One of the world's most influential painters, and considered to be the father of modern art, Paul Cezanne produced a vast body of work.  We'll look at his life, his mind-bending still life paintings, his depictions of his beloved Provence, and his portraits.  Possibly the best vote of confidence in his genius is the number of famous artists who bought paintings by Cezanne and treated him as a role model.

Image:  Ian Swankie

A Londoner with a contagious enthusiasm for art and architecture, Ian 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 a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars, one of the City livery companies. 

This is the personal story of Mary Wilkins Ellis - one of the world's greatest ever ferry pilots of the Second World War.  This lively lecture reveals the extraordinary tale of a farmer's daughter who flew 400 Spitfires and 76 different types of aircraft including heavy bombers during the 1939-1945 conflict.  Details of Melody's experience working with Mary to write her biography are also revealed.

Image:  Melody Foreman

Melody Foreman is an author, journalist, cultural historian and biographer.  She is a graduate of the University of Kent and the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands.  She has worked as a researcher on ITV documentaries, and was the editor of an award winning newspaper.  She is the author of four non-fiction titles published Pen & Sword.  These include the best selling - A Spitfire Girl, The Wreck Hunter, From the Battlefield to the Big Screen and Dad's Army goes to War.  Melody has interviewed many actors and artists and has entertained audiences at a variety of leading venues across Britain including Benenden School, Bentley Priory Museum, historic houses and beautiful churches.  She has also worked as an expert bookseller.  Meldoy is a member of The Arts Society Egerton, Kent.  

The great Venetian artist Canaletto spent ten years living in London producing wonderful landscapes of the city and its surrounds.  In this lecture, we explore his time in the capital and look at how his style changed during his long visit.  We look at some of the work he produced and explore how the views he captured have changed over the centuries.

Image:  Nick Salmond

A Lecturer in History and the Arts, Nick qualified as a London Blue Badge Guide in 2019, winning the award as Guide of the Year.  In 2021 he gave the annual Katrine Prince Lecture to members of the Institute of Tourist Guiding.  Before guiding he joined the BBC where he worked for over 30 years in both television and radio.  He helped cover some of the great events of History, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the terrible events of 9/11, from the fall of the Thatcher Government to the celebrations of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Learn how one company came to control the world's flow of diamonds into the marketplace for over a century.  The De Beers Diamond Cartel convinced diamond miners and traders to only buy or sell via their single market channel, forming a bond so tight it was impossible to move diamonds without them. At one time, De Beers held 40,000 carats of rough diamonds in a 3 story basement vault in London - a 20 year supply of gemstones.  De Beers took the jewellery market by storm with the slogan "A Diamond is Forever" voted the advertising slogan of the century.  Learn how De Beers really did "Romance the Stone."

Image:  Laurie Wickwire

With over 35 years in the diamond industry, diamond expert Laurie Wickwire represents the industry across all sectors: mining, sorting, grading and brokering some of the world's key rough stones.  Whether presenting diamond shows on national channels the BBC, ITV and QVC, hosting diamond master classes, filming jubilee specials, or creating the historical jewellery range for both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle gift shops, Laurie’s love of the diamond industry is apparent.  A graduate of GIA London, IGI Antwerp, and DeBeers Institute of Diamonds, Laurie is both a certified diamond grader and certified pearl grader. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business & Finance, and a Bachelor of Arts in French.   

Awards, Qualifications & Memberships: 

GIA Certified Diamond Grader, IGI Certified Pearl Grader, On Air Luxury Gems Specialist for International Television Shopping Channel QVC, Luxury Cruise Industry Enrichment Speaker, Created the Historical Jewellery Range for Buckingham Palace & Windsor Castle, Crafted Jewellery Item for Duchess of Cambridge (Worn on cover of Hello Magazine) Commissioned in 2006 by Prince Charles to create the 30th Anniversary Item for the Prince's Trust.

Doors to Manual takes a passengers perspective to the history of flying as we progress from those early planes to airships (where you would dress for dinner) to flying boats (which could reach Australia in 10 days) to the postwar aircraft and to today's extensive range of economy flights. The cabin crew are central to the story. The earliest ones were qualified nurses to provide reassurance to the passengers. Over time their role has evolved and today their primary responsibility is passenger safety. How their uniforms have changed over time is a really interesting topic. Many of them have been created by some of the greatest designers; including Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Vivienne Westwood and Yves St Laurent. There was also a period in the 'swinging sixties' when some airlines had outrageous crew uniforms. When you see the photographs you will be amazed. Other topics covered include how food and drink have been adapted to meet our changed tastes at 30,000 feet, the in-flight entertainment advances enabled by modern electronics and the latest approaches to comfort in the various classes of travel. If you have ever flown there will be plenty of interest in this lecture. It is richly illustrated and covers a subject that I suspect everyone in an Arts Society has experienced. 

Image: Roger Mendham

A keen and accomplished photographer Roger has gained Distinctions from the Royal Photographic Society and has recently completed 3 years as President of the Surrey Photographic Association.  His artistic taste is predominantly 20th century and he is particularly interested in the visual aspects of art.  He has studied the evolution of photography from its earliest days in the early 1800s to becoming a major art form in the late 20th and now 21st centuries.  An experienced public speaker, his talks are all richly illustrated with both his own and images from some of the leading photograhers in history.

Although Gauguin - particularly in later life - made no secret of his contempt for the Catholic Church, a fascination with religion and spirituality in its diverse cultural manifestation absolutely fundamental to an understanding of his art - and that of his followers, the Nabis as well.  In Brittany, he was attracted by the "primitive" nature of the Christianity practiced there; while later, with no apparent sense of contradiction, he was able to transpose Christian themes to the South Seas and merge them with local myths. Nor was he averse to plundering other cultures and artistic traditions for inspiration: motifs from the Javanese Buddhist temple of Borobudur, for example, also feed into his art. This lecture will also examine the - necessarily contentious - way in which Gauguin identified himself with the suffering Christ.

Image: Monica Bohm-Duchen

London-based freelance lecturer, writer and exhibition organiser.  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.  Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck College since 2005, and has led many tours.  Publications include Understanding Modern Art (1991), Chagall (1998/2001), The Private Life of a Masterpiece (2001), The Art and Life of Josef Hermam (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 contributing editor of the companion volume, Insiders/Outsiders: Refugees from Nazi Europe and their Contribtion to British Visual Culture (2019).

Beethoven's deafness is well known. From an unparalleled quantity of documented material this lecture will describe in his own words the impact of his deafness on his mental and physical health and on his phenomenal outputs. The talk is also richly illustrated with extracts of recordings of his works. Less well known, is the decline in his physical health and failure of  many of his organs - the causes which will be discussed. Clearly dying, and in the most appalling physical distress, he was able to produce works such as the 9th Symphony, ironically based on the Schiller's 'Ode to Joy' - a contradiction that defies credulity. In a final twist the lecure will show that laboratory analysis in the past 5 years of Beethoven's Christmas cards have helped unravel the cause of his health problems!

Image:  Alan Silman

Currently Alan Silman is a Professor of Medicine at Oxford University and Senior Research Fellow at Green Templeton College Oxford. Prior to this for 8 years he was Medical Director of the charity Arthritis Research UK (ARUK - now called Versus Arthritis). He is an epidemiologist with a particular interest in diseases of bones, muscles and joints. He has authored over 700 research publications and a number of textbooks. He is amongst the top 100 published scientists across all disciplines in UK universities.

19th century Orientalism began in 1798 when Napoleon invaded Egypt. His primary aim was to establish a power base in the eastern Mediterranean, but he also wanted to acquire knowledge of Egypt's geography history and culture, and to this end his expedition included a secondary army including artists, surveyors, cartographers, botanists, and antiquarians, whose collective mission was to build up a complete understanding of the country past and present. The results of this research provoked a wave of 'Egyptomania' across Europe, while more immediately Napoleon's expedition intensified pre-existing rivalries between Britain and France in the acquisition of imperial power and knowledge.

Image: Cathy McLauchlan:

A lecturer specialising in 19th-Century art history.  Currently a course director at the Victoria & Albert Museum organising courses and study days on the history of art and design.  A graduagte of Oxford University and the Courtauld Institute, with a PhD on French 19th-Century painters in Rome.

The High Renaissance saw the seamless integration of art and architecture, the pinnacle of a tradition extending back thousands of years. So how was it that by the mid-20th century, mainstream Modernist architects saw painting and sculpture as anathema to their designs? This lecture tells the fascinating story of how painting and architecture went their separate ways, exploring the complex reasons behind their dramatic divorce, including: The "special status" of painting as the heralded product of artistic genius A change in the form and function of the picture frame The emergence of the commercial art market The rise of the public "Art Exhibition" Embracng the likes of Michelangelo, Watteau, Whistler and Matisse, this broad-ranging survey culminates with the Bauhaus and its legacy in the USA - and ends by asking whether the partnership between art and architecture might be revived in the 21st Century.

Image: Euclid 'School of Athens'

Richard Whincop is a professional artist who graduated in English and Art History from York University in 1986. From 1988-1994 he lectured at the adult education departments of Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, and then went on to become a full-time figurative artist, executing large-scale public commissions, and exhibiting widely throughout the UK. He now lives and works in Chichester, West Sussex.

In this amusing lecture, Tyler will talk about the seemingly happy world of professional, family pantomime - and what it's really like.  He will recount the bouquets and the brickbats.  He will look at the famous names, the greatest Dames and the old routines that we all remember - and look at when it all works - and when it doesn't.  And Tyler will talk about why this most precious of Brtitish traditions will always endure, and why, surprisingly, every actor wants to do it.  This is a revealing look at professional panto, from someone who was born into it.

Image:  Tyler Butterworth

Tyler Butterworth grew up in a theatrical family and spent twenty five years as an actor working extensively in film, television, theatre and radio.  He then worked as a development producer in television on documentaries.  Now, he produces walking audio guides to cities across Europe for private clients.  He lives in Sussex where he walks on the South Downs and the South Coast.

Whether drawing duchesses or portraying princes, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was high Society's leading portraitist. Flaunting a consummate technique, his luxurious canvases mirrored his subjects' wealth. Yet beneath the dazzling veneer of works such as Madame X, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit and Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, lurks a much rawer world by far. Sargent certrainly scandalised Parisian society and the city's Salon with his frank depictions of human sexuality, yet he was even more modern than they might have feared. This talk charts the artist's life and his prolific output, showing that like the era he came to represent, Sargent was always on the cusp of seismic change.

Image Gavin Plumley

A writer and broadcaster. Appears on BBC Radio 3 and 4, and contributes to newspapers, magazines and opera and concert programmes worldwide. Lectures widely about the culture of Central Europe. Recent appearances include Klimt and The Kiss in cinemas worldwide, and talks for the Hay and Cheltenham Literature Festivals, the Ryal Opera House, the National Gallery, the National Trust, the National Theatre, the Brtish Museum and the V&A. His first book, A Home for all Seasons, is out now.

A history of the great Meissen porcelain factory and its productions up to 1756. This lecture will look at Augustus the Strong as patron and collector, the work of Johann Friedrich Bottger, the early production of red stoneware, the technical problems faced at the beginning, the first successful white porcelain pieces produced and the inspiration behind their forms. It will go on to discuss the developent of enamel colours, the influence of China and Japan on early decoration, the popularity of harbour scenes, the commissioning of the great animal and bird figures and the work of the great modeler Johann Joachim Kandier. It will also examine the grand dinner services, the growing fashion for small-scale porcelain figures as table decoration, the change in taste from exotic 'Indianischeblumen' to naturalistic 'Deutscheblumen' and the impact of the Seven Years War.

Image: Jane Gardiner

MA History of Art, University of London. Trained at the V&A and continues to lecture there.  Was Senior Lecturer at Sotheby's institute of Art for 17 years, becoming a Deputy Director of Sotheby's, UK. Has also lectured for the National Trust, the Art Fund, London University, Buckingham University, l'Institut d'Etudes Superielures des Arts in Paris, and a private women's college in Saudi Arabia, on cruise ships and at antique fairs and interior design conferences in America. 

Invented at the end of the 1830s, photography triggered a visual revolution. At the time, some feared that photography would replace painting altogether. It certainly did not but painting was not left untouched either. In this lecture we will consider how photography participated in changing the face of painting in the second half of the 19th century. It introduced a new relationship between reality and its representation that influenced painters such as the Realists and the Impressionists. It also encouraged painters to explore new directions. Freed from having to record the external world, painters could focus on more intangible things (such as emotions) or on formal aspects (such as colour for its own sake).

Image: Caroline Levisse

Dr Caroline Levisse is an art historian based in London. She was born in France where she studied art history before moving to Copenhagen. In Denmark she focused on research work and completed a PhD on the relations between art and religion in contemporary Scandinavian art. After graduating in 2013 she moved to London and started teaching art history with adult education providers. She has since developed a range of courses focusing on 19th and early 20th century Western art. She has published articles in French and English in academic journals as well as magazines and newspapers.

The art of beating gold leaf and gilding dates back to ancient Egypt. Traditionally craftsmen pounded gold for hours to create sheets thin enough to cover the most finely detailed surfaces. For over 22 centuries from Tutankhamun's sarcophagus to Rachel Whitehead's gilded frieze for the Whitechapel Gallery, skilled artisans have exploited paper-thin metal leaf to enrich materials such as wood, metal, marble, leather, paper, glass, procelain and textiles - even food and drink. Artists and craftsmen have illuminated manuscripts and icons, decorated noble houses from top to bottom, adorned domes inside and out, embellished erotic canvases, and gilded chocolate and schnapps. Gold leaf continues to be used as the ultimate faux decoration and dazzling onamentation.

Image: Joanna Mabbutt

Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers and Freeman of the City of London.  Originally a trained singer, pianist and orchestra administrator, Jo is now a decorative artist who gilds antique lace and crochet. She works to commission, sells through galleries and exhibitions and collaborates with other designers. Jo trained in wood graining, marbling, gilding,specialist paint finishes and interior design and was awarded the City of Guilds Silver Medal for Excellence in 2000. She taught in further education for 8 years on Art & Design National Diploma and Foundation courses then up-skilled at Cental St Martin's College of Art & Design developing her own practice. She now divides her time as a designer/maker, lecturer and tutor running workshops for specialist groups. 

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in America, explore 25 iconic works including Grant Wood's 'American Gothic,' Dorothea Lange's 'Migrant Mother,' Hopper's 'Nighthawks,' of American art. Trace the history of America through paintings, sculptures, land art, and photography that exemplify vital moments in American history like the Gold Rush, the Civil War, Civil Rights movement, and so forth; key styles/movements like the Hudson River School, Regionalism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art; and showcase ground-breaking artists from the indigenous Native American peoples through to virtuoso portrait painter John Singleton Coley, Thomas Eakins, Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Warhol, Kara Walker and many more.

Image:  Marie-Anne Mancio

Trained as an artist before gaining a Dphil in Art and Critical Theory from the University of Sussex. Has lectured in art history for the City Lit, Tate Modern, the Course, Art in London, V&A, Dulwich Picture Gallery, HENI films; also runs art history study tours abroad for ACE and is a Director of InFems art collective for whom she curates exhibitions and writes.

This lecture compares and contrasts the lives and work of two great artists, Hokusai and Turner.  They were contemporaries and there are many parallels to be drawn between their respective lives.  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 dffering roles art played in the societies where they emerged.  The lecture will investigate the artists' world of Edo and London, examining their prodigious artistic output and reassessing their importance to the art of today.

Image: Carol Wilhide Justin

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.  In 2022 she was commissisoned by the Crowood Press to write a book on Japanese Woodcut.  It is titled "Japanese Woodcut - Traditional Techniques and Contemporary Practice" and was published in January 2024.

Antony Gormley's career spans nearly 40 years, during which time he has made sculpture that explores the relationship of the human body to space, often using his own body as his starting point.  His work has been shown throughout the world, in galleries including the Tate in London and the Hermitage in St Petersburg, but is also often on open display, as public art, such as Another Place at Crosby Beach, near Liverpool.  As well as works that he is well known for, like the iconic Angel of the North, this lecture will look at some of his earlier and less well-known works, to give an overall view of the development of his work across his whole career, up to the present time.

Image:  Rosalind Whyte

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.  Leads art appreciation holidays.

For over a century W. Heath Robinson, whom the novelist Philip Pullman called 'the immortal contraptioneer,' has been famous for drawing rickety, bizarrely complicated devices that carry out the simplest of tasks like potato peeling, wart removal or pancake making. He became so famous for them that in 1933 he was the obvious person to illustrate Norman Hunter's Professor Branestawn books and, in 1943, Bletchley Park named one of their code-breaking machines after him. Much later still, some of the contraptions in Wallace and Gromit's The Wrong Trousers are based on a scale model of a gadget filled house that he made for the Ideal Home Show in 1934. But there was more to him than this: he was also a fine painter, an outstanding literary illustrator and a brilliant satirist, who poked gentle fun at modern life in cartoons that are still laugh out loud funny.

Image: 'The Folding Garden' 1933

Barry Venning is an art historian whose interests and teaching range from the art of late medieval Europe to global contemporary art. He has published books, articles and exhibition catalogue essays on Turner, Constable and European landscape painting, but also has an ongoing research interest in postcolonial art and British visual satire. He works as a consultant and associate lecturer for the Open University. His media work includes two BBC TV documentaries, radio appearances for BBC local radio and abc Australia, and a DVD on Turner for the Tate.

In 1866 William Burger, a pseudonym for Etienne-Joseph-Theophile Thore (1807-69) published in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts his article called "Sphinx of Delft" about the mysterious painter called Vermeer, and so began the modern-day revival of Vermeer. However this lecture will begin by tracing Vermeer's origins, his early training and influences, and how he came to the genre of painting domestic interiors. The lecture will look at his earliest known paintings and how he gradually migrated to the genre of domestic set-piece paintings we know him for today. This lecture will also set Vermeer in the context of contemporaneous Dutch artists and contemporaneous Delft artists; tracing the early beginnings of the town of Delft, its rise in prosperity and the low points of the town also. We will see how Vermeer went from being referred to as 'the excellent and famous Vermeer' in 1669 to being declared bankrupt towards the end of his life in 1675. How did it all go so wrong, were the signs there at the beginning or was there some great disaster in his life that prompted his financial demise? Finally, this lecture will look at the late 19th century and 20th century revival of Vermeer that became the cult of Vermeer, and why this cult of Vermeer endures to this day.

Image: Leslie Primo

Art historian Leslie Primo is an author and broadcaster, graduating from Birkbeck, University College London with an MA in Renaissance studies. He specialises in early Medieval Art and Architecture, Italian Renaissance art, German art in the age of Reformation, Medici & Patronage and mythology in the work of Peter Paul Rubens. Leslie lectured at the National Gallery, London for 18 years, and has appeared on the BBC speaking in Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty, and on the life of Michelangelo and also presented Turner: Light and Landscape. He was a contributor to the Oxford Companion Guide to Black British History, an art history consultant for the Getty publication, Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art and  was published by the Royal Academy Magazine for the Entangled Pasts exhibition 2023-2024.  Leslie's book, 'The Foreign Invention of British Art' is published by Thames & Hudson in 2025.

