Tate Modern opened in 2000 and in the years since then it has taken its place as a key cultural institution in the country, in 2019 overtaking the British Museum as the most visited museum in the UK.  It regularly features among the Top 5 most visited art museums in the world and is often cited as the most popular modern art gallery globally.

To mark the 25 years since its opening, this Special Interest Day will explore the developments over that period and look at some of the key works in the permanent collection.

We will start at the very beginning, looking at the reasons behind its opening, the history of the building itself and the first hang of the collection, which, somewhat controversially, challenged the traditional chronological arrangement of most museum displays.  We will also look at some of the most important and best loved works in the collection, from sculptural works by Giacometti to Matisse’s Snail, from Rothko to Pollock and Waterlilies to Bricks.

Tate Modern has hosted many exciting displays and exhibitions over the course of its 25 years and in the second hour we will explore some of them, including the ‘Unilever Series’, which led to the commissioning of some extremely innovative works, from top international artists, installed in the unique, huge space of the Turbine Hall.  We will also look briefly at exhibitions taking place at the time of the Study Day, featuring the work of Picasso and Tracey Emin.

During our final hour we will take a look at some of the works that have joined the collection since Tate Modern opened, including works from all around the world, as Tate has sought to fulfil a remit that is more international and cross cultural.  We’ll discover a whole range of working practices from artists working in different countries and explore some of the more unusual materials used by contemporary artists, including bottle tops and human hair, bank notes and radios.

The day will provide a brief introduction to some of the most important artists working in the 20th and 21st centuries, we’ll discover artists who didn’t eat their cous cous, didn’t make their beds, who dressed up as gorillas and even ones who fired guns and blew up sheds! Latest Exhibition details here

Doors open at 10.00 First lecture begins 10.15am

Three lectures & Lunch.

To book your place click here

Image: A Sun Simulacrum by Olafur Eliasson.Tate Modern 'The Weather Project'. Photograph taken on 24 September 2007 by Wonderferret.

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..

Two fascinating lectures, following lunch valuations.

Jewellery from Elizabeth 1 to Queen Victoria

20th Century Jewellery

Valuations

John Benjamin is a jewellery historian, lecturer, author and broadcaster. Formerly International Director of Jewellery at Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers, since 1999 he has been an independent jewellery consultant on behalf of the private client network. John is well-known from his appearances over 30 years on BBC Television’s ever-popular Antiques Roadshow. He is a Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, a Court Assistant and Founder Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars and in 2021 was appointed Honorary Jewellery Adviser to the National Trust.

The day is divided into three sessions with a sumptuous lunch after lecture two. Tea and coffee and soft drinks are provided. The day has a maximum of 50 guests so that we may socialise in the breaks and get to know fellow members and maybe even speak with the lecturer.

1.   Royal Baroque

From its origins in the Catholic Counter-Reformation, the Baroque style was closely associated with power and spectacle. At the Restoration court, Charles II drew on continental precedent to fill his palaces with luxurious paintings and furnishings. In our first lecture, we will look at the artists and craftsmen who helped the Stuart monarchs to re-establish a magnificent monarchy, following the austerity and uncertainty of the Civil Wars and Interregnum.

2.   The Baroque Country House

 While the court set artistic fashion, many nobles were also keen to establish their own status as patrons of the arts, and many of Britain’s best-loved country houses were built or refurbished in the ‘Baroque’ period. In this lecture, we will visit of the most iconic houses of the age, including Chatsworth, Petworth and Blenheim. We will meet the people who created them, and take in some of the highlights of their sumptuous interiors, gardens and art collections.

3.   Queens, Consorts & Courtiers: Female Art Patrons

What was the role of women in British Baroque art? In an era when married women’s property automatically belonged to their husbands, could women still be patrons? Female patronage has often been hidden within the historical record, but new research has shown that the patronage of these women has been considerably underestimated. From Queen Catherine of Braganza’s patronage of Catholic artists, to the Duchess of Marlborough’s politically-charged London mansion, we will look at some of the most important works of art and architecture commissioned by women, and consider how they used art to carve out their position in society.

Dr Amy Lim is an art historian and curator, specialising in British fine and decorative arts from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. She is curator of the Faringdon Collection at Buscot Park, Oxfordshire, and of the Stanley Spencer Gallery, Cookham. She is also an exhibition researcher at Tate, contributing to British Baroque: Power and Illusion (2020) and  'Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain, 1520-1920' to be held at Tate Britain, 16 May-30 October 2024. Amy has degrees in History and Literature & Arts from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. She runs an online art dealership, and has published articles and essays on a variety of art-related topics from gothic garden monuments to female patronage.

