Hardy's own words we will be able to explore Hardy's Wessex.

Trained in decorative as well as fine arts, Klimt sought to break free from the traditional distinctions between the two.  His fascination with Egyptian and Byzantine art enabled him to produce sumptuous art incorporating gold leaf and mosaics in works which were frequently highly erotic and beautiful, and occasionally disturbing.  He was particularly interested in the female form, showing women as alluring, but often dangerous, as femme fatale.  He was a founder member and first President of the Vienna Secession, a progressive exhibiting organisation set up to challenge the more conservative academic practice towards the end of the 19th century.

Hans Holbein was the first great mainland painter to spend much time in England and he brought with him a sophistication and skill, with far reaching consequences for this island's artistic development.  His 'Ambassadors' is recognised by the National Gallery of London as one of its greatest treasures.  It dates from a tradition in the arts when no object was without meaning and symbolism.  However, practically all of this meaning has been lost to the modern observer.  This lecture considers the tempestuous circumstances of its creation and the hidden messages concealed within it.  The painting tells us much about the state of Europe at the time and the hopes and fears of its major players.

The most spectacular of museums, created by equally spectacular people, is the subject of the lecture.  It will examine the buildings made for Empress Elizabeth as her Winter Palace and explain some of its spectacular rooms.  We discuss the role of Catherine the Great whose acquisitions laid the foundation of its superb collection.  It is no exaggeration to say she invented bulk buying, acquiring distinguished collections to add lustre to her court and commissioning Sevres and Wedgewood porcelain, furniture, silver, mirrors and tapestries.

Guaranteed to be far less exhausting than visiting it!

Using illustrations from illuminated manuscripts, readings from literature and contemporary accounts, and the haunting songs and lively dance tunes of medieval England, Sarah brings alive the spirit of a Medieval Christmas, a time of joy and celebration for some, but hardship and suffering for others.

With extracts from literature and manorial household accounts, she pieces together life in a medieval manor house at Yuletide.  In addition to her reproduction of medieval harps, she adds the plucked psaltery, hurdy-gurdy, hammered dulcimer, and gemshorn to the musical mix, performing carols, music and readings for an atmospheric and musical seasonal celebration.

Born into a Polish family, Misia was a virtuoso pianist taught by Gabriel Fauré, before marrying Thadee Natanson owner of the magazine 'La Revue Blanche'.  She was painted many times by Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre Bonnard, Eduard Vuillard (who was deeply in love with her), and Renoir who wanted to paint her nude.  She knew Debussy and Ravel who dedicated several pieces to her.  She later married a wealthy businessman and was able to finance Diaghilev's extraordinary Russian Ballets becoming an integral part of the circle around Picasso, Stravinsky, Cocteau and Nijinsky.  Her final marriage was to the Spanish muralist José Sert with whom she travelled extensively, becoming Coco Chanel's closest friend and confidante.  Misia was at the very heart of modern art and music in Paris.  Misia Sert was the subject of a major exhibition in the Musée d'Orsay in 2012.

Banksy.  Who is he?  How does one define what he does?  Is it art?  Street art?  Graffiti?

Since he hit the headlines in 1997, he has retained his anonymity, yet his 'stencil' images, paintings and installations continue to appear.  How does he do it?

In 2013 New York was treated to a new Banksy each morning for a month!  Last year his artwork girl with a balloon, 'There is always Hope', was recreated and projected onto Nelson's Column (and simultaneously in venues in New York, Washington, Paris, Moscow and Jordan), to draw attention to Syria's plight.  Also last year, new images appeared overnight in Cheltenham and Bristol.

He has worked in London, Barcelona, Palestine, Bethlehem and New York.  Museums and Art Galleries such as Moma and the Tate have found 'Banksy's' on their walls.  His images and installations are humorous, political and satirical, OR are they stupid, rude, annoying and childish - it depends on your point of view.  In 2009, following a successful exhibition in America, thirty thousand people from all over Britain queued for hours to see 'Banksy vs. The Bristol Museum' at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.  The outsider has become the insider...on his terms!

'The utmost fulfilment of Leonardo the scientist is seen in his artistic creations.  These reveal the most amazing and inseparable affinity of his scientific and artistic concepts' - Ludwig Heidenreich 1958.

Leonardo would say that nature must be his guide and that art was based on a scientific understanding of everything depicted.  He used his powers of craftmanship and astute sense of observation in his scientific drawings making and incredible contribution to our early understanding of anatomy, aeronautics, warfare, cartography and water engineering to name but a few.  It would take centuries of science and technology to catch up with his thoughts.

This talk follows Leonardo's pursuit of these investigations whether they be on his own initiative, his pursuit of remunerative employment or in response to a particular set of circumstances in his life.

This is a lecture that looks at sculpture through the eyes of the aesthete, the historian and the landscape architect.  It will take the audience on an exciting journey of discovery through time, considering the meaning and the role of sculpture in different cultures, its significance and function in the landscape. 

Inspiring images will show how the interaction and dialogue between the two art forms - sculpture and garden/landscape design - create a synergy that enhances their meaning and potential for beauty, attaining a deeper more fulfilling dimension. 

(Image copyright Laura de Beden)

The Mona Lisa is one of the most iconic paintings in western art.  Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in Florence in 1503, it accompanied him to France in 1517, eventually passing to the Louvre.  But why did Leonardo keep this painting with him until his death?  What is its place in the history of portraiture?  And when did the Mona Lisa become an international celebrity?

She has inspired artists and writers from Freud to Warhol, Dalì to Dan Brown, as well as songs and films.  She went on a 'state visit' to Washington, meeting President Kennedy and Jackie;  she has been vandalised and stolen.  This lecture looks at the reasons for her fame - and incidentally, explains while she is smiling!