Appreciate the astonishing range of signature buildings of faith communities settling in London.  New arrivals leave their imprint on a city - nowhere more so than in London where Jews, Muslims, Roman Catholics, Hindus, Methodists, Sikhs, Buddhists and Orthodox Greeks have each added their own layer.  Not least, they have all left a remarkable signature. Here are eight faith communities which can each point to a special place they built, not on first arrival, but when numbers and self-confidence had grown in the knowledge they had established themselves for the long term.  Crucially, it was when they had the wealth and resources to commission great architecture.  So we have a synagogue, a chapel, a gurdwara, a monastery, a couple of cathedrals, a temple and a mosque, permanent markers of the highest quality.  Their differences stretch across cultures and 300 hundred years of persecutions and economic crises.  But their similarities are also striking.

Image: Charlie Forman

As a London walking tour guide and lecturer, I highlight the social, architectural and artistic history of my home city.  It is a city I am passionate about, not least because it has a historic core larger and richer than any other world city.  A member of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association, my talks focus on the forces that have shaped and changed this multi-faceted metropolis and the artistic and cultural heritage that this has given us.  After many hundreds of walks and a four-decade long career in housing and regeneration I have absorbed a deep understanding and appreciation of the capital.  I've had some fascinating vantage points like the seven years build-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games where I played a role in channelling potential long-term benefits into surrounding East London communities.  My publications include Spitalfields: A battle for land.

We have all heard about audacious art heists that are more like blockbuster movies than run-of-the-mill burglaries.  In this lecture, we are going to look at famous art thefts, discuss what motivates art thieves as well as examine what aspects the thefts have in common.  We will also look at where the burglars made mistakes, which enabled investigators to swoop in and recover stolen masterpieces.  In many cases, the police sting operations were just as daring as the thefts.

Image: Shauna Isaac

Shauna Isaac has been active in World War II art restitution for several years and has worked with families and government organisations to recover Nazi looted art.  She set up the Central Registry on Looted Cultural Property and served as a member of the Working Group for the Holocaust Era Assets Conference in Prague.  Shauna studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art in the UK and Smith College in the USA.  She is a regular lecturer at the Sotheby's Institue of Art.  Her publications include articles for the Art Newspaper, The Times Literary Supplement and Art Quarterly.  She is a contributor to the book Insiders/Outsiders: Refugees from Nazi Europe and their contribution to British Visual Culture.

During the Renaissance, Venice held an important political and artistic position in the Eastern Mediterranean. Through the production of fine glass for the royal courts and aristocracy of Europe, Venice exerted its wide-reaching control and influence.  As seen in this well-illustrated lecture, Venetian glass of the Renaissance incorporates forms, styles and techniques which were inspired by the Romans and which surprisingly anticipate modern design. Its decline in later years is widely charted. Drawing on examples from museums around the world, the history of Venetian glass from its grand beginnings on the island of Murano in the 12th century, through the extraordinary creation of Cristallo in the 15th century to the later developments of Dr Antonio Salviati of the Anglo-Murano Glass Company in the late 19th century, this lecture provides a clear view of a material which is held in high regard around the world. Colourful, elaborate and often breathtakingly beautiful, Venetian glass has been an inspiration for glassmakers around the globe. Nonetheless, until the late 16th century the generations of glassmaking families living on the island of Murano were kept virtually imprisoned in order to protect the secrets of their skills. Fortunately today their work has become a legacy and through this lecture their secrets exposed.

Image: Simon Cottle

Leading international specialist, author, auctioneer and lecturer in British and European Glass, now retired. Formerly Managing Director (Bonhams Europe) and Director of European Ceramics and Glass at Bonhams Auctioneers, London (2007-2023). Formerly Head of European Ceramics and Glass at Sotheby's, where he was also a Director and auctioneer (1990 to 2007). He is responsible for numerous landmark auctions of European Glass both at Sotheby's and Bonhams. After studying History at University Cardiff and the University of Washington and holding a postgraduate diiploma in Museum and Art Gallery Studies from Manchester University, he began his career as a senior curator of ceramics, glass and silver at museums in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Glasgow (1979-1990). He is Hon. President of the Glass Society, Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers and a Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass, New York.

When Diego Velazquez 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 Phillip IV was governed by strict codes, hierarchies and prejudices. Yet, in his portraits of the king, courtiers, jesters and dwarfs, Velazquez manages to peel away a mask of formality to reveal the individual beneath. This lecture explores these paintings, the relationships behind them and will end with a discussion of Velazquez's greatest and most enigmatic masterpiece, Las Meninas.

Image:  Isabelle Kent

Isabelle 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 History of Art from Trinity College, Cambridge, where she is currently completing her PhD on the art of Diego Velazquez and Francisco de Zurbaran. From 2017 to 2019 she worked as the Enriqueta Harris Frankfort Curatorial Assistant at the Wallace Collection and in 2020 her book collecting Bartolome Esteban Murillo in Britian and Ireland was published by CEEH. Alongside her academia, Isabelle 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, Royal Academy, Chelsea Arts Club, Wallace Collection and University of Cambridge.

The Persian empire exploded into life during the middle of the 6th century BC and was the largest empire in the world for the next two centuries.  It stretched from the Mediterranean in the west to the Indus valley in the east, from the Eurasian steppes in the north to Egypt and Arabia in the south.  In around 515, its third Great King, Darius1, commissioned the building of a new city, Persepolis, with his palace at its centre.  We know a great deal about this palace, and one of its central features, the Apadana Staircase, can be seen in replica in the British Museum.  What can this palace and its art tell us about the ideology of this extraordinary and influential empire?

Image: Persian Warriors - palace of Darius I, Susa, Iran

James Renshaw gained a degree in Classics from Oxford University, has taught Classics at secondary school level since 1998 and currently teaches at Godolphin and Latymer in London.  He has published a number of textbooks related to the classical world, including 'In Search of the Greeks' and 'In search of the Romans' and lectured for the V&A Academy most recently on their Ancients to the Renaissance course.  He is a keen traveller and has taken many photos of ancient sites, a number of which have been used in his books.

To celebrate the bicentenary of the establishment of the National Gallery in London a huge Van Gogh exhibition is planned for 2024.  The show will focus on the artist's period in Provence where he painted some of his most recognisable paintings.  Known as his brightest and most expressive paintings, this is also the period in which he became ill and cut off his ear.  We will look at his own personal struggles and ambitions, the art that influenced him and the art he wanted to make.  Despite his time in Provence only lasting about a year and Vincent not finding the support or recognition he was craving, the paintings he created in the South of France would turn out to become some of the most influential, recognisable and loved paintings ever made by an artist.

Image: Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff

Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff read Social Psychology at the University of Amsterdam.  Turning to her true love - the Arts, she completed her BA and MA in Art History, majoring in The Dutch Baroque Arts from the 17th century at the Courtauld Institute of Arts.  A fully accredited PTLLS lecturer, Mariska also teaches on the public programe of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, and for the New York Adventure Club in the States.

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 century 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 talk 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.

Image: Dr John Stevens

Dr John Stevens gained his PhD in History from UCL before going on to teach British Imperial History, Indian History and Bengali Language at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London). 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 is a regular visitor to India and Bangladesh and has lectured at numerous Indian universities. He also works as a consultant on Indian affairs and teaches the Bengali language to private students. He has appeared many times in the Indian media and was a guest on BBC Radio Four's in Our Time, discussing the poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore.

From July to September 2024 Paris will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  But whilst most onlookers will focus on sport, art and design will also play a part, as they have since the games began at Olympia nearly three thousand years ago.  Greek art is replete with representations of athletes on vases, plates and bronzes.  Every four years modern day hosts unveil dazzling new architecture, in the form of stadia, arenas, velodromes and swimming pools.  The athletes themselves act as torch bearers for ever changing ideals of physical perfection.  From nudity to Nike, from sand to synthetics, the Olympic story offers art lovers pure gold.

Image: Simon Inglis

Simon Inglis is a writer and historian specialising in the architecture and heritage of sport and recreation. From 2004-22 he edited the Played in Britain series for English Heritage.  Although sport and recreation might seem an unlikely subject for The Arts Society, non-sporty types need have no fear.  Simon's themes are architecture, design, heritage and popular culture.  After a history degree at University College London, he freelanced for various publications, including the Guardian, Observer and Radio Times.  He has curated exhibitions for the Building Centre and the British Council, been a regular contributor to radio and television, has travelled and lectured extensively, and written a number of books.  Two were shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the year, while another, on Briitish football grounds, was chosen by journalist Frank Keating as the best sports book of the 20th century.  One highpoint in his work for English Heritage was the listing of a 1970s skatepark in Essex, a world first that made the 10 o'clock news.

The remarkable untold story of Carry On actor Peter Butterworth, and his wife, Britain's first female TV impressionist Janet Brown, best known for her impression of Mrs Thatcher.  Using classic film, TV clips, personal mementos, rare photographs and letters from his family's unseen collection, Tyler reveals the private story behind his parents' public lives.  It's a journey that takes in M19, the building of a theatre in the notorious WW2 Prisoner of War camp Stalag Luft III, nights at Chequers with a Prime Minister, This is Your Life, and many more moments in their long, shared life in the theatre.

Image: Peter Butterworth

Tyler Butterworth grew up in a theatrical family and spent twenty five years as an actor working extensively in film, television, theatre and radio.  He then worked as a development producer in television documentaries and was closely involved with NASA on a landmark commemorative TV series. Now, he produces walking audio guides to cities across Europe for private clients on whatever subject he's commissioned to do.  They're just like the audio guides you get in art galleries and museums but they're out on the street.  He lives in sussex where he walks on the South Downs and the South Coast.

George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, was the favourite of King James I - who addressed him as 'my sweet child and wife' - and subsequently chief minister to King Charles I. Buckingham was a beauty, and he surrounded himself with beautiful things.  He enjoyed exquisite clothes, like the fabulous white silk suit encrusted with diamonds that he wore to visit the Queen of France.  He was a superb dancer. When he cut capers during a court masque King James startled visiting ambassadors by shouting out 'By God, George, I love you!'  Inigo Jones renovated his houses.  John Tradescant was his garden designer.  In his great house on the Strand he put together a collection of art works as fine as King Charles's.  At the age of 35 Buckingham was murdered.  His collection was scattered, but contemporary inventories allow us to reconstruct it such as the magnificant paintings he owned - the Titians, the Tintorettos, the Veroneses.  He was also a patron, from painters including Van Honthorst, Van Dyck and Rubens.

Image:  Lucy Hughes-Hallett

Lucy Hughes-Hallett's book on the 17th Century Duke of Buckngham The Scapegoat, will be published by Fourth Estate in October 2024. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Historical Association, she has written on books, theatre and the visual arts for publications including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Observer, The New Statesman and the TLS.  She was Chair of the Judges for the 2021 international Booker Prize.

MacDonald 'Max' Gill, younger brother of the sculptor and typographer Eric Gill, was an architect, graphic designer and letterer, best known for his pictorial maps, especially those for the London Underground.  He also created painted maps for Arts & Crafts houses including Lindisfarne Castle, magnificent murals for Cunard liners, and eye-catching puplicity posters for organisations such as the Empire Marketing Board.  An enduring legacy is his alphabet for the Imperial War Graves Commission used on all British military headstones since the First World War.  This illustrated talk by Max Gill's great-niece presents a colourful overview of this versatile artist's personal life and artistic achievements.

Caroline Walker has contributed articles to a range of publications such as Country Life, the TAS journal, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and has given talks for organisations including the National Archives, the Art Workers' Guild, Christie's, Friends of Kettle's Yard and the National Trust.  Caroline runs the MacDonald Gill website and is the author of MacDonald Gill: Charting a Life  

With its six world-class orchestras, two opera houses and abundant venues and events, and a major centre of popular music, London can be called the musical capital of the world.  This lecture explores how the city developed its wonderful traditions of public music from the 16th century to the present day; from royal court and coffee house to concert hall and rock stage. The story involves many colourful individuals, Purcell, Handel and Elgar among them, who have left their mark on the musical life of the city.  This lecture, richly illustrated with musical examples, also explores how many of our national institutions are inextricably linked to some of the greatest music.

Image:  Royal Albert Hall, London

Roger Askew was a chorister at Wells Cathedral School and a choral scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he graduated with an honours degree in English.  He combined a teachng career with professional singing in London, and after obtaining a further degree in Music became Director of Music at Daniel Stewart's and Melville College in Edinburgh.  After retiring in 2002 he returned to the south of England.  He is President Emeritus of The Stoke Poges Society.

In the year 2000, having been a Curator in the Greek and Roman Department of the British Museum for 13 years, Louise decided to escape.  Given a trowel with a diamond and silver casing in the handle as a leaving present, she set off on a series of extraordinary archaeological adventures.  In this richly illustrated talk she will take you with her to a mysterious and atmospheric ancient city on the coast of southern Albania, to the banks of the two great rivers of Mesopotamia - the Euphrates and the Tigris - and then to the wild and wonderful mountains of northern Ethiopia.

Louise Schofield is an archaeologist who was Curator of Greek Bronze Age and Geometric Antiquities at the British Museum from 1987-2000.  Her book, 'The Mycenaeans' was co-published by the Getty Museum and the British Museum in 2007.  She now writes, lectures and runs international archaeological projects - previously in south-eastern Turkey, Greece and Albania and currently in Ethiopia. Rather wonderfully she has just been appointed Visiting Professor of Archaeology at the American University of Rome.

The earliest cars were purely functional and lacked even the most basic of passenger comforts, such as doors or even windscreens to protect passengers from the elements.  However, progress was rapid and by the mid-1920s we entered a golden age of automobile design.  A new generation of stylish cars were influenced by the art deco movement and the 'Great Gatsby era' included some of the most famous and fabulous cars ever built.  This period was followed by the Streamline Moderne influenced cars of the 1930s and 40s, with aerodynamic shapes and lots of chrome detailing.  This talk covers some of the most beautiful cars ever built, and focuses on the work of the coachbuilders, who were inspired by the art movements and created 'mobile works of art'.

Roger Mendham is a keen and accomplished photographer and gained his Distinctions from the Royal Photographc Society and is currently the President of the Surrey Photographic Association.  His artistic taste is predominantly 20th century and he is particularly interested in the visual aspects of art.  His Photography concentrates on shapes, textures and colours and he finds classic cars particularly photogenic.  An experienced public speaker, his talks are all richly illustrated and this talk includes many of his own images together with others from his contacts across the world.

This is the story of making a replica of the oldest known stringed instrument, the Gold Lyre of Ur, a Mesopotamian lyre dating from 2,500 BC.  A lyre is the precursor of the harp.  A playable instrument has been made, using authentic materials from the Middle East: cedar wood, mother-of-pearl, pink limestone and lapis lazuli.  The crowning glory is the bull's head on the front, which is covered in gold.  The talk is illustrated with Powerpoint pictures of all the stages of the making, and then of musicians performing with it, with a sound clip so that you can hear what it is like.  It took more than 3 years to complete, all with voluntary help.  The story of the acquisition of the materials, and the construction, is quite dramatic, and the finished product is amazing.

Jennifer Sturdy became involved with the Gold Lyre of Ur project in 2003, initially as a researcher and administrator, but as it progressed, she also gave talks about how they managed to build such a magnificent instrument with the help of volunteers from around the world.  Jennifer has spoken at academic conferences, universities, churches, schools, USA and other similar meetings.  Later when the instrument was completed, became a performer, dressing in Mesopotamian costume and reciting the poetry from Sumerian times, such as from the epic of Gilgamesh, accompanied by the lyre.  The instrument is playable, but it is also a work of art, being covered in precious metals and semi-precious stones.  Its name derives from the spectacular gold bull's head which adorns the front of the lyre.

Tony Rawlins will talk about the increasing popularity of classical music, especially amongst young people and will show examples of how classical music enhances the mood - the drama, the tension, the romance - of feature films.  He wlll show examples of how classical music has made many TV commercials truly memorable and how a piece by an obscure 17th century German Composer has become our No 1 favourite at weddings and funerals.  Classical melodies and chord sequences have been borrowed for a huge number of popular hit records.  Tony will play guitar and sing for this part. 

Tony Rawlins has been a member of The Arts Society for many years.  His earlier lecturing experience includes presenting to client groups, sales conferences and students of creative advertising in the UK and overseas.  More recently he has been lecturing to Arts Societies in the UK and Europe. 

Look forward to seeeing you in August.

The tracing of European architecture back to the classical Greek period.  The principal 'orders' of architecture, and a detailed look at the ancient Greeks' mastery of optical refinement (Period 500 - 100 BC).  In this richly illustrated lecture John identifies the earliest manifestations of a distinctly European architectural language, and then explains the different orders of ancient Greek architecture - Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.  He goes on to identify the major structures that were erected in ancient Greek cities, and then highlights the ancient Greeks' skill in the art of 'optical refinement'.  He closes with some reflections on how all this influenced later generations, including our own.  At all John's lectures he gives out a timeline of European architectural development to the present day, which can be useful in setting the context of the particular period under discussion.

John Sherlock is an Engineer by training, educated at Winchester and Oxford.  Spent much of his working life in the City of London and now runs his own business advising the owners of historic houses and landscapes, counting the National Trust and the Crown Estate among clients, as well as several privately owned properties.

The 1700s was a period when the people of England seemed to be especially gullible. They believed a woman could give birth to rabbits; a man could climb inside a two pint bottle and sing inside it; and where a blond-haired European could write a book claiming that he was born in Taiwan. These hoaxes weren't just written about extensively in newspapers and journals but also brilliantly and amusingly depicted by satirical artists such as William Hogarth and James Gillray. In this entertaining talk Ian demonsrates how 18th century hoaxes are memorable not only for their imaginative nature but also because of the differing motives of the tricksters.

Ian Keable gained a First Class degree from Oxford University, qualified as a Chartered Accountant and then became a professional magician. He is a Member of The Inner Magic Circle. In 2014 he published Charles Dickens Magician: Conjuring in Life, Letters & Literature.  He now divides his time between performing magic, giving talks and researching and wriiting. His latest book 'The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in Eighteenth-Century England' published in September 2021.

In the aftermath of World War II art, architecture, fashion, film, music and theatre changed radically. Through the Abercrombie plan to remake London and create new towns, architects remade cities in modernist, brutalist ways. Angry young men and new forms of musical theatre emerged. In Soho, rock'n'roll was born and artists flocked to the Colony Rooms. After the gentle Ealing comedies came social realism. The Festival of Britain highlighted the artistic communities and showcased a brighter future for every citizen. In fine art, Hepworth and Heron, Bacon and others were forging bold new directions. From buttoned up deference to 'fings aint wot they used to be' this lecture will take you from the end of WWII to the dawn of the Swinging Sixties. Unburdened by the expectations of the past, a new Elizabethan age was one of unlimited possibilities.

Image: The Festival of Britain 1951 emblem 'The Festival Star'

Russell Nash trained and worked as an actor, writer, puppeteer and theatre maker for 15 years.  In 2015 he qualified as a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide. Around this time he rekindled his love of art and art history. He now regularly guides the major galleries and museums in London such as the National Gallery, Tate Modern & Britain and the British Museum. He has delivered lectures for institutes and museums, as well as numerous U3A groups and other societies. During Covid lockdowns he devised and delivered more than 30 different virtual tours and lectures to groups from the UK and across the globe.