Image:  Portraits Sir-Anthony-van-Dyck-Lord-John-Stuart-and-His-Brother-Lord-Bernard-Stuart ​

Some of us owe a lot to Stuart for opening our eyes to a life outside our four walls, during Covid lockdown, as through Zoom he took us 'on holiday' through his entertaining lectures from his home in Rome with videos of his cycle rides and walks around the city. This time we get to meet the man himself.

The day is divided into three sessions with a sumptuous lunch after lecture two. Tea and coffee and soft drinks are provided. The day has a maximum of 50 guests so that we may socialise in the breaks and get to know fellow members and maybe even speak with the lecturer.

1. Heart of an Empire  

Overlooked by the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Roman Forum was the social, political, commercial, religious and legal heart of the city of Rome, and by default the entire Roman Empire. Professional Rome tourist guide Stuart Harvey will lead you on a voyage of discovery through the ruins of the Forum to discover the fascinating stories behind the triumphal arches, temples, basilicas and other surviving structures, explaining how and why certain parts survived and others did not.

This lecture will introduce you to gods, goddesses and demi-gods of the Roman religion; the legal and commercial procedures of the ancient city, and of course the governmental structure as we visit the Curia, or Senate House. We will also see the place of the cremation of Julius Caesar and discover how his death ultimately brought about the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of Empire. 

2. Roman Infrastructure 

What made Rome great was as much its infrastructure as its military commanders and legionnaires. Without aqueducts bringing fresh water the city could never have reached a million people. Without roads and bridges military security and trade on such a vast scale would not have been possible. And without walls, which still stand today, the city would have been defenceless. To that we must add the logistics of food distribution, waste management and drainage, making a fascinating lecture about how Ancient Rome worked as a city.

3. Bread & Circuses - Secrets of the Colosseum

The Colosseum is arguably the most famous ruin of Roman times, yet so much is misunderstood about its purpose and the games that took place there. Stuart  will reveal the true history of the Colosseum, or as it was originally named, the Flavian Amphitheatre, cutting away the urban myths and Hollywood fantasy to get at the reality of the games that entertained the Ancient Romans. We will discover the origins of gladiator fights, and how they changed to become such a popular entertainment for the masses, along with the spectacular animal hunts that were also staged in  the amphitheatre. We will learn how the Roman architects and engineers were able to build such a huge structure in just 8 years, and equally importantly the political reasons why it was built. 

Today only half the Colosseum remains and we will trace its decline after the fall of Rome to discover why half of it is missing, and finally bringing us to the surprising reason why it was finally preserved, and why the Pope himself uses it for a religious service once a year.

Stuart Harvey is a “History and Art Communicator” of 30 years experience. He is a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide (qualified in 1998 - awarded “New Guide of the Year”) and also a Guida Turistica Abilitata della Provincia di Roma (qualified in 2010). He has worked in educational tourism since 1992, leading study tours all over Europe. Living in Rome since 2003, Stuart has developed a great love for the Eternal City and its many treasures. In addition to his primary career as full-time Rome tourist guide, Stuart’s entertaining and lively lectures and virtual tours bring the rich artistic and historical wealth of Rome’s 28 centuries to life for people all over the world.  

To book for this exciting Study Day / Special Interest Day visit TicketSource on the Home page or click here.

Members of the Society will be charged £40 plus £3.36 booking fee. Guests will be charged £45 plus £3.78 booking fee. 

Session 1. Cracking Glass

An overview of Britain’s ‘Big Four’ postwar glass companies, comprising Whitefriars, King’s Lynn (Wedgwood), Caithness and Dartington. As well as company and designer histories, special slides examine, compare and contrast ‘Good, Better, Best’ examples from each company. The emergence of these factories is put into context and major influences behind them are discussed. The current glut of Whitefriars fakes are covered, including tips on how to spot them.

Session 2. Curves, Colour & Cool

The antiques market has changed dramatically and now pieces that were made during the 1970s can fetch many times more than a piece made in the 1770s. Why has the teak sideboard you threw out become so desirable? Who is this Eames guy? Drawing a blank with Timo Sarpaneva? Who’s buying what and what are they doing with it? This practical and inspirational lecture looks at furniture, ceramics, glass, lighting and metalware, identifies key designs and designers, and examines the revolutionary design movements they began.

