It has long been recognised that the worlds of the visual and aural arts link with extraordinary power when one medium inspires the other. This lecture, which spans over 600 years of the arts, analyses and discusses a range of related works, bringing together the music of Martinu with the frescoes of Piero della Francesca, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus with Respighi’s Trittico botticelliano, Böcklin’s Isle of the Dead with Rachmaninoff’s symphonic poem and Poet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie with the piano playing of Albert Ammons.

For full details and the booking form click HERE

Please join our next Special Interest Day in Cley Village Hall when acclaimed Arts Society lecturer Barbara Askew will explore the artistic tastes and art collections of three kings, King Charles I, King Charles II and King Charles III.

Without King Charles I’s passion for collecting we would not have the Royal Collection, the largest privately-owned art collection in the world; without King Charles II we would have lost the magnificent collection his father had amassed; and King Charles III is the owner of the Royal Collection today. 

In three lectures Barbara will explain the origins of Charles I’s collection and the notable artists whose work he commissioned, from Rubens to van Dyck. Charles II’s first act as monarch was to recover as much as possible of his father’s magnificent collection of art, which had been sequestered and sold by Cromwell. Charles II was himself an enthusiastic collector and also appreciated the power of art for self-promotion. Charles III is a keen amateur artist in addition to his role in safeguarding and extending the Royal Art Collection.

(Image: King Charles II by John Michael Wright, c.1660-1665, National Portrait Gallery 531, © NPG)

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Please aim to arrive between 10 and 10.30 am, as the first lecture will start at 10.30 am. We should finish by 3.30 pm. The cost of the day is £45 per person. This covers hall hire, speaker’s fee and expenses, tea and coffee and a light lunch with sandwiches and fruit, accompanied by a glass of wine or soft drink. 

To book, please either make a payment to The Arts Society Glaven Valley by BACS, reference CHARLES, Sort Code  20-30-81, Account 00411639 and email, Scilla Landale at Scilla.landale@afiweb.net to confirm you have done so and to let us know of special dietary requirements;

or complete the booking form and post it to me with a cheque for £45 per person. Click HERE to access the booking form. Please include a stamped, addressed envelope if you require a receipt.  

 As usual, priority will be given to Arts Society members, but if you would like to bring a guest who is not a member, please tell Scilla who will contact you as soon as possible if places are available.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 30 September. 

If after booking you need to cancel, a refund can only be given if your place is filled.

Please join our next Special Interest Day in Cley Village Hall when acclaimed lecturers Dr. Lucilla Burn and Dr. Lesley Fitton will explore the story of Troy in archaeology and its legacy in European Art.    

Lucilla and Lesley will explore The Story through 3 lectures:  Troy in Ancient Art – the main events of the legend of Troy:  The Search of Homer’s Troy  - quest to find the lost city;   ‘… the face that launch’d a thousand ships’ – Troy’s enduring legacy in European art.

For full details and the booking form click HERE

This is the story of the epic rivalry between the two giants of British landscape art, J.M.W. Turner and John Constable. This special interest day sets them head-to-head and examines their differences and similarities. But who will ultimately be crowned star painter?

Lecture 1, Signature Paints: Turner vs Constable outlines the biographies of the two artists, including those interesting moments when their paths crossed. The importance of the Royal Academy will also be explained, including the competitive battleground of the Great Exhibition Room where the two pitted their talents directly against each other.

Lecture 2, The Technical Challenges: Sketches, Sketching and Sketchbooks shows how Turner and Constable pioneered fresh approaches to sketching, including drawing and painting on the spot, directly in front of the subject. In particular, the lecture compares Turner’s watercolours and pencil studies with the oil sketches made by Constable on his beloved River Stour.

Lecture 3, The Showstoppers: The Haywain vs The Fighting Temeraire – Late Style, Reputation and Legacy compares the two artists at the end of their lives and the evolution of their posthumous reputations: the final focus will be on their two most famous paintings, both now in London’s National Gallery.

For full details and booking form click HERE

Carole’s lectures will follow the course of the river Seine, a major influence on the development of Impressionism. She describes her set of three lectures as ‘a travelogue with the Impressionists at its core’. Starting at the Estuary, where Impressionism began with Open Air Painting, she moves down the river tracking the rise to recognition of this new wave of artists. Carole is a popular and experienced Arts Society lecturer.

Claude Monet, The Bridge at Argenteuil, 1874. Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

The morning session will consist of a lecture entitled ‘Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: a mirror to the world’. In the afternoon, rather like the ‘Antiques Roadshow’, Judy will examine and discuss items of jewellery brought along by society members. Images of these will be projected on to the screen so everyone can see. Judy Rudoe is an acclaimed Arts Society lecturer and a published expert on jewellery and decorative arts of all periods.

For further details, including how to book, click HERE

Turquoise eagle brooch, given to each of Queen Victoria’s bridesmaids at her wedding in 1840. Image courtesy of British Museum.