The National Gallery's collection begins with works from the early 13th century and finishes with masterpieces by the Impressionists in the 19th century.  The stories behind the pictures are interesting, amusing, unexpected and sometimes surprising.  Details such as a peeing child in a beautiful Canaletto, or a portrait of a female rhinocerous who toured London and set a fashion for having ones hair styled 'a la rhinocerous' - or why the working classes of Paris are happily bathing in the sewage of the city - or why it took 12 years for Renoir to finish a painting.  I love looking into these paintings and reading their stories.  Technical details such as the sort of wood chosen for the panels and then the subsequent change to canvas in the late 1590s - or the fact that so few frames are original.  No more than a handful of pictures in the NG are in the frames orginally chosen for them.  Restoration, cleaning and display all change how we view a painting and it is important to remember that none of these pictures were produced to hang on the walls of a London gallery - they have all lived other, often surprising lives.

Image: The Julia and Hans Rausing Room, The National Gallery, London

Linda Collins Lecturer Historic Royal Palaces & National Trust.  Freelance lecturer Tate Modern & National Gallery, London.  Independent lecture organiser.  Member of the Association of Art Historians.  President of The Arts Society Harpenden Area.  Her publications include The Tudors: The Crown, The Dynasty, the Golden Age, Linda Collins & Siobhan Clarke, Andre Deutsch Publishing, 2019.  King & Collector: Henry VIII and the Art of Kingship, Linda Collins & Siobhan Clarke, The History Press, 2021 and Gloriana: The Art of Elizabeth I, Linda Collins & Siobhan Clarke, The History Press, 2021. 

Charlie Chaplin was a man of contradictions - a playboy and a workaholic, an innovative artist and the last to embrace talking pictures. Chaplin revolutionised the language of cinema and in his guise as The Little Tramp he became the most universally recognised performer of all time. He had a torturned private life but he was adept at using elements of that life in his films.  He was one of the few Hollywood producers to make an overt political stand in his films Modern Times (1936) and The Great Dictator (1940).  His early films, particularly The Kid (1921) drew on the experiences of immigrants and the urban poor and on memories of his own deprived childhood in the slums of London. He remains one of cinema's immortals.

Image: City Lights 1931 - Charlie Chaplin and Virginia Cherrill

Colin Shindler has been lecturing on American and British social and cultural history for over 20 years. He was awarded his PhD at Cambridge University and subsequently lectured on film for their History Faculty between 1998 and 2019 exploring its relationship to modern British and American social and cultural history.  He also teaches a variety of adult education courses at Madingley and Higham Hall in Cumbria and has lectured on cruises.

Between 1975 and 1999 he pursued a wide-ranging career as a writer and producer in television, radio and film. He won a BAFTA award for his production of A Little Princess.  His production of Young Charlie Chaplin. was nominated for a US Prime Time Emmy. He wrote the screenplay for the feature film Buster and was the producer of various television dramas such as Lovejoy and Wish Me Luck. He has written three novels as well as numerous television scripts and radio plays but regards his greatest cultural contribution as choosing the title music for the police series Juliet Bravo. His most recent radio play Leni Goes to Holywood about the German film director Leni Riefenstahl, was broadcast on Radio 4 in August 2021. Other radio plays for R4 included How To Be An Internee (about P G Woodhouse) and one on Private Eye & The Profumo Affair (Rumours).  Both were selected by the BBC as Drama Podcast of the week.

He is the author of Barbed Wire and Cucumber Sandwiches: The Controversial South Africa Cricket Tour of 1970 which was short listed for the MCC/Wisden Cricket Book of the Year in 2021. He is best known for his childhood memoir Manchester United Ruined My Life which was short listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.

As one of the great painters of the Victorian era, Atkinson Grimshaw created some of its most beautiful atmospheric paintings.  In rain and mist, moonlight and gaslight, the River Thames, city streets, winding lanes and grimy docks, all appear as if clothed in poetry and mystery.  Discover the unique vision of the 'master of moonlight' - an artist who transformed the humdrum of everyday Victorian life, time and time again, into a magical 'Grimshaw'.

Image: 'Reflections on the Thames Westminster'  John Atkinson Grimshaw

Alexandra Epps is an official Guide and Lecturer at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Guildhall Art Gallery.  Pallant House Gallery Lecturer.  Qualified Guide to the City of London, offering lectures and walks about many aspects of the arts for societies, corporations and private individuals.  Member of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association.  Co-author of the book Lord Mayor's Portraits 1983-2014 (2015).  Alexandra's background is in design having practised as a graphic designer running her own design consultancy for many years.  BA Saint Martins School of Art, MA London College of Printing. 

Two hundred and fifty years after Antonio Stradivari's death, his violins and cellos remain the most highly prized instruments in the world. Loved by great musicians and capable of fetching fabulous sums when sold, their tone and beauty are legendary. Every subsequent violin-maker has tried to match them. Not one has succeeded. How can that be? This lecture explores that central mystery by following some of Stradivari's instruments from his workshop to the present day. It is a story that travels from the salons of Vienna to the concert halls of New York, and from the breakthroughs of Beethoven's last quartets to the first phonographic recordings. Toby Faber's book Stradivarius: Five violins, one cello and a genius, was described in The New York Times as 'more enthralling, earthy and illuminating than any fiction could be.' The lecture is illustrated with pictures of violins and of key individuals and locations, as well as with some short musical recordings.

Image: A Viotti Violin

Toby Faber 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.

Edouard Manet (1832-1883) is one of the most influential and paradoxical of artists. He was enthralled by the art of the past but is widely regarded as the first great modernist painter; he craved success and social status but painted provocative, puzzling and confrontational pictures of the society in which he lived. He worked at a time when Paris was rapidly changing and his main aim was to represent the experience of modern life. In so doing he produced some of the most widely admired paintings of the nineteenth century, including his stunning depiction of A Bar at the Folies Bergeres in the Courtauld institute. The lecture looks at his work in the contexts of his friendships, his rivalries, his environment and his family. It concludes with a review of his admirers and of his importance within the history of modern art.

Image: 'Corner of a Cafe Concert'  Edouard Manet

Barry Venning is an art historian whose interests range from the art of late medieval Europe to global contemporary art. He has published books, articles and exhibition catalogue essays on Turner, Constable and European landscape painting, but also has an ongoing research interest in postcolonial art and British visual satire. He works as a consultant and associate lecturer for the Open University. His media work includes two BBC TV documentaries, radio appearances for BBC local radio and abc Australia, and a DVD on Turner for the Tate.

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.

Image:  'The Connoisseur' 1962 Norman Rockwell

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 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.

One of the most celebrated artists of her time, French painter Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) had an extraordinary gift for painting animals that brought her international fame and recognition. Her works fetched exceptionally high prices on both sides of the Atlantic, and in 1865 she became the first woman to be awarded the legion d'honneur, France's highest of merit. Defying convention, Bonheur obtained official police permission to wear men's clothing, so that she could study animal anatomy in the male-only spaces of livestock sales. Her most famous work 'The Horse Fair' displays such dynamism that when it was exhibited at the 1853 Paris Salon, one critic wrote that he had to suppress the urge to jump out of the way of the galloping horses. Such was its fame, that Queen Victoria requested a private viewing at Buckingham Palace. Bonheur's commercial success enabled her to buy the Chateau de By, near Fontainebleau, where she lived with her lifelong companion Nathalie Micas, establishing a studio and menagerie, that included sheep, gazelles, monkeys, and three lions. This lecture offers an in-depth account of her extraordinary life and work.

Image: 'The Horse Fair'  Rosa Bonheur

Dr Lois Oliver studied English Literature at Cambridge University, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, completing an MA in Venetian Renaissance Art and a PhD thesis entitled The Image of the Artist, Paris 1815-1855. She worked at the Harvard Art Museums before joining the curatorial team at the V&A and then the National Gallery, where she curated several exhibitions. As Curator of Paintings and Sculpture at the Royal Academy she curated Jock McFadyen: Tourist without a Guidebook (2022). Currently Associate Pofessor in History of Art at the University of Notre Dame in London, and a Visiting Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, Lois is also co-curator of Berthe Morisot: Impressionism and the eighteenth century for Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Musee Marmottan Monet, Paris, opening in April 2023. She has written audio and multimedia tours for clients including the National Gallery, Royal Academy, Royal Collection, and Tate, and has appeared on BBC Radio and TV. Also a keen violinist, Lois plays regularly with the Endellion Festival Orchestra. 

This is one of the quirkiest lectures you will ever hear.  There is a universal delight in being deceived and in this lecture Bertie Pearce takes his audience on a whistle stop tour of art which fools, surprises and amuses the viewer. Beginning and ending with the Belgian surrealist, Rene Magritte, it encompasses Trompe L'eoil, Banksy, Bridget Riley, Arcimboldo and Escher to name a few.  Hold on to your seats and get ready to be visually fried.

Image:  Chartres Illusion

Bertie Pearce has a BA (Hons) in Drama from Manchester Uiversity, and a Diploma Internationale from the Ecole International du Theatre, Jacques Lecoq.  A member of the Inner Magic Circle, with Gold Star. Past experience includes lecturing and performing on cruise ships, and to U3A, historical societies, festivals, schools and colleges.  In addition, has toured the world with a magic cabaret show and a one man show entitled All Aboard.  Has written articles for newspapers and magazines on entertainment and theatre.

How did a German refugee from Hitler, an internee and a jobbing journalist, become the Grand Old Man of English art history? The answer lies in his extraordinary one-man survey of all the architecturally significant buildings in the country, county by county. This lecture explores what Pevsner said, rightly or wrongly, about the buildings in your society's area - churches, houses, shops, town halls, tower blocks, factories, cinemas - and sets his pronouncements in the context of The Buildings of England as a whole. The series has both detractors and passionate defenders, but no imitators. Pevsner himself said, 'There won't be another madman so soon.'

Image: Painshill - Gothic Temple

Susie Harries

A writer, editor and lecturer, specialising in 20th century culture and the arts. Has published eight books on subjects including official war art, opera and the composer Elisabeth Lutyens. The most recent is the biography of Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, publlished in August 2011.  Lectured to a range of audiences, from the Imperial War Museum and British Museum to the Twentieth Century Society and the RSA, most recently at the Cheltenham and Bridport Literary Festivals and the Victorian Society.

The Aztecs (known also as the Mexica) flourished in central Mexico between 1325 and 1521.  Their shimmering city, built on a lake, lay at the heart of a vast empire.  Military might was accompanied by exceptional developments in art and architecture.  The Aztecs have often been described as warlike and bloodthirsty, yet their creative achievements were breathtaking.  These included exquisite gold objects, fine ceramics, monumental stone sculpture, turquoise mosaics, featherwork, and precious pictorial manuscripts.  Despite the devastation that marked the Spanish Conquest of 1521, many Aztec skills and beliefs still survive among their descendants.

Image: Aztec Feathered Headdress of Quetzal Plumes From Mexico c. 1500

Chloe Sayer

Freelance specialist in the art and culture of Latin America.  Has lectured in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.  Has curated exhibitions, and assisted on TV documentaries for BBC and Channel 4.  Has made collections in Mexico and Belize for the British Museum, and is Research Associate in the Department of World Cultures at the Royal Ontario Museum.  In 2016 she was awarded the prestigious Ohtli medal by the Mexican government for her long-standing comitment to Mexican culture.  Her many publications include Mexican Textiles (British Museum Press, 1990), Arts and Crafts of Mexico (Thames & Hudson, 1990), Focus on Aztecs and Incas (Watts Books, 1995), The Incas - The Ancient World (Wayland, 1998), Textiles from Mexico (British Museum Press, 2002), and Mexico: Clothing and Culture (Royal Ontario Museum, 2015).  Has also published articles in travel guides, newspapers and magazines.

Discover the eclectic collection and awesome seaside home of Sir Merton and Lady Annie Russell-Cotes situated on the East Cliff of Bournemouth.  Funded by their ownership of the Royal Bath Hotel and astute art dealing, they acquired remarkable Victorian and Edwardian artworks, partly inspired by their world travels.  After their deaths in the 1920s curators acquired Modern British Art, and additional paintings from the C19th including Dante Gabriel Rossetti's masterwork Venus, turner of hearts.  In fact, the museum features an exceptional range of female subjects that underpin this talk.

Image: Spray - Harold Williamson 1898 - 1972

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 Fitz Roy'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), Dazzle: Disguise and Disruption in War and Art (2016) and Picturing the Pacific: Sir Joseph Banks and the Shipboard Artists of Cook and Flinders (2018), 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. 

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 thorougfare 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.

Image:  Walthamstow Stadium

Simon Inglis

Writer and historian Simon Inglis specialises in the architecture and heritage of sport and recreation. Since 2004 he has edited the Played in Britain series for English Heritage. Although sport and recreation might seem an unlikely subject for The Arts Society, non-sporty types need have no fear. Simon's themes are architecture, design, heritage and popular culture. After a history degree at University College London, he freelanced for various publications, including the Guardian, Observer and Radio Times. He has curated exhibitions for the Building Centre and the British Council, been a regular contributor to radio and television, has travelled and lectured extensively, and written a number of books. Two were shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, while another, on British football grounds, was chosen by journalist Frank Keating as the best sports book of the 20th century. A recent highpoint in his work for English Heritage was the listing of a 1970s skatepark in Essex, a world first that made the 10 o'clock news.

On 12 July 1520, seven years before he died, Durer embarked on a last extensive journey, this time to the Netherlands.  The reason for the journey may well have been to request from the newly appointed Holy Roman Emperor Charles V the continuation of the stipend awarded to Durer by Charles' grandfather, the Emperor Maximilian.  Durer was nearly fifty years of age and famous throughout Europe.  By 12 November 1520 when Durer arrived in Cologne he had already visited Antwerp, Brussels and Mechelen and had attended the coronation of the Emperor Charles V in Aachen.  He returned once again to Antwerp, the great port and wealthy artistic centre of the north, leaving six months later for home on 2 July 1521.  A fascinating journal survives of the journey as well as two sketchbooks of exquisite silverpoint drawings. The lecture explores Durer's journey in his own words and describes the places he visited, the patrons and artists he met, and also gives an insight as to what this great renaissance artist drew and painted during these years.

Image:  Albrecht Durer - Tuft of Cowslips 1526

Clare Ford-Wille

For over thirty years Clare has studied and lectured on almost every period of the fine arts, from Charlemagne to the late nineteenth century, and has led art study tours and lectured throughout Great Britain, Europe, Armenia, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.  Clare obtained a Combined Honours degree in History of Art and History (BA) at Birkbeck College, University of London.  Her initial employment was with the Advisory Board for Redundant Churches and her first lecturing job was for the Wallace Collection.  Regular commitments include Centre for Lifelong Learning, London University, National Gallery, V&A Museum, WEA, Morley College, the City Literary Institute, the Art Fund and National Trust.

This lecture looks at the life and work of the greatest English architect, Sir Christopher Wren.  It begins with a summary of Wren's life, including his education and his work as a medic, a scientist and as the leading astronomer of his day.  This is followed by a review of Wren's architectural influences and achievements, with digital photographs of all his major buildings, such as Trinity College Library in Cambridge, the royal hospitals at Chelsea and Greenwich and, of course, St Paul's Cathedral.  The lecture then focuses in detail on Wren's City churches, with their incredible variety and elegrant steeples, a group of churches unique in the world and of exceptional originality and architectural merit, their interiors featuring the craftsmanship of the great woodcarvers, stonemasons and plasterers working alongside Wren in the post-Great Fire rebuilding programme.

Image: St Mary Aldermary

Tony Tucker

MA in Modern History from Oriel College, Oxford, Qualified City Guide and former Chairman of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association and Trustee of the Friends of the City Churches (FCC). Lectures to various City institutions, the FCC, U3A and various historical associations.  Leads regular guided walks for the City of London Corporation, the Friends of the City Churches and numerous private groups.  Publications include The Visitor's Guide to the City of London Churches (2006) and regular contributions to Cityguide magazine and the FCC Newsletter. 

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, Tim 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 working 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!

Tim Redmond

Tim spent his earlier career as a detective in the Metropolitan Police, working on murder, kidnap and anti-corruption investigations as well as in covert criminal intelligence.  He finally retired as a Detective Superintendent and as the first police adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  During his career Tim often gave presentations to large audiences, either for operational briefings or at conferences.

On retirement Tim decided on a complete change of direction, becoming a City of London tour guide and working for a London tour operator, specialising in tours around the UK.  He then used the knowledge gained to become a guide within the Palace of Westminster, specilising in tours of Big Ben.  His many guests on tours of the clock tower have included people such as Michelle Obama, Bill Gates and members of both houses of parliament.  He also appeared in UK and overseas documentaries of the tower.  Big Ben is now closed for a lengthy refit but Tim still guides people on tours around parliament and continues to talk on many aspects of history and stories relating to parliament.

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.

Image: from Wilton Diptych

Anne Haworth

After taking a degree in Modern History at Durham University, Anne worked for 14 years as a European and Asian ceramics specialist in the head offices of Christie’s and Bonham’s auctioneers, during which time she appraised many private collections in Britain and Europe. In 1995, she left England for a seven year residency in Shanghai, China, researching ceramics and visiting ancient kiln sites. She gave lectures on porcelain to the international community of diplomats and expatriate groups in Shanghai and Beijing. Anne returned to London in 2002, working on a short project cataloguing Chinese porcelain at Kensington Palace. She now lectures for the Arts Society, for the V&A and other main London museums, Regent’s University, Sotheby’s Institute and for private study groups. She lectures at the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace and spent 10 years guiding private groups around the State Rooms of the Palace. She is a member of the London faculty of Eckerd College, Florida, teaching a course on British art history during the students’ study abroad semesters.

The world’s first underground railway has a unique heritage of architecture, ingenious design, powerful advertising posters and unique calligraphy. This talk plots the early development of the Underground, examines the legacy of Frank Pick and Charles Holden, looks at some of the iconic posters, and celebrates the award-winning architecture of the modern Tube in the Jubilee Line Extension. We’ll also take a peek at a few of the new Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) stations, designed by some of the world’s top architects.

Image: Arnos Grove station

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

Gustav Klimt and his colleagues broke away from the imperially endorsed art institutions in Vienna in 1897 and founded the Secession. That was the same year that Gustav Mahler arrived to take charge of the Opera House in the city. Comparing these two totemic fin de siècle talents, this lecture places Klimt and Mahler in context, asking what fundamentally links and, indeed, divides them.

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, as well as for history of art societies and The Art Fund

Gustav Klimt and his colleagues broke away from the imperially endorsed art institutions in Vienna in 1897 and founded the Secession. That was the same year that Gustav Mahler arrived to take charge of the Opera House in the city. Comparing these two totemic fin de siècle talents, this lecture places Klimt and Mahler in context, asking what fundamentally links and, indeed, divides them.

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, as well as for history of art societies and The Art Fund. 

A general introduction to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, known by its inhabitants as Druk Yul or land of the Thunder Dragon. This is a reference to the Drukpa tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism that permeates every aspect of Bhutanese life. This lecture explores the history, art and culture of this extraordinary country, which for centuries has preserved its traditional Buddhist values. Over the last few decades there have been many changes; such as the introduction of roads, television and tourism. Will Bhutan be able to maintain the fine balance between tradition and modernity without diminishing its unique culture?