Session 3 Interactive Antiques Roadshow Style Valuation 

Mark Hill, Studied History of Art & Architecture (BA Hons) and began his career as a porter and Junior Cataloguer at Bonhams, before moving to Sotheby's where he was a Specialist in the Collectors' Department. Became director of an internet company forming and running a ground-breaking deal with eBay Live Auctions. Was co-author of the internationally published Collectables Price Guide with Judith Miller from 2002-17. Founded his own publishing company in 2005 and has published over 12 books on specialist subjects in the decorative arts. A Miscellaneous expert on the Antiques Roadshow since 2007, has appeared on BBC2’s Antiques Roadtrip, and has co-presented three primetime TV series on antiques and collecting for BBC2. A Senior Vice President at a company offering digital solutions to the antiques industry. Has lectured across the world, including at the V&A in London, and contributed to many newspapers, magazines, radio and TV programmes. A Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars and a Freeman of the City of London.

This Study Day looks into the artists who have lived and worked in Venice, their styles, their techniques and how each added his own unique contribution to the artistic legend of the city. 

Lecture 1 The Origins of Venetian Art 

Looks at the dawn of the Venetian style from the gemlike paintings of Carpaccio to the serene altarpieces of the Bellini. From their studio emerged the enigmatic Giorgione, the most poetic of Venetian artists, and then Titian, whose powerful brushwork and vivid imagination had a profound influence on generations of artists after him. 

Lecture 2 The Golden Age 

Looks at the high years of Venetian art when Titian’s works were commissioned by every patron in Europe, from the Pope to the Holy Roman Emperor. How his style was then turned and reformed by Tintoretto into turbulent flights of fantasy, the paintings he made for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco flickering with an eerie light. And how the last glories of the republic glow in the ceiling paintings of Tiepolo and the crystal clear cityscapes of Canaletto. 

Lecture 3 Poets, Painters & Private Lives 

Looks at the years of decline when the faded beauty of the city was rediscovered by Turner who painted it lost in shimmering light, by James Whistler, Bonnington and John Singer Sargent, by Henry James who set stories of delicate melancholy in Venice, and by John Ruskin who measured every building of the city and published his report in the “Stones of Venice”, one of the most influential books of the 19th century.

Douglas Skeggs, read Fine Art at Magdalene College Cambridge and has been a lecturer on paintings since 1980. In that time he has given over 8000 lectures to universities, colleges and art societies. He was the director of  The New Academy of Art Studies for three years and is presently a regular lecturer at The Study Center, Christie's course 'The History of Art Studies' and other London courses. Among his more improbable venues for lectures are the bar on the QE2, MI5 headquarters, the Captain's Room at Lloyds, and an aircraft hanger in a German NATO base. Overseas he has lectured in Belgium, France, Germany and Spain, and has taken numerous tours around Europe.

He has written and presented various TV documentaries, notably the Omnibus programme on Whistler and the exhibition video on William Morris. Three one-man exhibitions of his paintings have been held in England and Switzerland. He has published five novels, which have been translated into 8 foreign languages, and his book on Monet, River of Light, has sold 30,000 copies in England, America and France.

Booking now open through TicketSource click here

Today we look at the rich art, architecture and history of Sicily - the largest island in the Mediterranean and, in the ancient world, the wealthiest.

First we see the Carthaginians, the first major invaders of Sicily and their distinctive, enigmatic culture, still visible on the small island of Motya. Afterwards came the Greeks, with beautiful cities such as Agrigento, and Syracuse and Segesta, filled with theatres and temples to the gods.

Then we see Roman Sicily, peaceful and prosperous with cities such as  Syracuse and Taormina, and the sumptious 'mosaic villa' of Piazza Armerina. After Rome, and the new Rome of Constantinople, comes the invasion of the Arabs with their revolution in society and agriculture, and then Norman Sicily - an extraordinary artistic flourishing, culminating in the mosaics of the magnificent Norman basilicas.

Dr Paul Roberts is Head of the Department of Antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology, University of Oxford.

Format of the Day

Start Lecture 1: 10:00 We go straight into the lecture, but if you wish to bring a coffee with you, you may do so.

Finish lecture 1: 11.10 after questions.