This is my keystone lecture  relating the creative genius and remarkable craftsmanship that enabled the Poster to become the world's first effective method of mass communication.

From Manet to Jules Chéret to Mucha, Steinlen and Toulouse-Lautrec, you'll see inspirational work by superb artists who made the poster great.

Learn how an effective poster is designed and how it plays on the mind; and why most posters today go unnoticed.

Ethiopia is a mysterious and beautiful country steeped in history and legend. Its wonderful people, indomitable of spirit despite their many hardships, live a life that is truly biblical and timeless.  Around them are breathtaking landscapes – rugged mountain ranges, beautiful valleys and extraordinary deserts alive with active volcanoes – inhabited by demons and spirits of local legend. Their ancient history too is populated with evocative names – the Queen of Sheba once ruled over large stretches of the north of the country. The Axumite kingdom that succeeded hers introduced Christianity in the 4th century AD and has left a living legacy in the myriad of colourfully frescoed rock-hewn churches nestling in secret corners of the highlands.  

Louise Schofield has been working in Ethiopia since 2006, living for much of the year in a small tent in a village in the north-eastern province of Tigray. This lecture looks at the art, archaeology, legends and landscapes of Ethiopia and recounts some of the adventures Louise has met along the way during her time in the country.

(10.15am)    Annual General  Meeting - followed by the lecture  

Ploughman’s lunch after the lecture for ticket holders only

The City of London is a unique entity.  Through the centuries various civilisations left behind them remnants of their cultures.  Thus, as you walk the streets of the City you tread on centuries of history in layers under your feet.   

William I, in 1066, recognised the acumen of the City’s citizens and granted them privileges imbedded in the Magna Carta in 1215 and enjoyed to this day.  By 1155 the first grant of a charter by the monarch to the weavers took place and the City Livery Companies have not looked back since.  Initially as a guild system and today as charitable institutions which maintain the ancient traditions whilst enjoying social and most pleasant activities.   

The Dollar Princesses: American women who married into the European aristocracy and whose wealth helped preserve houses and estates   

Between 1870 and 1914 hundreds of American heiresses flooded the shores of continental Europe, trading fortunes for titles.  They were known as The Dollar Princesses and included Consuelo Vanderbilt at Blenheim and Mary Curzon at Kedleston.  These marriages - dubbed by some as gilded prostitution – were usually hard-headed matches plotted by the parents.  They may have kept many a grand estate from collapsing but few provided lasting happiness when the fairy tale was exposed.  This lecture examines the clothes, the portraits, the jewels and the literature of The Dollar Princesses.

The lecture will link in with the exhibition at the National Gallery Oct 7th 2015 - Jan 10th 2016

Goya designed tapestries, produced hundreds of etchings and political works on a broad canvas, but in his powerful and original portraits he turns his critical eye directly on his contemporaries.

Goya's sitters came from many walks of life:  politicians, architects, aristocrats, actresses, bankers, bullfighters, friends and relations, and the extraordinarily unattractive members of the Spanish Royal Family.  Today we marvel at how daringly unflattering he could be, and how he managed to get away with such provocative work.

An introduction to the earliest art known in the world, primarily the artworks from western Europe and dating to c. 40,000 to 12,000 years ago -- it takes the form of portable art objects, and also engravings, drawings and paintings on cave walls and in the open air. The story of the art’s discovery and authentication will be followed by a presentation of the main techniques employed (including experimental reconstructions), the pigments, the lighting methods, and some of the many reasons why this art corpus comprises some of the greatest imagery ever produced. A brief survey of the main theories about its meaning and purpose will also be given.

The English 18th century was the heyday of social and political cartoonists satirists and social commentators: think of Gilray, Hogarth, Cruikshank and Rowlandson, to name the most famous. Both Polite and Not-so-Polite Society were mercilessly (and hilariously) lampooned and mocked, while the Great and the Good had themselves flatteringly portrayed in Conversation Piece paintings.

Why do we wear jewellery ? What lies behind it and what did it mean to the people who wore it ?

This new thought-provoking lecture reveals how jewellery has been worn and used, across time and across place. Everyone decorates the body, but there are different notions of how to do so and which parts to decorate. In many societies jewellery serves as vital protection against evil spirits. It can be a powerful vehicle of communication, indicating the wearer’s preoccupations, their religion or ethnic group. It can be a keepsake of a loved one, or a memorial to the dead. And it can also be a work of art in its own right harnessing all the skills of the goldsmith, gem-setter, or enameller.

Based on the collections of the British Museum, where the speaker has worked for 40 years, this lecture takes you from ancient burial ornaments by anonymous masters to the big names of the modern world.

Miss Lambert is curator of the Schroder Collection, a private art collection. Studied for her MA in the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute. Until taking up her present post, worked for many years as an academic director and lecturer for Christie’s Education. Appears regularly as a furniture specialist on the Antiques Roadshow.

The 20th century was the age of the chair; but when is a chair for everyday use and when is it a piece of sculpture? Focusing on changes in chair design, the lecture looks at how influential designers of the 20th century, such as Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe and Alvar Aalto, responded to their times to produce a revolutionary furniture aesthetic, using new, industrial materials.

Their work inspired a younger generation exemplified by figures such as Charles Eames, Robin Day and Arne Jacobsen in the middle of the century, producing work now accepted as modern design classics. They were all concerned with designing for series production; how does this differ from the approach taken by artist-craftsmen such as Shiro Kuramata, Ron Arad orMark Newson in the later part of the century, whose work also now commands high prices in the market place?