Zara Fleming

Freelance lecturer, art consultant and exhibition curator specialising in the art and culture of Tibet, the Himalayan areas and Mongolia. Initially based at the V&A, but also worked with the Central Asian Department of Bonn University, the Orient Foundation, the Royal Academy, Tibet House, the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside and Asia House. In addition to lecturing for The Arts Society, she lectures for museums, universities, Asian art societies, and private associations. Guest lecturer and tour guide on numerous trips to the Himalayas. Edited Masterpieces of Mongolian Art: Vol 1 and has published many articles in the field of Buddhist art and culture

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. 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.  

Image: Emperor Qianlong

David Rosier

A Chartered Insurer by profession and a Fellow of the Assurance Medical Society, with extensive international experience as an author and lecturer in Medical Risk Assessment. He has in excess of 25 years of working and living in Asia. Whilst living in Hong Kong (1991-2004) he assembled a collection of approximately 700, predominately Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Imperial and related textiles/costume accessories. Past Committee Member of the Hong Kong Textile Society and frequent speaker on Imperial Insignia and Badges of Rank.

‘History painting’ was a special genre for a distinct clientele in the Dutch Republic. It depicted stories from especially the Bible and Antiquity with the aim of moving the viewer. However, it could also provide an excuse for depicting the female nude. Trained in history painting by Pieter Lastman, Rembrandt gradually developed his own interpretations of such stories as Bathsheba and David or Susanna and the Elders with greater emphasis on inner conflict and personal drama. His visions can still move or disturb us in ways quite different from depictions of the same stories by his contemporaries. 

Image: Rembrandt - Bathsheba

We are taking advantage of Zoom lectures by booking Sophie Oosterwijk, who lives in the Netherlands.

Born in Gouda (Netherlands). Has an MA and PhD in English Literature (Leiden), an MA in Medieval Studies (York) and a PhD in Art History (Leicester). Has taught at the universities of St Andrews, Leicester and Manchester, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, National Trust, V&A, U3A, WEA and other organisations, and organised many study days, tours and visits. Also a regular lecturer for Cambridge University and travel companies, and Honorary Research Fellow with the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews. Numerous publications. 

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.

Image: Palenque, Mexico

Dr Diane Davies is a Maya archaeologist and honorary research associate of the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. She completed her PhD at Tulane University, New Orleans. Little is known about the Maya in the UK and so aside from carrying out research in Guatemala and teaching, Diane is an educational consultant for schools giving workshops to both teachers and children on the Maya. She has created award-winning resources, organizes trips to the Maya area and is also the Chair of Chok Education, a charity supporting the education of Maya children. Diane organises conferences on the Maya as well as lecturing to a variety of organisations, including the City Literary Institute, London and the Historical Association.

Alice White is a professional oil painter, and Tutor at Central St Martins College of Art and Design. She is a Visiting Lecturer at Kings College London, Brunel University, The Art Worker’s Guild, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

Alice’s solo show entitled A New Wave documented her year’s residency as Artist for Animals at ZSL London Zoo. Her forthcoming exhibitions include the Mall Galleries in London and the Gustavo Barcarisas Gallery in Gibraltar. She has been awarded the Russell and Chapple Canvas Prize for An Outstanding Work in Oils at the Annual Exhibition for the Royal Society of Marine Artists.

Stonehenge is the most celebrated and sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the British Isles. This lecture explains why Stonehenge must be regarded as architectural in its layout and construction, embodying  techniques that for centuries convinced antiquarians that it could not have been built by ‘primitive’ ancient Britons but must be a product of ‘sophisticated’ Romans.

We then explore how, over the last two centuries, this iconic structure has inspired painters, potters and poets. Blake, Turner, Constable and Moore are amongst those who have all been drawn to this magnificent ruin, resulting in a diverse catalogue of images and impressions. Finally, we will look at Stonehenge as a global icon and how it’s instantly recognisable stones now grace tea towels in Wiltshire, phone cards in Japan and stamps from Bhutan.

Image: Stonehenge

Julian Richards

Studied archaeology at Reading University and has since worked as a professional archaeologist, in commercial archaeology, for English Heritage, for the BBC and as an independent. Elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1992 and is being awarded an honorary doctorate. Has been involved in teaching and outreach projects, lecturing widely in continuing education, to groups and societies and to special interest tour companies. A career in broadcasting involved researching and presenting Meet the Ancestors and Blood of the Vikings for BBC2, and Mapping the Town for Radio 4. Author of a number of English Heritage publications on Stonehenge, including the previous and current guide books to the monument and landscape. Guest curator of Wish you were here, an exhibition of his own extensive collection of 'Stonehengiana' which is currently on display at the new Stonehenge Visitor Centre. Also curated an exhibition for the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute in Vienna, in 2016. 

Les Parisiennes is a story about women’s lives during the dark years of Nazi occupation and beyond and includes British and American women caught in Paris as well as native born resisters who were eventually sent to camps, couturiers and jewellers, some of whom flourished in wartime, as well as actors, singers, night club dancers and housewives.
The lecture opens with a magnificent circus ball held by Elsie de Wolfe at the magnificent Villa Trianon, a chateau in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles; many of the guests could not believe that war was imminent and ends with Christian Dior’s lavish new look in 1947 as well as a perfume, Miss Dior, named after his sister Catherine, a resister, who had only just survived a prison camp and never wanted to talk about her experiences.

Image: Villa Trianon, Versailles

Anne Sebba
Biographer, historian and author of eleven books who lectures to a variety of audiences in the US and UK, including the English Speaking Union, Royal Overseas League, National Trust, British Library and Imperial War Museum. A former Reuters foreign correspondent, Anne is now a broadcaster - she presented a BBC R3 documentary about the pianist Harriet Cohen and for Radio 4 the documentary Who was Joyce Hatto? she regularly appears on television talking about her books, mostly biographies including Jennie Churchill, William Bankes, Laura Ashley and Wallis Simpson. The latter, published as That Woman, was an international bestseller. Her latest book is a history of Paris between 1939-49 through women's eyes published in 2016 as Les Parisiennes How the women of Paris Lived, Loved and Died in the 1940s. Anne is a former chair of Britain's 9,000 strong Society of Authors.

Wed 13th January 2021 at 10.30 am

There is no name more evocative of Bohemian life: of high spirits, decadence, poverty,  and revolutionary art in Paris, than Montmartre. In reality it was little more than a rundown suburb overlooking the city, bristling with windmills. But the garden cafes, the dancehalls and cabarets, and the ramshackled studios that spilled down the hillside of Montmartre would become the inspiration and home to some of France’s greatest artists.

From the Moulin de la Galette where Renoir painted Parisians dancing in the afternoon sunlight, to Toulouse Lautrec’s vivid images of the Moulin Rouge, the smoke filled cabaret where the can-can was danced to Offenbach’s music, to the shabby garrets of the Bateau Lavoir where a group of artists headed by Picasso would paint canvases that would shake the foundations of Western art, this lecture charts the course of this extraordinary artistic life.

Douglas 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.


Image: The Swing by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Zoom lecture - all members will be emailed a day or two before the lecture with a link to click on to enjoy this lecture. Please click the link in the email at least ten minutes or so before the start time, 10.30 am, for the lecture.

Cherrill Sands is a consultant garden historian with an MA in the Conservation of Landscapes, Parks and Gardens from the Architectural Association, London. She has worked at Painshill, as a volunteer, since 1993, and as a member of staff since 2004. She is a Representative Member for Painshill Park Trust, currently working in the archives. In 2013 she undertook a Lecture Tour of the USA for Painshill, presenting talks in Philadelphia, New York and Chicago.

Other work includes teaching for Adult Education and presenting talks on garden history and theatre studies. Once a trained dancer she now enjoys developing talks on the history and analysis of ballet and dance – even managing to combine the two passions with ‘Theatres in Gardens’ and ‘Gardens in Dance’.

She has been a member of Surrey Gardens Trust for over twenty five years and is a former Chair and member of Council; she remains one of the Research and Recording team. Cherrill enjoys discovering the endless variety of gardens around the world and all aspects of garden design- while trying to impose some order on her own patch of ground at home. 

Image: Cherrill Sands

Zoom lecture - all members will be emailed a day or two before the lecture with a link to click on to enjoy this lecture. Please click the link in the email at least ten minutes or so before the start time, 10.30 am, for the lecture.

Joaquin Sorolla hated darkness. Claude Monet once said that painting in general did not have enough light in it. Sorolla could not agree more. Sorolla believed painters could never reproduce sunlight as it really is, and he could only “approach the truth of it”. 

Most of us when standing in front of one of his canvases would agree he was the master of light. He managed to capture like no other the light of the Mediterranean beaches he loved and the energy of Spanish life. He painted what he saw, quickly, to capture that precise moment. As he said "I could not paint at all if I had to paint slowly. Every effect is so transient, it must be rapidly painted.” 
In this lecture we will look at Sorolla’s life and art, from early education to success; having been almost forgotten to be rediscovered in the last few years.

Arantxa Sardina is an official guide at Tate, covering the permanent collection and some of the temporary exhibitions at both galleries, Modern and Britain. She has just completed her M.A. in Art History at the Open University, where her dissertation focused on fellow Spaniard Joaquin Sorolla, the master painter of Mediterranean light and great friend of John Singer Sargent. She is also an enthusiastic amateur musician, playing the cello and the piano and a lover of opera and ballet. 

A member of The Arts Society in Bromley, she takes every opportunity to learn about art and to find out more about the stories behind artworks. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and continuously learning from others.

Zoom lecture - all members will be emailed a day or two before the lecture with a link to click on to enjoy this lecture. Please click the link in the email at least ten minutes or so before the start time, 10.30 am, for the lecture.

‘If there is such a thing as a purely American tradition in Art, it is represented at its best in the straightforward canvases of Andrew Wyeth.’ — LIFE magazine, 1948.

Andrew Wyeth is one of America’s best-known Realist painters of the 20th century. In a career spanning 75 years, he created paintings of everyday life in Pennsylvania and Maine that were imbued with mystery and emotion. He painted with an exacting detail that led to his style being termed ‘magic realism’. This talk looks at his poignant landscapes, his scandalous ‘Helga’ series and his moving portraits, including a focused look at his most iconic work, ‘Christina’s World’.
 

‘Without sacrificing scholarship, Stella Lyons has a most engaging way of hooking an audience into sharing her passionate interest in art history, drawing three dimensional human stories and experiences from the two-dimensional canvas’ – Maev Kennedy, writer and Arts correspondent for The Guardian

Stella Grace Lyons is a freelance Art History lecturer, speaker and writer accredited with The Arts Society. She has lectured across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Malaysia and will soon embark on a lecturing tour in Australasia.

Stella gained her BA in the History of Art with a 1st class in her dissertation from the University of Bristol (2007-2011), and her MA in History of Art from the University of Warwick. She spent a year studying Renaissance art in Italy at the British Institute of Florence, and three months studying Venetian art in Venice. In addition, she attended drawing classes at the prestigious Charles H. Cecil studios in Florence, a private atelier that follows a curriculum based on the leading ateliers of nineteenth century Paris.

Stella runs her own Art History lectures both in person and online. She is a regular lecturer in the UK and Europe for The Arts Society, Tour companies, and the National Trust, amongst others. Stella is also a part-time lecturer for the University of South Wales.

She has written about art for several publications and her article on Norwegian art was recently featured on the front cover of The Arts Society magazine.

In addition to her lecturing work, Stella works as an artist’s model for the internationally renowned figurative artist, Harry Holland.

Image: Stella Grace Lyons

14 Oct 2020 - Stella Grace Lyons - 'Magic Realism in New England: World of Andrew Wyeth

11 Nov 2020 - Arantxa Sardina - 'Sorolla,The Master of Light

9 Dec 2020 - Cherill Sands - Arts & Crafts Gardens in the South West

13 Jan 2021 - Douglas Skeggs - The Artists of Montmartre: 'The Pilgrims of Babylon'

10 Feb 2021 - Anne Zebba - Les Parisiennes: How Women Lived & Died in Paris (1939-49)

10 Mar 2021 - Julian Richards - Inspired by Stonehendge

14 Apr 2021 - Alice White - Ways to Look at Painting

12 May 2021 - Diane Davies - The Magnifient Maya - Fact & Fantasy

9 Jun 2021 - Sophie Oosterwijk - Rembrandt's Vision: Dutch History Painting in the 17th Century

14 Jul 2021 - David Rosier - Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795): Ultimate Ruler & Art Collector

11 Aug 2021 - Zara Fleming -

Bhutan: Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon

Society closed due to Pandemic between April and September 2020.

Due to the illness of Alexandra Epps, the lecture on this date will now be:

The Elgin Marbles: A History of Meaning

In the two centuries since they were removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, the meaning and significance of the ‘Elgin marbles’ has changed dramatically. From architectural decoration to disputed cultural objects this lecture looks at the response to them over their time in Britain, from the original controversy over their purchase to the current debate surrounding the restitution of the marbles to the new Acropolis Museum in Athens. 

Alan Read holds Master’s and First Class Honours degrees in History of Art from Birkbeck College, University of London. 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 NPG. He is also a London Blue Badge Guide and City of London Guide.

Due to the illness of Alexandra Epps, the lecture on this date will now be:

The Elgin Marbles: A History of Meaning

In the two centuries since they were removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, the meaning and significance of the ‘Elgin marbles’ has changed dramatically. From architectural decoration to disputed cultural objects this lecture looks at the response to them over their time in Britain, from the original controversy over their purchase to the current debate surrounding the restitution of the marbles to the new Acropolis Museum in Athens. 

Alan Read holds Master’s and First Class Honours degrees in History of Art from Birkbeck College, University of London. 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 NPG. He is also a London Blue Badge Guide and City of London Guide.

This lecture tells the unusual story of a major figurative art commission that Richard painted for the city of Cosenza, Calabria, where he stayed for two months in 2015, painting five large pictures telling the story of the Normans in Southern Italy.

This lecture was highly recommended by the sister of one of our members, who heard it at the Arts Society where she is a member.

Richard is a professional artist who graduated in English and Art History from York University in 1986. From 1988-1994 he lectured at the adult education departments of Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, and then went on to become a full-time figurative artist, executing large-scale public commissions, and exhibiting widely throughout the UK. He now lives and works in Chichester, West Sussex. 

This lecture tells the unusual story of a major figurative art commission that Richard painted for the city of Cosenza, Calabria, where he stayed for two months in 2015, painting five large pictures telling the story of the Normans in Southern Italy.

This lecture was highly recommended by the sister of one of our members, who heard it at the Arts Society where she is a member.

Richard is a professional artist who graduated in English and Art History from York University in 1986. From 1988-1994 he lectured at the adult education departments of Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, and then went on to become a full-time figurative artist, executing large-scale public commissions, and exhibiting widely throughout the UK. He now lives and works in Chichester, West Sussex. 

There will be Drinks for new members, past committee and helpers after this lecture

H G Murphy’s greatest misfortune was to die just before the start of the Second World War. The designs and inspirations of the pre-war era were simply seen as passé and totally out of keeping with the new spirit of modernism which quickly grew after the Festival of Britain in 1951. Harry Murphy served his apprenticeship under Henry Wilson, probably Britain’s greatest designer goldsmith of the Arts and Crafts era. Here he learnt a wide range of skills and techniques including enamelling, gem-setting and polishing, niello, engraving and hammering. From 1928 until his death in 1939 he worked from retail premises in Marylebone, London, known as the Falcon Studio where he designed and created a prodigious amount of silverware for the corporate, civic and private sectors as well as some truly startling gold, silver and enamel jewellery inspired by nature, architecture, the Ballet Russes and the vibrancy of the Jazz Age. 

John Benjamin has lectured to us several times before, getting stellar ratings from our committee each time.

John Benjamin was with Phillips Auctioneers for 23 years, latterly as International Director of Jewellery. Since 1999 has been an independent jewellery consultant. Lectures, writes and broadcasts (including BBC Antiques Roadshow).

Image of: John Benjamin

H G Murphy’s greatest misfortune was to die just before the start of the Second World War. The designs and inspirations of the pre-war era were simply seen as passé and totally out of keeping with the new spirit of modernism which quickly grew after the Festival of Britain in 1951. Harry Murphy served his apprenticeship under Henry Wilson, probably Britain’s greatest designer goldsmith of the Arts and Crafts era. Here he learnt a wide range of skills and techniques including enamelling, gem-setting and polishing, niello, engraving and hammering. From 1928 until his death in 1939 he worked from retail premises in Marylebone, London, known as the Falcon Studio where he designed and created a prodigious amount of silverware for the corporate, civic and private sectors as well as some truly startling gold, silver and enamel jewellery inspired by nature, architecture, the Ballet Russes and the vibrancy of the Jazz Age. 

John Benjamin has lectured to us several times before, getting stellar ratings from our committee each time.

John Benjamin was with Phillips Auctioneers for 23 years, latterly as International Director of Jewellery. Since 1999 has been an independent jewellery consultant. Lectures, writes and broadcasts (including BBC Antiques Roadshow).

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

Even in ancient Rome people made complaints about the mid-winter Saturnalia celebrations remarkably like the ones we hear today about our commercialised Christmas. In a light-hearted historical review we discover some wonderful and some gloriously awful Christmas imagery, from Giotto’s painting of the first Christmas crib until Dickens meets Coca Cola amongst the movers and shakers who sometimes seem to have turned Christmas into Kitschmas. 

The pre-Christmas lecture can be the most difficult slot to fill. This lecture has been highly recommended by two Arts Societies in our Area.

Studied History at Oxford, and from 1968-82 worked for Nottingham Castle Museum. From 1982-98, Lecturer in Museum Studies and Art History at University of Manchester. Published a book about museum practice with Manchester University Press, Exhibiting Authenticity 1997. 

Image of: David Phillips

An in-depth look at the unique jewellery created by flamboyant artist Charles Ricketts at the turn of the twentieth century. His intricate and richly-enamelled neo-Renaissance pieces were designed as gifts for his many friends including May Morris and the fascinating literary couple known as Michael Field.

Helen Ritchie is a newly accredited Arts Society lecturer, and presented for the first time at Directory Day in London in March 2019.

She is a Curator of Modern Applied Arts at The Fitwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. Recent exhibitions include Things of Beauty Growing: British Studio Pottery (2018), Flux: Parian Unpackedand Designers and Jewellery 1850-1940; Jewellery and Metalwork from The Fitzwilliam Museum, for which she wrote the accompanying catalogue.

Helen is also the author of A Passionate Collector: Mrs Hull Grundy and Jewellery from the Harrogate Collection (2014). She studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge and the University of the Arts London, and has worked at numerous institutions including the Royal Collection Trust, Christie's, Harrogate Museums and the British Museum

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00am

Annual General Meeting followed by

Rebel on the Run - Caravaggio's Final Years

Caravaggio was the definitive bad boy of art history – determined and ambitious yet irascible and highly volatile. In 1606 his life was to change forever following a particularly violent and bloody brawl in which Caravaggio, himself badly injured, ended up killing a certain Ranuccio Tommasoni with his sword. This lecture will explore in particular the remarkable stylistic transformations that took place during the last four years of Caravaggio’s life, a period of restlessness and yet extraordinary creative activity when the artist was forced to leave Rome, realising that his own life was now on the line. 