Comfort break: 11.15 during which time there will be water and soft drinks available and now at your request - coffee /tea!

Start lecture 2: 11.30 

Finish lecture 2 12.40 after questions

Lunch: 12.40 (Please advise us of any dietary requirements when you purchase your ticket.)

End of lunch: 13.30

Start Lecture 3: 13.30 - 14.45 

Thanks and Finish: 14.50 - 15.00 or earlier if there are fewer questions.

Booking now open through TicketSource CLICK HERE

Still Life paintings give an insight into the world and society in which the artist lived.

10.00 Lecture 1 El Greco of Toledo

11.10 Break

11.30 Lecture 2 Spanish Still Life: Looking at the Overlooked

12.40 Lunch

1.30  Lecture 3 The Great Velázquez at Court in Madrid

2.45 Finish

Jacqueline Cockburn

In addition to being managing director of her own arts company in Analucia, 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). 

This is an evening event and will begin at 7pm with a mid break of 15 minutes. There will be an opportunity to ask Georgina all your questions at the end.

Booking is by Ticketsource Click here Members £12 + £1.01 booking fee   Non Members £15 + £1.26 booking fee

Part 1: 

STORIES OF THE GODS 

An introduction to the beliefs and philosophy of Hinduism, the oldest religion in the world. Our understanding of Hinduism comes not only from the sacred ancient texts but also from the impressive sculptures and carvings of Hindu temples created over a period of more than 1,500 years.  The first part of the evening’s programme looks at the ancient myths through the portrayals of a myriad of gods and goddesses and explains why these beautiful sculptures are central to Hindu worship, reflection and celebration.

Part 2:  

RITUALS AND RICHES - THE SOUTH INDIAN TEMPLE

Southern India offers up a treasure trove of visual history through its ancient temples, built by a succession of mighty dynasties. From the Pallavas to the Cholas, these beautifully decorated temples, covered with vivid and compelling sculpture, once acted as the religious, political and administrative centres of thriving communities. We explore this fascinating temple tradition and discover how and why these magnificent edifices were built and their historic role in Indian life.

Booking here via TicketSource

Member Ticket Price £12.00 + £1.01 booking fee

Guest Ticket Price £15.00 + £1.26 booking fee

How did the British view themselves and their subjects in the era of imperialism? How did imperial subjects view the British? This Study Day considers these questions by exploring a range of images, buildings, objects and art forms from across the British Empire. Beginning with a broad view of the empire and imperial art in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, we will go on to focus more closely on imperial India. We will consider the arts and architecture of the vibrant capital city of Calcutta, the ‘second city’ of the British Empire throughout the nineteenth century. We will then take a detailed look at the life and art of one of India’s cultural giants, Rabindranath Tagore.

This ZOOM Study Day will comprise of TWO lectures:

Session 1 - 10:00 am

Imperial Calcutta: Arts and Architecture

11:00am - 11:20 (break of 20mins)

Session 2 - 11:20 am  

The Art of Rabindranath Tagore

Session 3 - 12.20pm Q&A session

Lecturer

Dr John Stevens is a Research Associate at SOAS, University of London, and amember 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, OUP New York and OUP India in 2018. He appears regularly in the Indian media, and was recently a guest on BBC Radio Four’s In Our Time, discussing the poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore.

Format of the Day

Lecture 1: 10.30-11.30 Peter will take questions after the end of this session.

Our first-morning lecture features both images and recorded music following the theme of music in art. Some of the greatest artists in history - Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Gainsborough - have invoked the world of music into the heart of many of their paintings resulting in a harmonious combination of two much-loved disciplines of the arts. However, the viewer of these scenes should always be a little on his guard, since references to music are invariably laced with powerful allusion and complex symbolism. With a musicologist's eye, Peter Medhurst views, discusses and analyses a range of magnificent paintings that stem from the Late Medieval to the Baroque eras.  Paintings include works by Geertgen Tot Sint Jans, Lorenzo Costa, Francesco Raibolini, Titian, Vermeer and Haussmann.

Break: 11.45 - 12:15

Lecture 2:  12:15 - 1:15 Peter will take questions at the end of this session.

This second lecture will feature a recital when Peter will play the magnificent 18th-century organ, a very splendid 1750 Snetzler instrument.  The live music will expand on the themes discussed in the first session.