The lecturer lives locally, and carries out series of lectures in Cobham, and this lecture was top-rated by a local Arts Society in our area.

Studied at Cambridge University. Lecturer at the National Gallery and The Wallace Collection and taught at Surrey University, specialising in 15th and 16th century Italian painting, Spanish art & architecture, and the relationship between dance and art. Also teaches private courses, and organises lectures, study days and art holidays abroad. Has lived in France and Italy, where she worked at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice.

Image of: Siân Walters

Armour was one of the great Renaissance art-forms. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries most of the richest noblemen in Europe were dedicated patrons of the armourer’s art, a kind of visual language which they used to project their identity and prestige. The armour-making process demanded both fantastic skill in the sculpting of iron and steel and mastery of decorative techniques such as acid-etching and mercury-gilding. This lecture serves as an introduction to the idea of armour as an expressive art-form, where the achievements of virtuoso armourers embodied splendour and richness while also carrying more complex messages about status, aristocratic associations, the social order and divine power.

The subject sounds obscure, but this lecture received excellent ratings from two Arts Societies in our area.

Toby is Curator of Arms and Armour at the Wallace Collection in London and an internationally-acknowledged authority on Medieval and Renaissance weapons. He is the author of numerous books on the subject of arms and armour. Toby also appears regularly on television, most recently on A Stitch in Time (2018; BBC4); as presenter and armour advisor on Richard III: The New Evidence (2014; C4), and as the writer and presenter of Metalworks: The Knight's Tale(2012; BBC4). In 2015 Toby had the unusual honour of serving as one of the two fully armoured horsemen escorting the remains of King Richard III, from the battlefield at Bosworth to their final resting place in Leicester Cathedral.

(Please note change of lecture on this date)

Occupying a pair of early Georgian townhouses nestled in historic Greenwich, the story of how The Fan Museum came to fruition is interwoven with the fascinating biography of its founder, whose personal collection forms the basis of the Museum’s holdings. From an especially rare Elizabethan-period embroidered folding fan to contemporary examples decorated by street artists, discover some of the key objects within the Museum’s collection of 5,000+ fans dating from the tenth century to the present day.

If you are a new lecturer presenting for the first time in March 2019, Societies will have long ago finalised their 2019 lectures, so you will almost certainly have to wait until 2020 (between 9 and 21 months) before you give a lecture to an Arts Society. Hence the two gaps we left in our programme of lectures for 2019. Jacob Moss is presenting for the first time at The Arts Society Directory Day March 2019. The subject matter, fans, might sound rather obscure, but if you think about it, fans can have many aspects, eg craftsmanship, art work, history, reflecting different cultures, a means of conveying feelings etc.

Having obtained a postgraduate degree in Fashion Curation from London College of Fashion in 2010, Moss took up a position at The Fan Museum, Greenwich, the UK’s only Museum dedicated to the history of fans and craft of fan making. As the Museum’s Curator, he is responsible for co-organising the temporary exhibition programme.

In May 2018 he was awarded an Art Fund Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Grant in support of a collections management project to be launched later this year in collaboration with the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York.

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and Diego Rivera (1886-1957) have iconic status in Mexico. The Mexican Revolution of 1910 swept away the old régime and banished European influence in the arts. Kahlo and Rivera, in their different ways, helped to shape the cultural identity of twentieth-century Mexico. Together they made Mexico a magnet for the rest of the world.

The Mexican mural movement, born during the 1920s, was destined to produce some of the greatest public art of the last century. Diego Rivera’s panoramic images adorn the walls of public buildings, combining social criticism with a faith in human progress. Inspired by early Italian fresco painting, as well as by Aztec and Maya imagery, his intricate visual narratives incorporate allegory and symbolism. 


West Surrey Area booked this lecture last year, and asked local societies not to book it at the same time. So we have waited until this year. It has top feedback from one local arts society.

Chloë Sayer is a freelance specialist in the art and culture of Latin America. 

She has made ethnographic collections and carried out fieldwork in Mexico and Belize for the British Museum. In 1991 she co-curated the exhibition THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST: THE MEXICAN DAY OF THE DEAD at the Museum of Mankind in London. She has curated several other exhibitions of Mexican folk art, and has also worked on a number of television documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4. 

Image of: Chloë Sayer

This is the keystone lecture of the Poster Series relating the technical innovation combined with creative genius and remarkable craftsmanship that enabled the Poster to become the world’s first effective method of mass communication. From ‘Les Chats’ by Edouard Manet to ‘Saxoleine’ by Jules Cheret and ‘Moulin Rouge’ and ‘Divan Japonais’ by Toulouse-Lautrec, you’ll see inspirational work by generations of superb artists who made the poster great: magnificent Mucha, socially-conscious Steinlen, and many more. Learn how an effective poster is designed and how it plays on the mind; and why most posters today go unnoticed. 

Charles Harris gets very good ratings for his lectures on posters, this is the introductory lecture giving an overview.

Focusing on the role of posters and poster artists in the history of advertising, this global-award winning Creative Director of international advertising agencies has lectured extensively on design, illustration and photographic styles as they have influenced the building of brands. He has himself created posters for major brands including British Airways, Nestlé, Sony, General Motors and Shell. His travel writing and photography has appeared in various airline magazines as well as Time. He has also written and produced several hundred TV and Radio commercials and corporate video programmes. A member of Winchester DFAS.

Image of: Charles Harris

Widely known for his appearances dressed as his feminine alter ego, Claire, Grayson Perry RA is now a core part of the art establishment. Ten years after winning the Turner Prize he gave the brilliant BBC Reith Lecture in 2013. His works of ceramics, textiles, tapestries and prints are highly sought after. Often controversial, he is able to tackle difficult subjects in a poignant yet witty way. This talk will examine Grayson Perry’s works, his exciting and thought provoking exhibitions, and we’ll look at the character inside the flamboyant frocks.

This lecture has been top-rated by two Arts Societies in our Area. 

Ian Swankie:
A Londoner with a passion for art and architecture. He is an official guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Guildhall Art Gallery and St Paul's Cathedral, and gives regular tours at each venue. Also a qualified and active freelance London guide and a member of both the City of London and Westminster Guide Lecturer Associations. Clients include WEA groups, Transport for London, the National Trust and London Open House. In 2012 he established a weekly independent art lecture group in Richmond and gives talks on a variety of subjects.

Image of: Ian Swankie

Fine Art has provided advertisers and their agencies with a great deal of material to use in their creative campaigns.

Tony Rawlins describes some of the processes by which these advertisements have been created and while the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo have been a particularly rich source. From the Renaissance, through to the present day, fine art continues to provide opportunities to enhance Brand imagery with admiration, humour, satire and irony.

This lecturer presented for the first time at Directory Day 2018 and has a positive and enthusiastic style. So far he only has the one lecture in his repertoire.

Tony Rawlins started his career in advertising in 1965 as a mail boy in J. Walter Thompson. He worked as account director in a number of agencies before setting up on his own in 1985, primarily to handle Guinness accounts in Africa and the Caribbean, where he produced many commercials and ads for them over a period of 15 years. He remains active in the industry, but now concentrates on more philanthropic projects, such as a sanitation project in Haiti after Haiti was devastated by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. 

Having been an Arts Society member for many years, he became an Arts Society accredited lecturer in March 2018. His lecturing experience includes presenting to client groups, sales conferences, students of creative advertising in the UK and overseas, on creative and marketing strategies and on film production. TASW is the first Arts Society to book him to lecture.

Image of: Tony Rawlins

The lute holds a special place in the history of art: painters of the Italian Renaissance depicted golden-haired angels plucking its delicate strings, evoking celestial harmony; in the sixteenth century, during the rise of humanism, the lute was a becoming pastime of educated courtiers, as depicted by the likes of Holbein and Titian; throughout the seventeenth century, the instrument continued to play a key role in emphasising the intimate, debauched and transient pleasures of interior scenes by Jan Steen and portraits by Frans Hals. This lecture looks at the lute, and other musical instruments, as devices to express various aspects of the human character throughout the ages.

As part of this lecture Adam Busiakiewicz will perform on the lute.

This lecture was recommended by a couple of Societies in our Area.

Adam Busiakiewicz is an Art Historian, lutenist and lecturer. After completing his Bachelor’s Degree in History at UCL in 2010 he held the position of Head of Historical Interpretation (curator) at Warwick Castle. He left the castle in 2013 after winning a full AHRC studentship to pursue a Master’s Degree in Fine and Decorative Art at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Art History at Warwick University after winning a CADRE Postgraduate Scholarship in 2017.

Earlier in December 2014 he became the youngest Guide Lecturer at the Wallace Collection, where he regularly gives talks, tours and lectures to both public and professional audiences. He has also given lectures at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, and is organising a series of talks there on the lute in paintings in 2018.

There will be Drinks for new members after this lecture

Picasso told his biographer, John Richardson, that his work was like a diary - "to understand it, you have to see how it mirrors my life."

This lecture examines the way Picasso's emotional life influenced what he painted and how he painted it. His response to each new love in his life can been seen in the different styles in which his many women were represented. When he fell out of love, that fact would be revealed first in his paintings. We will concentrate on the seven most important women in his life, two of whom he married.

Val Woodgate has lectured to us several times before, getting stellar ratings from our committee each time.

Lecturer and Guide in Tate Britain and Tate Modern, also at many other London galleries. Former member of the teaching team at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Lecturer and runs courses at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester.

Image of: Valerie Woodgate

Andy McConnell
BBC Antiques Roadshow glass specialist

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

Has dealt in antiques since adolescence, but served an apprenticeship in journalism. After working in music, film and television, he returned to writing in 2004 as the author of the acclaimed tome The Decanter, An Illustrated History of Glass From 1650. He followed this in 2006 with Miller's' 20th Century Glass.He writes regularly for journals as diverse as  The Times  and  Glass Circle News  and runs Britain's largest antique and vintage glass gallery in Rye, Sussex. He is best known as the distinctly humorous glass specialist on BBC's evergreen Antiques Roadshow and has recently completed his sixth series.

Dr Lois Oliver
Curator, Broadcaster & Violinist

Music was a constant theme in Manet’s life and art. His wife Suzanne Leenhoff was a gifted pianist, and regular musical soirées were held at the Manet family home. His pictures of musicians and their audiences range from major early canvases depicting itinerant gypsy musicians and Spanish dancers, through to paintings encompassing the full range of Parisian musical culture, from private performances to street entertainment, café concerts and the Paris Opera. Bringing together Manet’s art and the music that inspired him (including Spanish flamenco, Haydn string quartets, Wagner piano reductions, café songs, and opera highlights) this lecture immerses you in Manet’s world.

Dr Lois Oliver studied English Literature at Cambridge University, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, completing an MA in Venetian Renaissance Art and writing her doctoral thesis on The Image of the Artist, Paris 1815-1855. She worked at the Harvard University Art Museums before joining the curatorial team at the V&A and then the National Gallery where she co-curated the major exhibition Rebels and Martyrs: the image of the artist in the nineteenth century (2006) and a series of touring exhibitions. Currently Assistant Professor in History of Art at the University of Notre Dame in London, and a Visiting Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, she writes audio and multimedia tours for clients including the National Gallery, National Maritime Museum, Royal Academy and Tate, and has appeared on TV programmes for the BBC and Channel 5, as well as broadcasting on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. Also a keen violinist, she plays regularly with orchestras including the Endellion Festival Orchestra.

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00am

Annual General Meeting followed by

Alla Mode: Mid-20th Century Italian Ceramics

Mark Hill
BBC Antiques Roadshow expert and author

Stylish and colourful, Italian ceramics of the 1950s–70s reflect the many developments in ceramic design and modern art of the period. Although made in large quantities and exported across the world, until now little has been known about the companies, designers and influences behind them. Major makers from Bitossi to Fantoni to the many factories on San Marino are covered, and the identity of an important, forgotten factory is revealed.

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 since published over 12 books on specialist subjects in 20th century design and decorative arts. A Miscellaneous expert on the Antiques Roadshow since 2007, and has co-presented three primetime factual TV series on antiques and collecting for BBC2. An auctioneer running 20th century design auctions in partnership with Dawsons Auctioneers. 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.

Toby Faber
Former MD of Faber & Faber

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. After going missing in the Revolution, most of the eggs re-emerged in the store-rooms of the Kremlin, where they were immediately identified as a source of much-needed foreign exchange. Their subsequent history holds up a mirror to the twentieth century and encompasses Bolsheviks and entrepreneurs, tycoons and heiresses, con-men and queens. Eggs have been sold and smuggled, stolen and forged. Now, as they return to Russia, their history – like that of Russia itself - seems to have come full circle. Then there are the eight eggs which remain missing. What prospect is there that they will ever emerge, and if they do, will anyone believe that they are genuine?

Has written two works of narrative history, Stradivarius and Fabergé's Eggs, published by Macmillan in the UK and Random House in the US, and given lectures associated with these two subjects at venues including The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Library of Congress and the Huntington Library, as well as a number of literary festivals. 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 and the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Eveline Eaton
Lecturer and Tour Guide

The story of Expressionism begins as a reaction against Impressionism – an idea first explored by the Post-Impressionists (Gauguin, van Gogh, Cézanne and Seurat) and then taken up by young French and German artists in the turbulent times of the early twentieth century. By means of bright colour and bold brushwork, the ‘Wild Beasts’ or ‘Fauves’ (Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck) expressed their ideas in a highly aggressive mode. The German Expressionists in Dresden (Kirchner and the ‘Brücke’ group) and in Munich (Kandinsky and the ‘Blue Riders’) also looked to the importance of African/Oceanic ‘primitivism’ and the decorative elements of painting and sculpture to produce a forcefully emotional art which nevertheless was justified by intellectual argument.

BA Hons Courtauld Institute; Diploma:Study Centre for the History of Fine & Decorative Arts. Freelance lecturer in Fine Arts and tour-guide to Berlin, Dresden, Munich. Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dresden Trust.

John Ericson
Lecturer and Academic

In this popular talk John Ericson tells the extraordinary story of the Shakers of North America, exploring their beginnings, what they believed and how they lived their lives before examining examples of their wonderful buildings and furniture. For it is only with such an understanding of their devout faith and way of life that we can begin to appreciate their intriguing legacy.

Formerly a lecturer at the University of Bath where he was Director of Studies in the School of Education with responsibility for the professional development of teachers. He has worked extensively overseas as an educational consultant and this has given him the opportunity to give lectures and presentations at conferences all over the world. In 2008 and again in 2011 he undertook extensive lecture tours of Australia and he has been a popular speaker on The Arts Society's circuit for a number of years.

Peter Medhurst
Musician and Scholar, Lecturer and Singer

As Venice declined, it produced ever fewer opportunities for high-grade lucrative employment and as a result, many of its native artists and musicians looked for work elsewhere. Some went south to Rome and Florence, some gravitated to Paris, Vienna, and even Madrid, but many – inspired by the constant procession of Englishmen on the Grand Tour – set their sights on the ever expanding English capital. Through digital images, film and live examples sung and played at the piano, Peter Medhurst explores the knock- on effect of the Venetians’ stay in 18th century London and reveals how English culture took on a discernable Venetian quality that was to be detected in its art and music for many years to come.
Music performed includes: Largo from Fourth Set of Suites – R Jones, Allegro from Piano Sonata in C – J Hook, Allegro from Voluntary in D minor – J Stanley, Sonata No 3 in A minor – B Galuppi, Generous and Gallant Nation – M Greene.

Peter appears in the UK and abroad as musician and scholar, giving recitals and delivering illustrated lectures on music and the arts. He studied singing and early keyboard instruments at the Royal College of Music and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Takes groups to Europe (please enquire). All lectures are presented digitally. Lectures include live music sung and played on piano, virginals or clavichord. Musical programmes devised for special or larger scale events.

Nicola Moorby
Art Historian and Curator

J.M.W. Turner was arguably the greatest practitioner in watercolour the world has ever seen and his achievements still represent the benchmark for artists working today. Yet he left frustratingly few written records of his processes and was notoriously reticent about his methods. One brave soul apparently once asked him the key to being a successful artist and it is recorded that he rather grumpily replied ‘The only secret I have is damned hard work’! This lecture examines Turner’s watercolour practice in detail, unlocking the mysteries behind his exceptional effects. In addition to showcasing the diversity and richness of his achievements in the medium, we will look at his experimental approach to techniques and some of his tools and materials. 

An independent art historian specialising in British art of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She studied at the University of York and Birkbeck College, London. Formerly a curator at Tate Britain she has curated a number of exhibitions and has published widely on J.M.W. Turner, including contributions to the forthcoming online catalogue of the Turner Bequest. She is also co-editor and author of How to Paint Like Turner (Tate Publishing, 2010). In addition, she has published on Walter Richard Sickert and is co-author of Tate's catalogue of works by the Camden Town Group.

Joanna Hardy
BBC Antiques Roadshow jewellery expert

There are some jewels that are special, but why? It may be because of their exquisite manufacture, or even their magical story of discovery. Jewellery can be inspiring, breath taking or simply understated to grab the attention of an expert. But one thing they will all have in common is good craftsmanship. The jewels I have chosen have all passed through my hands and range from antique to contemporary, with each being as diverse as the stories that lie behind them. 

Joanna Hardy has over 30 years experience working with jewellery beginning her career as a goldsmith before joining De Beers as a rough diamond valuer. Joanna then went to work in Antwerp as a polished diamond dealer before joining Philips the auctioneers in London. She then moved to Sotheby’s in Bond Street and for fourteen years was their senior jewellery specialist and auctioneer where she was responsible for jewellery auctions worldwide in New York, Geneva and London. 

The Rt. Revd Christopher Herbert
Lecturer and former Bishop of St Albans

Rogier van der Weyden was one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. He brought to his work consummate skill, and a lively capacity to explore the boundaries of painting. He created some hauntingly lovely portraits, especially of young women, and his religious pieces are marked by profound psychological and spiritual insight. He lived in politically dangerous and exciting times; yet he was also fascinated by the stillness of monastic life. He worked in the tension between outer turbulence and inner stillness and, as a result, has left for us paintings which are breathtaking in their beauty. 

Christopher Herbert has lectured at the National Gallery, the Courtauld Institute, King’s College, London, Westminster Abbey, and the University of Rikkyo in Japan, and at churches and cathedrals throughout England and in Italy. Was until recently Bishop of St Albans and a member of the House of Lords. He has an MPhil and PhD in Art History from the University of Leicester. Created Visiting Professor in Christian Ethics in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey, and has also been awarded two honorary doctorates and is an honorary citizen of Fano, Italy.

This lecture analyses Wren’s life and his career as a scientist, astronomer and architect. It features all his buildings in London, Oxford and Cambridge, before focusing on his City of London churches. In addition to photographs of most of Wren’s buildings, the lecture includes original research into the work of architects in Rome and Paris, which influenced Wren and provided much of his inspiration. 

MA in Modern History from Oriel College, Oxford, Qualified City Guide and former Chairman of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association and Trustee of the Friends of the City Churches (FCC). Lectures to various City institutions, the FCC, U3A, and various historical associations.  Leads regular guided walks for the City of London Corporation, the Friends of the City Churches and numerous private groups. Publications include The Visitor’s Guide to the City of London Churches  (2006) and regular contributions to Cityguide magazine and the FCC Newsletter.

There will be Drinks for new members after this lecture

The architecture of the Royal National Theatre divides opinion so much that it once appeared twice in a poll of the buildings of London – in the top ten best and the top ten worst. Famously, Prince Charles once described it as a nuclear bunker. Was he right? The lecture looks at the life and work of Denys Lasdun, including other buildings he designed, but focuses on the National Theatre and pleads for an appreciation of the austere beauty of this architectural masterpiece.

Alan Read holds a masters and a first class honours degree in History of Art from Birkbeck College. Is a gallery guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and National Portrait Gallery, and has lectured at the NPG, Penlee House (Penzance), Plymouth City Art Gallery, Croydon Clocktower and the Bridewell Institute. He is also a London Blue Badge Guide and City of London Guide and has conducted walking tours for the Twentieth Century Society, the National Trust and team London Bridge.

Jeanne Dolmetsch LRAM
Musician and Lecturer

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

Explores the evolution of Christmas customs and folklore down the ages. We examine holly, mistletoe, fir trees, glass balls, robins, reindeer, yule logs, puddings, cakes and St. Nicholas. The 16th-century story of Jack Horner and his Christmas Pie is retold, and we experience the bleak times when Christmas was abolished under Cromwell and mince pies were made illegal! 

Jeanne Dolmetsch (pictured) is the Granddaughter of Arnold Dolmetsch, pioneer of the Early Music Renaissance. Trained by her father Carl Dolmetsch to play recorder, viol and harpsichord and studied violin and piano at the Royal Academy of Music. Specialist in the interpretation and performance of 16th, 17th and 18th century music and has given concerts and lecture recitals worldwide. For many years worked as a craftsman at the Dolmetsch Musical Instrument workshop and from 1972-2001 was assistant director and then director of the Haslemere Festival of Early Music, founded by her grandfather in 1925.

Jeanne Dolmetsch LRAM
Musician and Lecturer

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

Explores the evolution of Christmas customs and folklore down the ages. We examine holly, mistletoe, fir trees, glass balls, robins, reindeer, yule logs, puddings, cakes and St. Nicholas. The 16th-century story of Jack Horner and his Christmas Pie is retold, and we experience the bleak times when Christmas was abolished under Cromwell and mince pies were made illegal! 

Jeanne Dolmetsch (pictured) is the Granddaughter of Arnold Dolmetsch, pioneer of the Early Music Renaissance. Trained by her father Carl Dolmetsch to play recorder, viol and harpsichord and studied violin and piano at the Royal Academy of Music. Specialist in the interpretation and performance of 16th, 17th and 18th century music and has given concerts and lecture recitals worldwide. For many years worked as a craftsman at the Dolmetsch Musical Instrument workshop and from 1972-2001 was assistant director and then director of the Haslemere Festival of Early Music, founded by her grandfather in 1925.

Shirley Smith
Art Historian and Lecturer

It is sometimes difficult for us to understand the full meaning of a painting from the past due to the wealth of symbolism it contains, much of it obscure to us today but instantly recognizable to contemporaries. This lecture aims to peel back the layers of Renaissance art by deciphering the meaning of some of these symbols - spiritual and secular, virginal and vulgar – and so enable us to read these paintings as had the people for whom they were intended. 

Shirley Smith graduated from the University of East Anglia with a first class honours degree in the History of Art, specialising in the Italian and Northern Renaissance. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a part-time lecturer for the University of East Anglia and for the Department of Continuing Education of the University of Cambridge. Has run study days and certificate courses as well as residential weekend courses. Also lectures to the Art Fund and individual clubs and societies. She is particularly keen to set the art and architecture of the period in the context of the society for which it was produced.

Image: of Shirley Smith

Shirley Smith
Art Historian and Lecturer

It is sometimes difficult for us to understand the full meaning of a painting from the past due to the wealth of symbolism it contains, much of it obscure to us today but instantly recognizable to contemporaries. This lecture aims to peel back the layers of Renaissance art by deciphering the meaning of some of these symbols - spiritual and secular, virginal and vulgar – and so enable us to read these paintings as had the people for whom they were intended. 

Shirley Smith graduated from the University of East Anglia with a first class honours degree in the History of Art, specialising in the Italian and Northern Renaissance. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a part-time lecturer for the University of East Anglia and for the Department of Continuing Education of the University of Cambridge. Has run study days and certificate courses as well as residential weekend courses. Also lectures to the Art Fund and individual clubs and societies. She is particularly keen to set the art and architecture of the period in the context of the society for which it was produced.

Image: of Shirley Smith

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00am

Annual General Meeting followed by

Art and Revolution: Russian Culture in the 20th Century

Dr Rosamund Bartlett
Writer, Translator and Lecturer

In no other country did art play such an important role in national life in the 20th century as it did in Russia. Before the 1917 Revolution, Russian artists of the calibre of Kandinsky, Malevich and Stravinsky emerged for the first time as leaders of the European avant-garde. They were not only consummate professionals and peerless artists in their own right, they were revolutionaries, committed to forging a new artistic language. This lecture explores the nature of the revolution which took place across the arts in Russia on the eve of the Bolshevik Revolution. It will show how artists of the avant-garde took a leading role in early Soviet culture, and explain what happened under Totalitarianism, when Stalin started subjecting painters, musicians and writers to ideological control in the early 1930s, focusing on key figures like Shostakovich and Malevich. Finally, we shall seek to answer questions such as: What happened to Russian culture after the “death” of the avant-garde? What was Socialist Realism? Who were the dissidents? What are the great masterpieces of Russian culture in the 20th century? 

Rosamund Bartlett (pictured) has a Doctorate from Oxford and has held senior university posts, most recently at the European University Institute in Florence. Specialises in comparative study of art, music and literature, and currently writing a book on the Russian Avant-Garde and European Modernism. Author of several books, including biographies of Tolstoy and Chekhov, whose works she has also translated for Oxford World's Classics. Extensive experience lecturing in Russian cultural history at venues such as the V&A, the National Theatre and Covent Garden, and broadcasts regularly on the BBC. Often invited to lecture on tours, and is founding Director of the Anton Chekhov Foundation, set up to preserve the writer's house in Yalta.

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00am

Annual General Meeting followed by

Art and Revolution: Russian Culture in the 20th Century

Dr Rosamund Bartlett
Writer, Translator and Lecturer

In no other country did art play such an important role in national life in the 20th century as it did in Russia. Before the 1917 Revolution, Russian artists of the calibre of Kandinsky, Malevich and Stravinsky emerged for the first time as leaders of the European avant-garde. They were not only consummate professionals and peerless artists in their own right, they were revolutionaries, committed to forging a new artistic language. This lecture explores the nature of the revolution which took place across the arts in Russia on the eve of the Bolshevik Revolution. It will show how artists of the avant-garde took a leading role in early Soviet culture, and explain what happened under Totalitarianism, when Stalin started subjecting painters, musicians and writers to ideological control in the early 1930s, focusing on key figures like Shostakovich and Malevich. Finally, we shall seek to answer questions such as: What happened to Russian culture after the “death” of the avant-garde? What was Socialist Realism? Who were the dissidents? What are the great masterpieces of Russian culture in the 20th century? 

Rosamund Bartlett (pictured) has a Doctorate from Oxford and has held senior university posts, most recently at the European University Institute in Florence. Specialises in comparative study of art, music and literature, and currently writing a book on the Russian Avant-Garde and European Modernism. Author of several books, including biographies of Tolstoy and Chekhov, whose works she has also translated for Oxford World's Classics. Extensive experience lecturing in Russian cultural history at venues such as the V&A, the National Theatre and Covent Garden, and broadcasts regularly on the BBC. Often invited to lecture on tours, and is founding Director of the Anton Chekhov Foundation, set up to preserve the writer's house in Yalta.

Leslie Primo
Art Historian and National Gallery Lecturer

Lecture details to follow.

Leslie Primo holds a BA in Art History and an MA in Renaissance Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London. Was Visiting Lecturer in Art History at the University of Reading in 2005 and 2007, and gives lectures and guided tours, plus special talks, at both the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Also lectures at the City Literary Institute, and has presented a series of talks at the National Maritime Museum and the Courtauld Institute.

Leslie Primo
Art Historian and National Gallery Lecturer

Lecture details to follow.

Leslie Primo holds a BA in Art History and an MA in Renaissance Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London. Was Visiting Lecturer in Art History at the University of Reading in 2005 and 2007, and gives lectures and guided tours, plus special talks, at both the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Also lectures at the City Literary Institute, and has presented a series of talks at the National Maritime Museum and the Courtauld Institute.

Image: of Leslie Primo

Brian Stater
Lecturer on Photography, Architecture and History

The fabric of St Paul’s has barely been altered since the day it was completed by Sir Christopher Wren, in 1711. Yet the way in which it has been represented by the artists who have sketched, painted, photographed and engraved it reveal a multiplicity of meanings, evolving over the centuries. This lecture therefore uses fine art to trace the fascinating different cultural identities of Wren’s building as they have developed in the building’s history. The series includes a design sketch in Wren’s own hand, a Canaletto painting, a newly-discovered 19th century engraving, and on to a famous image of St Paul’s at the height of the London blitz. 

Brian Stater’s chief interests lie in photography, architecture and history and he combines all three in his lecturing career. He has taught at University College London, since 1997 and became a NADFAS lecturer in 2003. He is a member of the Association for Historical and Fine Art Photography and an exhibition of his own photographs has been staged at UCL. In an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the skills of some great photographers of the past, he has begun to work with a pre-War Leica camera, as used by his great hero, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and many others.

Image: of Brian Stater

Brian Stater
Lecturer on Photography, Architecture and History

The fabric of St Paul’s has barely been altered since the day it was completed by Sir Christopher Wren, in 1711. Yet the way in which it has been represented by the artists who have sketched, painted, photographed and engraved it reveal a multiplicity of meanings, evolving over the centuries. This lecture therefore uses fine art to trace the fascinating different cultural identities of Wren’s building as they have developed in the building’s history. The series includes a design sketch in Wren’s own hand, a Canaletto painting, a newly-discovered 19th century engraving, and on to a famous image of St Paul’s at the height of the London blitz. 

Brian Stater’s chief interests lie in photography, architecture and history and he combines all three in his lecturing career. He has taught at University College London, since 1997 and became a NADFAS lecturer in 2003. He is a member of the Association for Historical and Fine Art Photography and an exhibition of his own photographs has been staged at UCL. In an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the skills of some great photographers of the past, he has begun to work with a pre-War Leica camera, as used by his great hero, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and many others.

Image: of Brian Stater

Jane Tapley
Blue Badge Guide and Lecturer

Lecture details to follow.

Jane Tapley (pictured) is currently Special Events Organiser, Theatre Royal Bath. Interviews visiting actors, writers, directors. Lectures regularly to theatre going societies, NT and history and fine arts groups. West Country Tourist Board Registered Blue Badge Guide/Lecturer. Author and researcher of theatre programme notes on Hamlet, Sheridan's The Rivals and Jane Austen's Emma. Theatrical landlady! Home Economist. Consultant to various TV productions of Jane Austen adaptations on food in the 18th and 19th centuries. Hosts and cooks period meals in her Regency house in Bath for the Jane Austen Festival and other literary groups.

Jane Tapley
Blue Badge Guide and Lecturer

Lecture details to follow.

Jane Tapley (pictured) is currently Special Events Organiser, Theatre Royal Bath. Interviews visiting actors, writers, directors. Lectures regularly to theatre going societies, NT and history and fine arts groups. West Country Tourist Board Registered Blue Badge Guide/Lecturer. Author and researcher of theatre programme notes on Hamlet, Sheridan's The Rivals and Jane Austen's Emma. Theatrical landlady! Home Economist. Consultant to various TV productions of Jane Austen adaptations on food in the 18th and 19th centuries. Hosts and cooks period meals in her Regency house in Bath for the Jane Austen Festival and other literary groups.

Dr Geri Parlby
Art Historian and Freelance Lecturer

Since the end of the 15th century, when Wynkyn de Worde set up England's first printing press and after 1702, when the first newspaper, the Daily Courant, moved in, the term "Fleet Street" has been synonymous with newspaper journalism. In this lecture we will be looking at the ups and downs of this notorious ‘Street of Shame’ via the art that illustrated its stories.

Geri Parlby (pictured) is a former Fleet Street journalist and film publicist. She has a first class honours degree in History and Theology, a Masters in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute and a Theology doctorate from Roehampton University in London.
She has been lecturing for the past eleven years both in the UK and internationally. She is also principal lecturer on the NADFAS South West Area’s History of Art course and is an Honorary Research Fellow at Roehampton University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Dr Geri Parlby
Art Historian and Freelance Lecturer

Since the end of the 15th century, when Wynkyn de Worde set up England's first printing press and after 1702, when the first newspaper, the Daily Courant, moved in, the term "Fleet Street" has been synonymous with newspaper journalism. In this lecture we will be looking at the ups and downs of this notorious ‘Street of Shame’ via the art that illustrated its stories.

Geri Parlby (pictured) is a former Fleet Street journalist and film publicist. She has a first class honours degree in History and Theology, a Masters in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute and a Theology doctorate from Roehampton University in London.
She has been lecturing for the past eleven years both in the UK and internationally. She is also principal lecturer on the NADFAS South West Area’s History of Art course and is an Honorary Research Fellow at Roehampton University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Angela Findlay
Anglo-German Artist, Writer and Public Speaker

In these years of World War 2 Anniversaries the subject of this talk is hugely relevant. 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 Germany artists looked to creating art forms that would respond to questions of apology and atonement: 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.

Angela Findlay (pictured) is a professional artist, writer and freelance lecturer with a long standing interest in the role the arts and the creative process can play in bringing about changes, on a personal level or within societies. Her long career of teaching art in prisons and Young Offender Institutions in Germany and England, followed by her role as the former Arts Coordinator of the Koestler Trust in London, gave her many insights into the huge impact the arts can have in terms of rehabilitation. She is currently advising the Ministry of Justice and presenting the case for the arts to be included in their new rehabilitation and education policies.
In the past decade Angela’s Anglo-German roots led her to discover and research Germany’s largely unknown but fascinating post-WWII process of remembrance. So completely different to the British one, the arts once again play a huge and vital role in expressing the apology and atonement that underlies the country’s unique culture of memorials and counter memorials.
Angela has a BA(Hons) in Fine Art, a Diploma in Artistic Therapy (specialising in colour) and her paintings are widely exhibited both nationally and internationally. 

Angela Findlay
Anglo-German Artist, Writer and Public Speaker

In these years of World War 2 Anniversaries the subject of this talk is hugely relevant. 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 Germany artists looked to creating art forms that would respond to questions of apology and atonement: 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.

Angela Findlay (pictured) is a professional artist, writer and freelance lecturer with a long standing interest in the role the arts and the creative process can play in bringing about changes, on a personal level or within societies. Her long career of teaching art in prisons and Young Offender Institutions in Germany and England, followed by her role as the former Arts Coordinator of the Koestler Trust in London, gave her many insights into the huge impact the arts can have in terms of rehabilitation. She is currently advising the Ministry of Justice and presenting the case for the arts to be included in their new rehabilitation and education policies.
In the past decade Angela’s Anglo-German roots led her to discover and research Germany’s largely unknown but fascinating post-WWII process of remembrance. So completely different to the British one, the arts once again play a huge and vital role in expressing the apology and atonement that underlies the country’s unique culture of memorials and counter memorials.
Angela has a BA(Hons) in Fine Art, a Diploma in Artistic Therapy (specialising in colour) and her paintings are widely exhibited both nationally and internationally. 

Anthea Streeter
Art Specialist and Lecturer

Thomas Heatherwick (pictured) has won many awards and honours: in 2004 he was the youngest practitioner to be appointed a Royal Designer for Industry; he won a Gold Medal for his British Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo in 2010, and in the same year he was designer of the year in Japan.Sir Terence Conran spotted his talent early on and has described Heatherwick as “the Leonardo da Vinci of our times”. Heatherwick’s work received world-wide coverage in 2012 when with his studio team he designed the Olympic Cauldron at the London Olympics. The giant ring of fire rising up from the centre of the Olympic Stadium was a memorable sight, and in the lecture we’ll look at how they achieved that spectacular moment. The Heatherwick Studio has also designed the new red London bus, the first re-design of such an iconic symbol of London for 50 years. A part-model of the bus was featured at the acclaimed exhibition of their work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2012. Heatherwick’s approach is multi-disciplinary, and with his colleagues he blends architecture, sculpture and engineering to produce elegant results, from large urban spaces to individual items such as his Zip Bag for the French firm Longchamp. His proposed Garden Bridge across the River Thames is receiving extensive media coverage. If constructed, it will add another dimension to London’s many parks and gardens. Heatherwick’s innovative approach is now in demand all over the world, and the lecture will highlight the broad range of his designs.
 

Anthea Streeter (pictured) 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. Special interest in the architecture and design of 20th century.

Anthea Streeter
Art Specialist and Lecturer

Thomas Heatherwick (pictured) has won many awards and honours: in 2004 he was the youngest practitioner to be appointed a Royal Designer for Industry; he won a Gold Medal for his British Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo in 2010, and in the same year he was designer of the year in Japan.Sir Terence Conran spotted his talent early on and has described Heatherwick as “the Leonardo da Vinci of our times”. Heatherwick’s work received world-wide coverage in 2012 when with his studio team he designed the Olympic Cauldron at the London Olympics. The giant ring of fire rising up from the centre of the Olympic Stadium was a memorable sight, and in the lecture we’ll look at how they achieved that spectacular moment. The Heatherwick Studio has also designed the new red London bus, the first re-design of such an iconic symbol of London for 50 years. A part-model of the bus was featured at the acclaimed exhibition of their work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2012. Heatherwick’s approach is multi-disciplinary, and with his colleagues he blends architecture, sculpture and engineering to produce elegant results, from large urban spaces to individual items such as his Zip Bag for the French firm Longchamp. His proposed Garden Bridge across the River Thames is receiving extensive media coverage. If constructed, it will add another dimension to London’s many parks and gardens. Heatherwick’s innovative approach is now in demand all over the world, and the lecture will highlight the broad range of his designs.

Anthea Streeter (pictured) 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. Special interest in the architecture and design of 20th century.

Bertie Pearce
Gold Star Member of the Inner Magic Circle

Charles John Huffam Dickens brought into the world a staggering array of wonderful characters with orphans, starving children, misers, murderers and abusive school teachers among them. People such as Mr Micawber, Fagin and Abel Magwitch remain in one’s literary psyche long after the books are put down. Largely self educated, Dickens possessed the genius to become the greatest writer of his age with 15 major novels and countless short stories and articles. In his lecture Bertie Pearce looks at the life and places of Dickens through his characters. The talk is interspersed with readings of this works. A truly Dickensian experience.

Bertie Pearce (pictured) has a BA (Hons) in Drama from Manchester University, and a Diploma Internationale from the École Internationale du Théatre, Jacques Lecoq. A member of the Inner Magic Circle, with Gold Star. Past experience includes lecturing to cruise ship audiences, the Women’s Institute, theatre clubs and the Sussex Magic Circle, as well as NADFAS. In addition, has toured the world with a magic cabaret show and a one man show entitled All Aboard. Has written an article on entertainment for the Guardian newspaper.