Lecture 1: Maya Dynasties and City-States 

Lecture 2: Arts of the Maya, Past and Present

Maya civilisation reached its peak between AD 250-900. Across much of present-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, dozens of great cities flourished, many still buried in dense rainforest. Achievements in art and architecture were matched by advances in mathematics, astronomy, calendrics and hieroglyphic writing. Intricately carved stone panels, mural paintings and ceramic figures show religious rituals and courtly life. Although the Maya were conquered by Spanish forces in the sixteenth century, their descendants live in the same region and number over seven million. Contemporary Maya textiles are among the finest in the Americas.

Chloë Sayer is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and a Research Associate with the Department for World Cultures at the Royal Ontario Museum. As a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellow, she studied Maya culture in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. She has made ethnographic collections for the British Museum. and has curated numerous exhibitions. She has also worked for the BBC and Channel 4. Her many books include The Arts and Crafts of Mexico (1990); Fiesta (2009), Mexico: Clothing & Culture (2015). In 2016, she was awarded the prestigious Ohtli medal by the Mexican Government. 

Recommended Reading

Living Maya by Walter F. Morris and Jeffrey J. Foxx (Harry N. Abrams, 2000)

Lost Cities of the Maya by Claude Baudez and Sydney Picasso (Thames and Hudson, 1992)

The Art of Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec by Mary Ellen Miller (World of Art) Thames and Hudson, 2012) 

The Lost Chronicles of the Maya Kings by David Drew (Orion Publishing, 2006)

The Lost Cities of the Maya: The Life, Art and Discoveries of Frederick Catherwood by Fabio Bourbon (White Star Publishers, 2014)

The Maya (Ancient People’s and Places) by Michael D. Coe and Stephen Houston (Thames and Hudson, 2015)

Reading the Maya Glyphs by Michael D. Coe and Mark van Stone (Thames and Hudson, 2016)

The Medici were in many ways an unattractive family. Ruthless in pursuit of profit for their Florentine bank, which had branches in every city of the known world, they were greedy for success, merciless to those who opposed their ambition and vicious in their own internal squabbles. And yet without them, we wouldn’t have Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”, the Fra Angelico frescoes in San Marco, Donatello’s “David” or the majestic Michelangelo sculptures in the Medici chapel. The Platonic Academy wouldn’t have been founded and the doors for the Baptistry would never have been cast.

This Study Day, composed of three talks, looks into the turbulent history of this extraordinary family.

 1: Bankrolling the Renaissance

Under the guidance of Cosimo Medici, the family became the unofficial rulers of Florence and leading patrons of the arts. This inevitably aroused fierce jealousies, which boiled over in the attempted assassination of Cosimo’s grandson Lorenzo.

2: Popes and Patrons

 With Florence gripped by the apocalyptic preaching of Savonarola, the Medici were exiled from Florence. But they re-emerged triumphantly as Popes in Rome. Here their decadent and eccentric rule led to the Sack of Rome and ultimately opened the door to Luther’s Reformation of the Church.

3: From Riches to Royalty

Although the Medici were a spent force in Italy, an ingenious marriage had put Catherine de Medici on the throne of France, to be followed, shortly afterwards, by Marie de Medici. This last talk looks at the impact these two formidable queens had on the shape of French history. 

Cost: £35 to include three lectures, coffee and lunch         

First lecture: China and the East

Second lecture: Central Asia

Third lecture: The Levant and Near East

The Silk Road is the greatest trade route the world has ever known. As well as carrying precious goods, it was also the highway for expanding religions and new art forms.

The Silk Road extended over 8,000 km from China through Central Asia to the Mediterranean.  With the Greek invasion of Alexander the Great, early Persian routes spread East towards India, until stability finally allowed the Chinese to trade silk, jade and ceramics in exchange for horses, pearls and gold.  Silk was just one of the many products traded for 1,400 years, but the route also acted as a highway for beliefs, ideas, inventions and art.  Buddhism spread throughout Western China and there are wonderful paintings from the Magao caves at Dunhuang and the ‘Caves of the Thousand Buddhas at Bezeklik in the Flaming Mountains.  

Central Asia was the main link with the West where many trading cities became wealthy and important centres for the arts.  Samarkand and Bukhara are the beginnings of the great Islamic buildings that continue through Persia and Syria.  The Roman Empire was the destination of silk and all other commodities which eventually arrived at the Mediterranean coast.  

Along the way of this great journey we will see traditional murals, ceramics, statues,carpets, architecture, mosaics, tile-work, rock-carvings and of course, silk itself.

The Ancient Egyptians have left us a wealth of exquisite art, an intriguing array of mysterious iconography.  But what do all these signs and symbols mean?  And what can they tell us about Pharaoh, gods, goddesses and the Afterlife?  In this study day, we shall explore temple reliefs, painted tomb scenes, papyrus rolls, protective amulets and much more, to develop our understanding of the Ancient Egyptians, their ideology of kingship and their complex religion.

 Lecture 1: Gods and Goddesses:  Ancient Egyptian religion

This lecture will cover representations of ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses; the architecture of ancient Egyptian temples; temple ritual; amulets and motifs on objects associated with magic and private religion.
 

Lecture 2: The Pharaoh: Ancient Egyptian kingship

We will look at the representations of ancient Egyptian pharaohs; the idea of the pharaoh as a god, and the mythology of ancient Egyptian kingship.
 

Lecture 3:  ‘The Otherworld’: Ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs

In this lecture, Lucia will cover ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs, including their belief that death was a rebirth into an Afterlife, as expressed in the art on the walls of their tombs and in scenes accompanying spells in the Book of the Dead on papyrus.

The Anatomy of Collecting – The History of Collecting and Great Collectors through History                               
Lecturer: Marc Allum is a freelance art and antique journalist, writer and broadcaster based in Wiltshire. He is shortly to begin his 20th year as a specialist on the BBC Antiques Roadshow and has appeared on numerous television and radio programmes. Marc regularly writes for mainstream magazines and is an author, antiques consultant and lecturer. He also runs a fine art valuation and consultancy service. Marc has his own unique style with interests ranging from pre-history to modern design and is a self-confessed collectaholic. He has a passion and reputation for divining the unusual through ‘a desire to connect with history through the interpretation and pursuit of objects and their origins’. Marc has lectured widely for many years to a number of different organisations in both the public and charity sectors, including travel companies, The National Trust, the WI and many literary festivals including Cheltenham, Bath, Wells and Petworth.

We live in an increasingly visual environment but how well and how accurately do we interpret our visual world?

The day is made up of three interrelated sessions, the first examines the concept of visual literacy and attempts to demonstrate, through interaction with the audience, how we can all become more visually literate. When we view an image we make two assumptions; first, that what we see is what others see and second that what we see, is the way it is! Both of these assumptions can easily be shown to be wrong.

The second session examines visual illusions. What they are and how and why they mislead us. We shall examine a number of illusions and consider whether some should be thought of as works of art in their own right. Some images will amuse, some will confound and yet others will challenge your self belief.

The third lecture is devoted to an exploration of colour. The session is built on the premise that our appreciation of colour and how we see it, is at the very core of our common interest in art and the arts.

But what is colour? Do we all experience colour similarly? What is a colour scheme and why do some colours go well together and others not?

What is colour blindness? What’s it like to be colour blind?

About the lecturer

Formerly a lecturer at the University of Bath and Director of Studies in the School of Education, John has also worked extensively overseas as an educational consultant. This has given him the opportunity to give lectures and presentations to conferences all over the world. . In his professional life he has developed a particular interest in presentation skills including the role of pictures in learning and the appropriate use of PowerPoint As well as the talks he has developed from his professional background, he offers presentations on an eclectic range of topics from antique corkscrews to Norman Rockwell; these derive from his diverse interests and enthusiasms.

Start time: Coffee at 10:00am for 10:30am start

Art Nouveau was the first attempt to create an international modern style. It had its fullest flowering on the European Continent during the 1890s. At this time progressive architects and designers renounced the tired formulae of historicism in favour of a ‘New Art’.

The first lecture begins with examples of Art Nouveau set alongside pieces from the following Art Deco period, so that a clear distinction can be made between the two styles.   We will then look at how the English designers such as William Morris, Charles Voysey and Aubrey Beardsley were the first to break with the past.   Influenced by nature, and the clarity and simplicity of Japanese artefacts, their work pointed a new way forward and the influential store Liberty’s of London played a crucial role in importing and commissioning new designs.

The second lecture shows how the various countries in continental Europe responded to the New Art, firstly looking at Belgium and France.  Hector Guimard’s organic, plant-like forms for the Paris Metro as well as Rene Lalique’s naturalistic jewellery demonstrate the mainstream of Art Nouveau.   We look at Gaudi’s fantastical designs in Barcelona, and then move to Scandinavia, taking a close look at the prevailing National Romanticism of Finland.  