Oliver Everett
Diplomat and Academic

There will be Drinks for new members after this lecture

The talk starts from the Indus Valley civilisation (3000BC to 1500BC) and continues with the Aryan invasion from 1500BC and with the brief but significant invasion by Alexander the Great in 326BC. The Mauryan Empire (320-180BC) was the first full scale indigenous empire in India. Its most powerful Emperor, Ashoka, spread Buddhism over much of the country with his famous columns, rock inscriptions and stupas. The second great Indian Empire, the Guptas (320-480AD), created a sophisticated society with flourishing arts, architecture, sculpture, literature, sciences, economics and administration. Cave and rock temples are described and illustrated, including the remarkable wall paintings at Ajanta and the sculpture at Ellora and Elephanta. Hindu temples developed all over the country from the 5th century AD onwards and became increasingly complex and extraordinary. The Muslim invasion of India at the end of the 12th century introduced new forms of architecture and art. 

Oliver Everett (pictured) was educated at Cambridge University and did post graduate work at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA; and at the London School of Economics. Following service in the Foreign Office, including postings in India and Spain, he was Assistant Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales,1978 80; and then Private Secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales, 1981 3. He was Librarian in the Royal Library, Windsor Castle, 1984 2002. He is now Librarian Emeritus following his retirement in 2002. He wrote the official guidebook and audio tour on Windsor Castle, taught a course on its history and advised on a television programme about it. He wrote articles on the Royal Library and helped with two books on aspects of the Royal Collection. He is advising on a possible history series for television. He lectures widely in Britain and abroad and also on cruise ships.

Oliver Everett
Diplomat and Academic

There will be Drinks for new members after this lecture

The talk starts from the Indus Valley civilisation (3000BC to 1500BC) and continues with the Aryan invasion from 1500BC and with the brief but significant invasion by Alexander the Great in 326BC. The Mauryan Empire (320-180BC) was the first full scale indigenous empire in India. Its most powerful Emperor, Ashoka, spread Buddhism over much of the country with his famous columns, rock inscriptions and stupas. The second great Indian Empire, the Guptas (320-480AD), created a sophisticated society with flourishing arts, architecture, sculpture, literature, sciences, economics and administration. Cave and rock temples are described and illustrated, including the remarkable wall paintings at Ajanta and the sculpture at Ellora and Elephanta. Hindu temples developed all over the country from the 5th century AD onwards and became increasingly complex and extraordinary. The Muslim invasion of India at the end of the 12th century introduced new forms of architecture and art. 

Oliver Everett (pictured) was educated at Cambridge University and did post graduate work at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA; and at the London School of Economics. Following service in the Foreign Office, including postings in India and Spain, he was Assistant Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales,1978 80; and then Private Secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales, 1981 3. He was Librarian in the Royal Library, Windsor Castle, 1984 2002. He is now Librarian Emeritus following his retirement in 2002. He wrote the official guidebook and audio tour on Windsor Castle, taught a course on its history and advised on a television programme about it. He wrote articles on the Royal Library and helped with two books on aspects of the Royal Collection. He is advising on a possible history series for television. He lectures widely in Britain and abroad and also on cruise ships.

Pamela Halford
Lecturer, Researcher and Scriptwriter

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

This lecture is specially packaged for the festive season, Pamela Halford will unwrap some of the many layers of history, custom and myth that make up Christmas: the nativity, decking the halls, cards, food, presents and much more. The lecture is beautifully illustrated by well known paintings and lesser known extraordinary works. Poetry and prose abound – including words written by the speaker to bring joy, pathos and humour.

Pamela Halford is a freelance lecturer. Has lectured variously to the English Speaking Union, National Trust, Art & Historical societies, Festivals, The National Gallery and Bath University's Department of Continuing Education. Past President and Chairman of Bristol DFAS. Previously lecturer and researcher / scriptwriter / director (BBC).

Sarah Deere-Jones
Musician and Scholar, Performer and Lecturer

Using illustrations from carvings, wall paintings, pottery, mosaics, sculpture, stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, and 18th and 19th century paintings, Sarah traces the history of one of the world’s most ancient and beloved musical instruments from thousands of years BC, to it’s arrival in northern Europe, including the huge developments and improvements during the renaissance and 19th centuries that created the highly mechanised and beautiful instrument we see played in orchestras and as solo instruments today. Performing on her own reproduction and antique instruments, Sarah will demonstrate the development and evolving sound and repertoire of the harp throughout its history.

Sarah Deere-Jones performs, writes and lectures in the UK and abroad as a musician and scholar, having been a graduate and prize-winner from the Royal Academy of Music. Has appeared on national radio and television in UK and America, lectured for National Trust, English Heritage, U3A, schools and colleges and onboard the QE2. All lectures are presented digitally and include live music and songs on various harps, depending on the subject.

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00am

Annual General Meeting followed by

Sèvres Porcelain
Jane Gardiner
Art Historian and Lecturer

A history of the Vincennes-Sèvres factory and its productions up to the French Revolution.
This lecture will begin by looking at the patronage of Louis XV and Mme. de Pompadour, the establishment of the factory in the disused royal château of Vincennes, the fashion for porcelain flowers, the development of the early ground colours, such as bleu lapis and bleu celeste and the influence of François Boucher. It will go on to discuss the move to Sèvres and the creation of a truly Royal factory, the development of the later ground colours, the royal table services, the taste for porcelain- mounted furniture and the fashion for biscuit porcelain figures.

Jane Gardiner has an MA History of Art, University of London. Trained at the V&A and continues to lecture there. Was Senior Lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art for 17 years, becoming a Deputy Director of Sotheby's, UK. Has also lectured for the National Trust, the Art Fund, London University, Buckingham University, l'Institut d'Etudes Superieures des Arts in Paris, a private women's college in Saudi Arabia, on cruise ships and at antiques fairs and interior design conferences in America.

Lois Oliver
Art Historian and Broadcaster

Orpheus could quite literally charm the birds out of the trees with his music - yet he failed to bring his beloved Eurydice safely out of the Underworld. All he had to do was to lead her up to the light without looking back at her... Not surprisingly the tale of how the legendary singer lost his lover through a single glance has inspired much great music (including the first masterpiece of opera, Monteverdi’s Orfeo), and visual artists too have responded to this tragic story of love and loss. Explore the wealth of art and music on the theme of Orpheus, with a rich array of paintings and musical examples from Monteverdi, Gluck, and Offenbach, even taking in the Can-Can!

Dr Lois Oliver studied English Literature at Cambridge University, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, completing an MA in Venetian Renaissance Art and writing her doctoral thesis on The Image of the Artist, Paris 1815-1855. She worked at the Harvard University Art Museums before joining the curatorial team at the V&A and then the National Gallery where she co-curated the major exhibition Rebels and Martyrs: the image of the artist in the nineteenth century (2006) and a series of touring exhibitions. Currently Assistant Professor in History of Art at the University of Notre Dame in London, and a Visiting Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, she writes audio and multimedia tours for clients including the National Gallery, National Maritime Museum, Royal Academy and Tate, and has appeared on TV programmes for the BBC and Channel 5, as well as broadcasting on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. Also a keen violinist, she plays regularly with orchestras including the Endellion Festival Orchestra.

Denise Heywood
Author, Lecturer, Photographer and Journalist

This lecture will explore the sacred architecture of Laos, particularly in Luang Prabang, in the mist shrouded mountains of the north. The natural setting of the town, in an amphitheatre of steep, verdant mountains, enhances its jewel- like identity. In this remote spot there are 32 Buddhist temples, some dating from the 16th century, superbly gilded and frescoed, with tiered roofs that sweep to the ground. The ornate shrines and golden Buddhas found in Laos are unique to this artistic culture.
Inhabited mostly by saffron robed monks, Luang Prabang is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This status extends to the French colonial architecture of the town as well. The lecture examines the French legacy of elegant wooden houses with Lao motifs, built during the late 19th century, which blended harmoniously with Lao secular architectural traditions, a unique fusion of East- West influences.
Finally, there is reference to contemporary art, especially the shimmering silkweaving, once the preserve of the Lao monarchy, and an ancient, traditional craft of intricate designs and exceptional beauty that has recently been revived.

Author, lecturer, photographer and journalist. Worked in Cambodia and lived in France and America. Her books include one on the Buddhist temples of Laos, Ancient Luang Prabang, and her latest one is Cambodian Dance Celebration of the Gods, with a foreword by Princess Buppha Devi, daughter of King Sihanouk. Lectures for the Art Fund, the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) on their post graduate Asian Art Course and for Madingley Hall (University of Cambridge); also for organisations such as the British Museum, the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, Asia House, the National Trust, the Royal Geographical Society and universities, museums, colleges, schools, art institutions, literary societies and travel organisations across the world. She writes for many art, literary and travel publications and has appeared on BBC radio. She has led cultural tours to S.E.Asia and France for the Royal Academy, the Art Fund, Asia House and many more and lectures on cruise ships. A member of the Association of Southeast Asian Studies in the UK, Asia House and the Royal Geographical Society.

Martin Lloyd
Immigration Specialist, Lecturer and Broadcaster

From the wax seal to the microchip, man has exploited the skill of the artist and artisan in his attempt to manufacture and unforgettable document. Taking you through three centuries of passport design, this lecture explains the overt and uncovers the covert to illustrate the defences built in to the passport and the tricks the forger uses to defeat them. You will never see your passport in the same light again!

Has been lecturing to various groups, including U3A, National Trust, historical societies, Gresham College and business groups since 2008. Previously worked for HM Immigration Service, and has broadcast on local and national television and radio.

Anthony Penrose
Specialist in the Works of his Parents

The story of Roland Penrose, British Surrealist artist and biographer of Picasso and Lee Miller, the American Surrealist photographer, who shot fashion and combat with equal talent as seen through the eyes of their son Antony Penrose, who is also their biographer. We look at how their early lives formed their motivations and how they strove to use art to make the world a better place. The last decades of their life together were at Farley Farm, their home in Sussex which was frequented by many prominent Surrealist and Modern artists.

For the past 30 years has conserved and disseminated the work of his parents, Lee Miller and Roland Penrose. He is the director of The Lee Miller Archives and The Penrose Collection at Farley Farm House in Sussex and has seen his parents' work featured in major exhibitions at the V&A, National Portrait Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Whitworth. He has lectured at museums and universities around the world, and made documentaries for television. Publications include The Lives of Lee Miller, Lee Miller's War (editor), The Angel and the Fiend, The Home of the Surrealists, Roland Penrose the Friendly Surrealist and The Boy Who Bit Picasso.

Caroline Shenton
Archivist, Historian and Author

In the early evening of 16 October 1834, to the horror of bystanders, a huge ball of fire exploded through the roof of the Houses of Parliament, creating a blaze so enormous that it could be seen by the King and Queen at Windsor and from stagecoaches on top of the South Downs. In front of hundreds of thousands of witnesses, the great conflagration destroyed Parliament's glorious old buildings and their contents. No one who witnessed the disaster would ever forget it.
Based on my acclaimed book of the same name, this talk takes the audience through the gripping hour-by-hour story of the fire with stunning slides (best viewed in a darkened room!), and considers its devastating aftermath and far- reaching consequences. The story of the fire is told through contemporary depictions of the disaster by Turner, William Heath and others.

Caroline is an archivist, historian and author. She was formerly Director of the Parliamentary Archives at Westminster and a senior archivist at The National Archives at Kew. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Royal Historical Society and has appeared on national tv and radio and reviews books for The Spectator. Her first popular history book, The Day Parliament Burned Down, was published to rave reviews in 2012, and won the inaugural Political Book of the Year Award in 2013. Caroline lives in Oxfordshire but works in London so is easily available for bookings in those areas particularly.

Douglas Skeggs
Writer, Artist, Lecturer and TV presenter

This lecture concerns the turbulent history of the extraordinary Medici family. They were ruthless in the pursuit of profit for their Florentine bank, greedy for success, merciless to those who opposed them and vicious in their internal squabbles, yet some of the greatest achievements in Italian Renaissance art resulted from their patronage. The lecture will examine their triumphs and tragedies, the intrigues and plots, the assassination attempts, the years of exile and their perpetual desire to glorify the family name in works of art. Indeed, without their love of art and their almost limitless wealth we might never have seen the works of Donatello, Botticelli and Michelangelo.ino

Douglas Skeggs read Fine Art at Magdalene College, Cambridge and since 1980 has been a lecturer on Art history and techniques of painting. He is also an Artist, Biographer, Novelist and TV Presenter. He has written six novels and presented numerous TV documentaries, notably the Omnibus programme on Whistler, and the exhibition video on William Morris.
As an artist in his own right he has held one-man exhibitions of his paintings in England and Switzerland. He is a director of the New Academy of Arts.

Theodora Clarke
Art Historian, Lecturer and Critic

There will be Drinks for new members after this lecture

This lecture aims to introduce the audience to Russian and twentieth century art through the work of Diaghilev and his internationally renowned ballet company the Ballets Russes. Diaghilev was a leading patron of the Russian avant-garde in the West who interacted with major artistic figures of the day. We will examine his use of the artist in ballet productions and thereby trace the Ballets Russes’ role in the history of modernism. Particular attention will be on the costumes and set designs by leading artists such as Baskt, Benois, Goncharova, Larionov, Matisse and Picasso. Seminal productions covered will include Scheherazade (1910), The Golden Cockerel (1914) The Firebird (1910) and Parade (1917). A specific case study will be The Rite of Spring (1913) whose revolutionary music by Stravinsky and violent and erotic version of a pagan Russia shocked Western audiences. The talk will focus closely on the visual and moving image; we will look at costume and set designs, photographs, printed ephemera and ballet film footage.
The lecture will include a general introduction to key themes and artists of the early twentieth-century avant-garde and trace their artistic development through their involvement with the Ballets Russes. Themes of emigration, exchange and the creation of a Russian cultural identity in the West will also be examined.

Theodora Clarke is founder and editor of the online arts magazine Russian Art and Culture. She also set up Russian Art Week in London and publishes the bi-annual guide to this major event. She is an art historian, lecturer and critic specialising in Russian art and European modernism. Theodora lectures widely on twentieth-century avant-garde painting and sculpture to audiences across the UK at museums, galleries, universities and associations, and conducts cultural tours to Russia. She has previously lectured at institutions including the V&A, Tate Britain, Cambridge University and the Courtauld Institute of Art. Harvard University awarded her a dissertation grant. Theodora is a frequent and popular commentator on Russian culture for numerous print, TV and radio outlets, including the Telegraph, Burlington Magazine and Russia Beyond the Headlines. Theodora has previously worked at Christie's and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and holds a BA in Art History from Newcastle University and an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art in Russian Art.

Annie Gray
Food Historian

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00am

Annual General Meeting followed by

The Trees Wave, the Clouds Pass – Virginia Woolf on Life & Art: works by Vanessa Bell and the Camden Group

Karin Fernald
Lecturer

Stephen Kershaw
Writer and Lecturer

Eric Knowles
Lecturer and Tour Guide

This lecture will be followed by a drinks party for all helpers and spouses and past and present committee members and spouses. The drinks party will be held at "Cherry's", St. George's Avenue, Weybridge.

Nicholas Reed
Art Historian and Archaeologist

Sam Moorhead
Lecturer and Adviser

Michael Wheeler
Lecturer and Academic

Christopher Bradley
Tour Guide and Lecturer

Bertie Pearce
Lecturer and Performer

Caroline Knight
Architectural historian

There will be Drinks for new members after this lecture

Crispian Steele-Perkins
Trumpet Soloist.

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

Andrew Davies
Author, Broadcaster & Lecturer

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00am Annual General Meeting followed by Opera Giants: Verdi and Wagner

Sarah Lenton
Writer, Broadcaster & Lecturer

Neil Faulkner
Lecturer, Archaeologist & Broadcaster

Dr. Rosamund Bartlett
Lecturer, Author & Broadcaster

Dr. Anne Anderson
Archaeologist, Lecturer & Broadcaster
Followed by drinks for audio visual team, car parking helpers, coffee helpers, reception helpers, and their spouses etc.
Venue tba.

Hanne Sutcliffe
Lecturer & Guide

Mark Corby
Lecturer in History & Architecture

Daniel Snowman
Writer, Broadcaster & Lecturer

Gail Turner
Historian, Art Historian & Lecturer

Tom Duncan
Lecturer and Tour Leader

Dr. Sally Dormer
Lecturer at V&A

There will be Christmas Drinks and Mince Pies after the lecture

Jane Angelini
MA in Byzantine Studies

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00 am

AGM at 10.00 am followed by
Sale of the Century - Collection of Charles I

Edward Saunders
Lecturer, University of Cape Town

Janet Canetty-Clarke
Lecturer in Music

Leslie Primo
Lecturer, National Gallery

Frank Woodgate
Lecturer, Tate Gallery

There will be drinks for past and present committee members and their spouses etc. after the lecture meeting

Carolyn Leder
Curator and Author

John Benjamin
Directory of Jewellery, Broadcaster, Member of Antiques Roadshow team

Dr. Paula Nuttall
V&A Director, Author and Lecturer

Mr. Yasha Beresiner
Lecturer and City of London Guide

Peter Medhurst
Musician and Scholar

Ann Clements
Has worked cataloguing English watercolours and drawings for the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, and carried out research for the Paul Mellon Foundation.
This lecture will be followed by Christmas drinks and mince pies

Rosamund Bartlett has a doctorate from Oxford, and is currently Visiting Professor at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, and a Visiting Research Fellow in the Music Department at King's College London. We enjoyed her Special Interest Day on "Art & Revolution: Russian Culture in the 20th Century" in March 2011 so much we had to ask her back.

Dick Bolton
"Man of Kent". Canterbury Cathedral Guide. Registered Blue Badge Guide. Member of the British Brick Society and the Lutyens Trust.

AGM at 10.00 am followed by
GALLÉ, LALIQUE and their CONTEMPORARY FRENCH GLASSMAKERS
Diana Lloyd
Freelance Lecturer in Ceramic, Glass and the History of Interior Decoration. Lectures at the Inchbald School of Design. Guides groups through museum collections and country houses.

Eveline Eaton grew up in in Berlin. Since 1973, she has lived, studied and worked in the UK. She has a degree in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute, as well a Diploma from the Study Centre for the History of Fine and Decorative Arts. Since the 1980s, she has worked as a free-lance lecturer for Surrey University, the Art Fund and for NADFAS. She frequently guides art-trips to Berlin/Dresden, Munich and Bavaria, the Cote d’Azur, Normandy and New York. She is a member of Weybridge DFAS.

Barry Venning
Associate Lecturer for the Open University since 1986, and since 1992 Lecturer in Art History at Brooklands College, Weybridge. Lives locally.

Angela Cox
Was Head of Education at the National Portrait Gallery from 1970-80. Lectures widely. Recently course tutor for the V&A Year Course Rococo to Modernism.

Louise Schofield
Was Curator of Greek Bronze Age and Geometric Antiquities at the British Museum for 13 years, she now works on international archaelogical projects, principally in Turkey and Albania. She has lectured at Chiltern DFAS three times, being re-engaged due to the popularity of her lectures. In 2004 she made a film with the BBC2 Horizon team on the truth behind the story of Troy. Her most recent book on Greece, "The Myceneans" was published in 2007.