After lunch we will examine quite a different manifestation of Art Nouveau. This comes in the rectilinear forms of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Scotland and his Austrian contemporaries, Olbrich and Hoffman in Vienna.  The early work of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright is brought into context and the afternoon closes with the exquisite glass designs of Louis Comfort Tiffany.

About the lecturer

Anthea studied the Fine and Decorative Arts in London and continued her studies at Harvard University. It was while at Harvard, where there was great enthusiasm for American design, that she became interested herself in 20th century architecture. Since returning from America she has taught on courses in Oxford and London, lectured on the Country House course in Sussex, and for several private groups around the country. Her special interest is in the architecture and design of 20th century.

Start time: Coffee at 10:00am for 10:30am start 

How art and design made a vital contribution to the campaigns of 1914-1918.                           

This Study Day features the story of the commercial artist Alfred Leete (1882-1933) who devised what has become one of Britain's most popular propaganda posters. It also gives insights into the brilliant comic work of his contemporaries such as: Bruce Bairnsfather, John Hassall and Bert Thomas.

It also features the emotive, powerful and striking work of the official war artists that include: Bone, John, Lavery, Nash, Nevinson, Orpen, Pears, Sargent, Spencer and Wilkinson, alongside the notable artistic contribution of the lesser-known women artists active on the Home Front.

Throughout WWI artist-drawn postcards entertained, inspired, instructed, motivated, persuaded and lifted up the spirits. Discover the popular themes and styles by the masters of the medium such as Mabel Lucie Attwell, Donald McGill and Fred Spurgin and why the popularity of these cards waned with the public postwar.

James Taylor studied at the Universities of St Andrews and Manchester and is a former curator of paintings, drawings and prints, and co-ordinator of various exhibitions and galleries, at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, also lecturer and ships' historian on board cruise ships. Publications include illustrated histories of Marine Painting (1995) and yachting art Yachts on Canvas (1998), The Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin’s extraordinary adventure aboard FitzRoy’s famous survey ship (2008), Careless Talk Costs Lives: Fougasse and the Art of Public Information (2010) and Your Country Needs You: the Secret History of the Propaganda Poster (2013). Completed his PhD at the University of Sussex in 2015 on the voyager artist William Westall (1781-1850) who sailed with Commander Matthew Flinders aboard HMS 'Investigator' (1801-1803) the first ship to circumnavigate Australia. 

The language of symbols is a fascinating study, and one that is essential for a full understanding of art, whether medieval or modern.  During this Study Day we shall look at works of art from the 14th to the 20th centuries to examine the way in which artists have used signs and symbols to give deeper layers of meaning to their work.

Morning

1.             Interpretation of symbols in Christian art and in Greek myths which can be read as Christian allegories (e.g. the flaying of Marsyas). 

2.           The use of signs and symbols in 17th century Dutch painting, Hogarth’s Moralities and Victorian art (including the Pre-Raphaelites).

Afternoon

1.             Questions and discussion.

2.      Modern artists’ use of both traditional and personal symbols to produce some of the most powerful works of 20th century art.

Bibliography

Hall’s Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art (John Murray)

Lecture 1: We start today in the Paris of 1850 – the lively city of cabaret’s, can-can girls and artistic bohemia. We follow the course of art from academic pictures, through the Impressionists, the Post-Impressionists and beyond, looking at how the thread of art leads ever forward towards the present.

Lecture 2: We look at the huge number of artists in Paris at this time and at the lively life they lived there. We consider the five major art groups comprising the Ecole de Paris, the Ecole Francais, Purism, Dadaism and Surrealism. We leave Paris for this session with WW2 approaching and many of our artists departing for New York.

 Lecture 3: This session looks briefly at the history of modern art in New York before rejoining our French artists in the city. We see how Peggy Guggenheim looked after her old French pals and introduced them to her New York set. The French artists influenced the New York based artists such as de Kooning, Rothko and Pollock. From Abstract Expressionism we move on to Pop Art before finishing the day with Warhol's famous cans - and some lively debate. Hence, 'Can-Can to Soup Can

Linda Collins was employed by the Historic Royal Palaces for more than twenty years before becoming an independent lecturer and lecture organiser. She holds a BA (hons) in Early Italian art, an MA in the works of Georges de la Tour, and a Diploma in French language and Culture.

She spends much of her time lecturing to adult education groups, Fine Art societies, Antique groups, The National Trust, U3A, and various universities and is in the process of putting a book together on the history of Modern Art in Paris.

She works as a freelance lecturer at the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Modern.

In order to fully appreciate and understand any piece, it is essential to look at it in the context of social customs and ways of life of the period in which it was made. Only then can the reasons for such things as silver chamber pots, elaborate dressing-table sets and lids on cups, be properly understood.

For example, why were such extraordinary objects as Clock Salts produced in the Tudor period, and, what did it mean to be above or below the Salt?  How was mustard served in England before 1760 and why would you have been happy to drink from a “poison cup” in the 16th century?

This Study Day will use images of contemporary paintings and objects to illustrate and bring to life the evolution of Social Custom and its influence on silver from 1066 through to the early 19th century.

Please bring along pieces of silver or plate which can be identified and discussed by Ian.

Reading List

Food and Feast in Medieval England       P. W. Hammond                 1995, ISBN 0-7509-0992-7

Food and Feast in Tudor England               Alison Sim                              1997, ISBN 0-7509-1476-9

Eat, Drink and be Merry                                                      Ivan Day                               2000, ISBN 0-85667-519-9

From Icons to Socialist Realism Course Content 1. Origins of Art in Russia: From the Icon to the Wanderers 2. Russia and the West: Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes 3. Introduction to the Russian Avant-Garde

This Study day is aimed at anyone with an interest in Russian and Soviet art. This course offers an introduction to an intriguing period of artistic and political evolution in Russia. We aim to present the major movements and artists of 20th century Russian art and to place the various “isms” of the avant - garde within a wider cultural context. Major artists to be considered include Repin, Kandinsky, Malevich, Tatlin, Lissitzky, Goncharova, Chagall and Popova. Key topics to be discussed include imperial patronage of Russian art under the Tsar and the evolution of various avant-gardes in Russia. We will also investigate the work of Diaghilev and his internationally renowned ballet company the Ballets Russes through costume and stage design. Art movements to be considered include the World of Art, the Wanderers, Knave of Diamonds and the Suprematism. We will then consider the rise of geometric non-objective painting, the creation of a new Soviet culture after the 1917 Russian Revolution and how Socialist Realist painting came about in the USSR after 1932. Major works in the State Russian Museum collections will be examined including paintings in the Hermitage and the Tretyakov Gallery in St Petersburg and Moscow. We will study artistic creativity during a time of revolutionary change and look at cultural connections between Russia and Europe. The aim of the course is to introduce you to a variety of artists working at a dynamic time in Russian history.

Built on the site of the old Millbank Penitentiary, the Tate has a fascinating history – a story of floods, bombs, scandal and achievement. At Tate Britain, after extensive renovation and change, works of art are now displayed chronologically in splendid new spaces, enabling the visitor to walk through 500 years of British art. Building work at Tate Modern, adding an additional nine floors of gallery space, will continue until 2016. Meantime, modern masterpieces continue to be displayed in the existing galleries.

Session One: Materials and Techniques. Session Two: Regency porcelains to the Great Exhibition. Session Three: Art Pottery - Doulton to Moorcroft. A chance to handle and discuss any items brought in.

There is a suggested reading list from Christopher Bradley on the Documents page.

The Queen of Sheba is one of the most intriguing and exotic figures in history, who travelled with gold and incense to meet King Solomon in Jerusalem. Their coming together is one of the world's oldest love stories, as told by poets and artists in Ethiopian and Arabian folklore, and detailed in the wonderful Arezzo frescoes by Piero della Francesca. Her story encapsulates the history of ancient South Arabia and the Ark of the Covenant itself. Freed from historical constraints, the imaginations of classical artists and composers have run wild with fabulous palaces and surreal landscapes.

Suggested reading list

• Queen of Sheba: Treasures from Ancient Yemen  (British Museum 2002)
• ‘Sheba’   by Nicholas Clapp  (Mariner 2001)
• ‘The Queen of Sheba’   by Harry St John Philby  (Quartet 1981)
• ‘Qataban  and Sheba’  by Wendell Phillips (Gollancz  1955) also published in paperback as ‘Sheba’s Buried City’ (Pan 1958)
• Discovery Guide to Yemen by Christopher Bradley  (Immel 1995)
• National Geographic Magazine: October 1985 – ‘Arabia’s Frankincense Trail’