Barbara Peacock was Tutor in Fine Art, Southampton University until 1998, she was previously Assistant Keeper of Fine Art at Birmingham City Art Gallery.

Neil Faulkner has appeared on Channel 4's Time Team, BBC2's Timewatch and Channel Five's Boudica Revealed. He is publishing a book on the subject of today's lecture. Other books include "The Decline and Fall of Roman Britain", "Apocalypse", "Hidden Treasure" and "Rome: Empire of the Eagles".
More details on his website:http://www.neilfaulkner.org.uk/

Ian Pickford entered the antiques silver trade on leaving school. Six years later, he became lecturer for the University of London and the University of Surrey, for NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies) and for the National Trust. Further to his very popular appearances on BBC's "The Antiques Roadshow" his writings include the now standard reference book on Silver Flatware, and he is the Editor of Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks.

Tom Errington
Was born in Edinburgh and has been painting professionally for more than twenty-five years. Working to commission, he specialises in trompe l'oeil and murals - large and small scale, for private and public clients - anywhere in the UK and abroad. Previously he was a lecturer at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London and worked in the theatre as a production manager. He is an accredited NADFAS lecturer and Adviser on Art, Art History and Stained Glass to the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham and Adviser on Stained Glass to the Diocese of Coventry.

This lecture was followed by Christmas drinks and mince pies

Elizabeth Rumbelow has an honours degree in English (Bristol University) and an honours degree in Music (University of London). She also studied Old Icelandic at the University of Copenhagen, having gained a Churchill Foundation Scholarship. After experience in advertising and journalism, her main career was devoted to teaching, culminating in the post of Head of English at Guildford High School. Her speciality is the inter-relationship of the arts, especially painting, music and drama. As well as her NADFAS lecturing, she has also undertaken English editing for the Chopin Society of Warsaw on their website and for a Polish Professor of Music.

Valerie Woodgate works as a lecturer and guide in Tate Britain, Tate Modern and other major galleries, and on religious art in churches and cathedrals. She is a member of the teaching team at the Dulwich Picture Gallery and a script-writer for the Living Paintings Trust (art for the blind and partially sighted). She also runs courses at colleges of further education.

AGM followed by
BENEATH CITY STREETS: LONDON'S UNSEEN HISTORY
Peter Lawrence
Freeman City of London, author & broadcaster on London & Essex

Patricia Wright qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and later studied by open learning at London University, gaining a first class honours degree in History. She has published a number of articles and books, both fiction and non-fiction, including one which won the Georgette Heyer Historical Novel prize. Another became alternate Book Society Choice in America. She has taught part-time and served for sixteen years as a County Councillor. Her talks are aimed to amuse as well as to interest a variety of audiences, and can be adjusted to suit particular needs

Dr. Anne Anderson, BA PhD FSA
Lecturer in History of Art & Design, tour NADFAS & cruises

Head of Foundation Studies, Sotheby's Institute, in the 1990's. From 1986 tutor and examiner in Art History and Renaissance Studies, the Open University.

Professor Michael Wheeler studied at Magdalene College, Cambridge and University College, London. He was a Director of the Ruskin Programme at Lancaster University, where he led the project to build the award-winning Ruskin Library to house the world's greatest collection of Ruskin material. He has published extensively on Victorian fiction, the literature and theology of death and the future life, Ruskin, and Roman Catholicism. He is a NADFAS lecturer and a Trustee of St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden. He serves on the advisory boards of three international journals.

Nicholas Reed is both an archaeologist and an art historian. He took his first degree in Greats at Oxford, and then acquired research degrees on ancient history from Manchester and St Andrews Universities. He has taken part in some thirty excavations, and has fifteen articles published in learned journals on subjects in ancient history, especially Roman history.

Since 1984, he has also written on art history, and has produced five books on 19th century art, especially the Impressionists, and others on historical subjects. From 1985-87 he was the Founder-Chairman of the Friends of Shakespeare’s Globe, and from 2001 to 2007 was Chairman of the Alliance of Literary Societies. He has been a lecturer for NADFAS since 1991, and is a fluent French and German speaker.

Shirley Turner
Lecturer for the V & A

Painted in brilliant colours on gold leaf or in subdued ink on plain paper, screens are an art typically Japanese, which combines stunning decorative beauty and practical architectural function. Screens embody the essence of Japanese contrasting but complementary aesthetics: the monochrome and the flamboyant, the less and the more, the ink or gold

Marie-Thérèse Barrett has a BA and MA in English, Toulouse University, a BA in Oriental Art, Sophia University, Japan, and an MA in Art History, Maryland University, USA. She is a course organizer and tutor in Japanese Art History, Temple University Japan (1990-1999). She is a guest lecturer for the College Women's Association of Japan, Sotheby's, Christie's, V&A, Asia House and the Japan Society, chair of the Japan Society Art Circle (2003-2007) and a course tutor for the Diploma in Asian Art, British Museum (2002-2007), School of Oriental and African Studies (2008-).

Trained by her father, the renowned Carl Dolmetsch, Jeanne Dolmetsch studied violin and piano at the Royal Academy of Music. She is a specialist in the performance of 16th to 18th Century music and tours widely as a soloist and chamber musician. She is Director of Haslemere Festival founded in 1925 by her grandfather Arnold.
This talk will be followed by wine/soft drinks and mince pies. The cost of these is included in the annual subscription.

Denis Moriarty, MA (Oxon), is a lecturer and Study Course director who spent most of his earlier working life as a BBC television producer. He lectures widely for NADFAS; he also addresses meetings of the National Trust, English summer festivals, civic and literary societies, and. he is a tutor at Cambridge University's Extramural Department at Madingley Hall.

James Taylor was formerly Curator of paints, drawings and prints at the National Maritime Museum.
The three Pacific voyages of discovery Cook made between 1768 and 1779 set new standards in navigation, surveying and shipboard health; and due to the interest and influence of the Royal Society, a group of scientists and artists accompanied each expedition to record the people and places that they encountered. Their paintings and drawings not only advanced the botanical and natural sciences, but left us with a vivid visual reminder of those voyages.

The 360-degree panorama painting was an immensely popular art form in the 19th century in Britain, Europe, and the USA. Over 300 were produced in the last quarter of the century alone; just 16 remain displayed in rotundas around the world although others survive in store.

Suzanne Perrin is Visiting lecturer at the University of Brighton Art & Design School, Huron University USA in London and University of Cape Town, S. Africa.  She lectures for British Museum Asian Arts course, universities, schools and NADFAS.    Her work includes promoting cultural and educations exchange between Japan and the UK. 

Norwich Branch of NADFAS states:"Anyone not at Vivien Heffernan’s talk “The Scottish Colourists: Style and Sophistication from the Jazz Age” on the 16th November missed an outstanding evening.  Vivien was an art teacher and university lecturer in art history, and is a practising artist herself.  Her love and appreciation of her subject, and her enthusiastic and interactive style made this a lecture, probably the best attended of the year, an evening of pleasure and enjoyment."

Ben Roberts is responsible for the European Bronze Age collections at the British Museum. His research interests include approaches to archaeological cultures and cultural transmission; the appearance and early development of metal in Europe and the Middle East; the roles of jewellery in prehistoric societies; and the production, circulation and deposition of metal objects in prehistoric Europe. Before joining the department of Prehistory and Europe, Ben studied at the universities of Sheffield and Cambridge and worked for nearly two and a half years on numerous archaeological field projects throughout Britain, Europe and Central America

Helen McCabe read French at university and studied history of art and architecture at the École du Louvre in Paris. She has always particularly loved those parts of France with close historic links with England, - namely Normandy and the Bordeaux region (Aquitaine).
She grew up in Cornwall and has now returned to live in her childhood home. She was commissioned to write a book on the house and Gardens of Cornwall.

Launce Gribbin had early success as a professional painter. After studying Art History at the Courtauld institute he worked at the V&A and the London College of Printing and then as tutor to Sotheby’s Educational Studies. He lectures on a variety of topics

Eveline Eaton was born in Berlin, Germany where she did her Abitur (A-levels) and studied economics. As a copywriter for advertising agencies, she worked in Germany and the USA. Since the 1980s, she is a free-lance lecturer for Surrey University, the Art Fund and for NADFAS. She has lectured all over the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. She frequently guides art-trips to Berlin/Dresden, Munich and Bavaria, the Cote d’Azur, Normandy and New York.
 
This lecture was followed by drinks and canapes to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Weybridge branch of NADFAS.

SILVER & LOCAL CUSTOM: an essential look at the context in which any piece was made and used
Due to severe weather conditions this lecture had to be cancelled.

Ian Pickford entered the antiques silver trade on leaving school. Six years later, he became lecturer for the University of London and the University of Surrey, for NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies) and for the National Trust. Further to his very popular appearances on BBC's "The Antiques Roadshow" his writings include the now standard reference book on Silver Flatware, and he is the Editor of Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks.
Ian Pickford gave the inaugural lecture when WADFAS was founded in January 2000.

Hilary Guise
Lectures in main London Museums for American universities. Hilary Hope Guise lectures at the National Gallery, the Courtauld, both Tates, the British Museum and at Cambridge University. In the USA she lectures for the Smithsonian and is a guest speaker with Swan Hellenic. She is a trained painter and exhibits mostly in Berlin and France

William Forrester
Lecturer for National Portrait Gallery, British Museum & National Trust.

The Percy Family today considered one of the greatest families, having arrived under William the Conqueror. They established themselves as guardians of the Scottish border in the middle ages and were elevated to become Dukes of Northumberland.

Mrs. Margaret Davis
Tutor in Art History for the WEA & Cambridge University Institute, Madingley. Regularly works for a range of other local adult education colleges and organisations and holds courses in schools and galleries as well as single lectures.

Caillebotte isn't really unknown. He was a key member of, arguably, the best known art movement in modern times, French Impressionism

Coffee 9.30 for 10.00
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
followed by
THE SPLENDOURS OF NORTH AFRICA.
Roman & Islamic art of Libya, Tunisia & Morocco.

Christopher Bradley
Tour Guide throughout Africa, the Middle East & Asia. Expert in the history and culture of the Middle East and North Africa; he has written extensively on Arabia and has a broad range of lecturing experience, including the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Institute of British Architects

Mrs. Sarah Burn Edwards Historian and Official Guide and Lecturer for the Historic Royal Palace, having a theatrical background aims to entertain as well as inform

Miss Sian Walters
Lecturer at The National Gallery and Surrey University

Mrs. Frances Hughes
Lecturer at the National Portrait Gallery.

Mrs Sue Jackson
Lecturer for the National Trust, U3A City Literary Institute

Frank Woodgate
Lecturer and Guide at Tate Britain & Tate Modern

Jonathan Hinden
Principal Coach at Glyndebourne Opera

Mrs. Anthea Bryant Blue Badge Guide Canterbury & S.E. England
 

9th January 2008 Mervyn Miller

Antoni Gaudi & the Golden Age of Catalan Architecture

13th February 2008 John Ericson

Wine Related Antiques

12th March 2008 Michael Howard

L.S. Lowry - A Visionary Artist

9th April 2008 Andrew Davies

Canaletto in England

14th May 2008 Chloe Sayer

Peruvian Textiles: Past & Present

11th June 2008 Sarah Searight

The Islamic Garden in Architecture. Paint and Poetry

13th August 2008 Hilary Williams

Wren's City Churches

10th September 2008 Rosemary Ransome-Wallis

Contemporary Silver. Its Development in the 20th Century

8th October 2008 Charlotte Clements

The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: The Intriguing Story of Mrs Edith Pretty & Anglo-Saxon Treasure

12th November 2008 Denis Moriaty

Wilfred Owen: Poetry & Art of the 1st World War

10th December 2008 Sarah Lenton

Christmas at Covent Garden - 300 years of Christmas Shows at one of London's greatest theatres

10th January 2007 Peter Dewar

Arms & the Man: Heraldry Old & New

14th February 2007 Colin Williamson

From Blood & Sawdust to Lycra: 200 years of Plastics in Art & Design

14th March 2007 Eveline Eaton

Auguste Rodin: The First Modern Sculptor?

11th April 2007 Janet Canetty-Clarke

Wagner and Bayreuth: A personal experience

9th May 2007 Neil Faulkner

The Dead Sea Scrolls: A guide to revolution

13th June 2007 Barry Venning

Picasso's "Guernica" and the Spanish Civil War

8th August 2007

12th September 2007 Hanne Sutcliffe

The Splendid Silks from China: Embroideries, Costumes & Imperial Dragon Robes

10th October 2007 Jo Walton

The Medici Family

14th November 2007 Peter Medhurst

Music at the Court of Henry VIII

12th December 2007 Jane Kelsall

Pearl before Swine

11th January 2006 Rebecca Drew

Rembrandt the Rebel: his Life, his Times, his Tragedy

8th February 2006 Dr Anne Anderson

Beautiful Houses - Frank Lloyd Wright - America's Greatest Architect

8th March 2006 Sarah Lenton

Opera: The Melting Pot of Culture

12th April 2006 Hugh Cantlie

Sir John Vanbrugh: Dilettante or Genius?

10th May 2006 Hilary Williams

Wren's City Churches

14th June 2006 Peter Medhurst

Vermeer: The musical pictures (with musical instruments)

9th August 2006 Richard Morris

The beginning of the New Art of Photography

13th September 2006 Edward Saunders

The Treasures and Palaces of St. Petersburg

11th October 2006 Phillipa Barton

A Taste for Luxury: furniture of the Restoration Period

8th November 2006 Mary Acton

Paul Cezanne and his World

13th December 2006 Caroline Macdonald-Haig

Cut to Dazzle: The rise of English Cut Lead Crystal 1674-1830

12th January 2005 Peter Medhurst

Early German Romantics: The works of Weber, Friedrich & Goethe

9th February 2005 Tom Duncan

Life & Art in Georgian Dublin

9th March 2005 Marina Vaizey

The Arts of Bloomsbury: Living in squares, loving in triangles

13th April 2005 Neil Faulkner

Art & Society in the Greek City

11th May 2005 Svetlana Lloyd

History of Ballet & its costumes

8th June 2005 Jan Jefferson

The Amish People: Their History and Culture

10th August 2005 Barry Venning

The Turner Prize: Its History and Controversies

14th September 2005 Eveline Eaton

Piero della Francesca: Modern Painter of the Renaissance

12th October 2005 Nicholas Reed

Frost Fairs on the Frozen Thames

9th November 2005 Denise Heywood

The Art of Ankor Wat (Cambodia) & Dance, Silkweaving, Colonial Cities

14th December 2005 Denis Moriarty

John Betjemin: first and Last Loves of Architecture

14th January 2004 Douglas Skeggs

Prague

11th February 2004 Dr. Mary Remnant

Music and Instruments in Chaucer's England

10th March 2004 Elizabeth Gordon

Working Miracles at Assisi: the Basilica of St. Francis

14th April 2004 Dr. Ann Birchall

The Original Olympic Games

12th May 2004 Edward Saunders

Taj Mahal and Mughal India

9th June 2004 Ian Constantinides

Gilt and Gorgeousness - the Decorative Arts of the English Country Houses

11th August 2004 Karin Fernald

Fanny Burney - her family and friends from diaries and letters

8th September 2004 Rachel Layton Elwes

Dining in the Gilded Age

13th October 2004 Digby Hague-Holmes

Puccini: Ses Femmes Fatales

10th November 2004 Eveline Eaton

Henry Moore

8th December 2004 Andrew John Davies

The Victorian Christmas - A Celebration

8th January 2003 Louise Schofield 

Archaelogical Adventures in Albania and Turkey

12th February 2003 Mary Bartlett 

Church Interiors

12th March 2003 Peter Medhurst 

The Musical World of Gainsborough and Zoffany

9th April 2003 Philip Banham 

350 Years of English Transparent Painting on Glass

14th May 2003 Geoffrey Opie 

The History of the V & A

11th June 2003 Dr. Paul Roberts 

The Roman Art of Eating and Drinking

13th August 2003 Eric Shanes 

David Hockney

10th September 2003 David Wynford Evans 

William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement

8th October 2003 Nicholas Bagshawe 

A Dealer's Story: Trying to Make a Living from the British Art Market

12th November 2003 William Forrester 

Milord Abroad ... the British on the Grand Tour

10th December 2003 Dr. Paula Nuttall 

The Christmas Story in Renaissance Art

9th January 2002

Jonathan Hinden

Verdi's "La Traviata": A Very Italian Affair

13th February 2002

Douglas Skeggs

The Viennese Secession & Expressionism

13th March 2002

Brian Cairns

The Arts of Venice

10th April 2002

Dick Bolton

The South East Brick by Brick!

8th May 2002

Daniel Snowman

The Culture Carriers - "The Hitler Exiles" and the Impact they had on British Artistic and Cultural Life

12th June 2002

John Benjamin

Jewellery from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth Taylor

14th August 2002

Ann Birchall

Journey through China's Past

11th September 2002

Joanne Kidd

A Love Affair. The History of Gardens through Art and Society from the Nile to the Seine

9th October 2002

Eveline Eaton

The "New" Berlin - Art & Architecture

13th November 2002

Valerie Woodgate

Four Centuries of British Art

11th December 2002


 

Janet Canetty-Clarke

A Celebration of Christmas in Music and Painting

10th January 2001

Eric Shanes

Turner: His Life and Works

14th February 2001

Ann Sweeney

History of London - City & the Chartered Trading Companies

14th March 2001

Mary Bartlett

Animal Magic: Creatures, Real and Imaginary in Medieval English Art

11th April 2001

Colin Lattimore

History of the Long Case Clock

9th May 2001

Pieter Jongbloed

An Introduction to 17th Century Dutch Art

13th June 2001

Andrew Davies

History of English Fairs, Markets and Shops

8th August 2001

Clare Ford-Wille

Italian Renaissance & Baroque Sculpture

12th September 2001

Nina Levick

Modern Architecture

10th October 2001

Diana Lloyd

Dutch & English Delftware

14th November 2001

Eveline Eaton

Treasures of Spanish Art from El Greco to Picasso

12th December 2001

Jane Tapley

Oh, Yes it is!: History of Pantomime from Ancient to Modern Times

12th January 2000

Ian Pickford

An Introduction to English Silver -
Inaugural Meeting

9th February 2000

Eric Shanes

Understanding Modernism or the Excitement of Modern Art

8th March 2000

Eveline Eaton

American Art - from Dependence to Independence

12th April 2000

Peter Darty

Twentieth Century Design Classics - a Survey of Design from 1900-1999: Architecture, Interiors, Furniture, Decorative & Applied Art, Fashion & Useful Objects

10th May 2000

Douglas Mackay

The Golden Age of Furniture - the 18th Century

14th June 2000

Ann Clements

Early English Water Colours from Hollar to Girtin and Turner

9th August 2000

Irene June Luna

"Sculpture Inside Out": General survey pre-history to modern showing how materials (clay, stone, wood and bronze) lend themselves to certain types of sculpture.

13th September 2000

Ann Sweeney

History of the River Thames

11th October 2000

Jonathan Hinden

"Mozart's Magic Flute": More than Meets the Eye

8th November 2000

Brian Macdonald

Eastern Tribal Rugs: Treasures of the Black Tent

13th December 2000

Peter Gibson

The Christmas Story in Stained Glass