Julie Dawson (formerly Head of Conservation, The Fitzwilliam Museum) and Helen Strudwick (Senior Curator, Ancient Egypt, The Fitzwilliam Museum) are offering us two lectures, on The World of the Dead, and Clues in a Coffin: what the extraordinary construction and decoration of the coffins of Nespawershefyt reveal; these will be followed by a session on How to Build your coffin, a practical session trying out the materials, tools and techniques used by the Egyptians.

For full details and the booking form click HERE

The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which the Dutch were a major world power and leaders in trade and science but also in art. The paintings produced by Dutch artists are considered some of the greatest works of art in the world. This series of lectures will not only introduce you to the art of this dynamic period but will also talk about the history and culture that brought this art to fruition. 

For full details click here

Johannes Vermeer, View of Delft.

Image Courtesy of The Mauritshuis, The Hague

For full details of this study day, click on the link beow:-

Silk Road details

N.B. THE DAY IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED. PLEASE CONTACT LUCILLA BURN BY PHONE OR EMAIL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO ON THE WAITING LIST.

Two lectures on Edward Seago: From the Circus to Sandringham

Please join our Study morning on 26 October 2021, delivered by James Russell via Zoom

Popular in his own lifetime, oil painter and watercolourist Edward Seago (1910-74) was subsequently overlooked by critics; today the best of his landscapes look fantastic, while his life story is full of interest.

A prolific author, he overcame childhood illness before running away with the circus. He also mixed in aristocratic circles, making friends among the Royal family; a colourful wartime career and a trip to Antarctica aboard the Royal Yacht add to this fascinating account. In addition to introducing Seago’s life and times, the two lectures will explore a number of his finest oil paintings and watercolours in detail, looking at their subjects, design and technique.

Click here for the full details of how to register:-

https://www.theartssocietyglavenvalley.org.uk/DocumentStore/seago%20study.pdf

Unfortunately this had to be cancelled due to Covid. Hopefully we will rearrange at a later date.

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting East and Southeast Asia with Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Southern Europe, from the 2nd century BCE through to the 18th century CE.Dr Whitfield is a leading Silk Road expert: her latest publication, Silk Roads: Peoples, Culture and Landscapes, was published in 2019.
In her three study day lectures she proposes to set the overall context, describe the rediscovery of the Silk Road in the early 20th century by Sir Aurel Stein and others, and introduce some of the spectacular works of art that exemplify the interactions of people along the Road.

This Study Day is designed to provide an introduction to the unique tradition of Japanese visual culture with a strong emphasis on decorative arts.  The sensibility to the beauty of nature and the changing seasons have inspired the craftsmen for centuries to create delicate and elegant designs, or bold and witty designs. The contemporary artists are still studying the traditional technique, but they have freedom to explore innovative designs that appeal to today’s audience. The distinctive Japanese aesthetics and symbolism seen in the arts of lacquer, ceramics, and contemporary crafts will be examined in the historical and social context. 

For more details and to book in, click on the link below:-

http://www.theartssocietyglavenvalley.org.uk/DocumentStore/Study%20Day%20Feb%202020.pdf

The Arts Society East Anglia Area

Special Interest Day

Culford School, nr Bury St Edmunds

A unique day exploring why the city of Paris has acted as both a magnet and a cauldron of talent for aspiring artists and designers. Join Mary Alexander to discover more about the key events and personalities shaping the ‘City of Light’ during the first half of the twentieth century.  We will venture beyond the ‘mainstream’ to identify the creative individuals who shaped the Parisian concept of ‘modernity’ (including the many female innovators described as ‘wife/sister/muse/assistant of ….’!)

The international exhibitions of 1900, 1925 and 1937 will be used as focal points in each of the sessions to identify shifting patterns of emphasis and inter-connections between various arts and design media, including interiors, graphics, fashion, photography.  Whether strolling along the new boulevards, calling into a favourite café, nightclub or gallery, the descriptions of Zola, Stein, Hemingway and Fitzgerald will accompany the imagery and recreate the sense of ‘being there’.  In particular, the significant rôle of Parisian couture and fashion within French culture will be examined as a response to the rise of German industrial and military ambitions.

Session one: the Belle Epoque – the City as Spectacle

Session two: 1920s – Partying into a new Future

Session three: The 1937 Paris Exposition, Occupation and Defiance

Mary will be bringing a selection of historic artefacts from her personal vintage collection: advertisements, magazine covers, fashion plates and official exhibition catalogues (1925 and 1937) for you to enjoy

MARY ALEXANDER has thirty years’ experience as a lecturer, with a BA in History and History of Art and an MA with Distinction in History of art from University College, London.  Her experience includes public lectures in museums, tutoring for the OU, visiting lecturer at Christie’s Education in London, museum curator at Platt Hall, the Gallery of Costume, Manchester.  She is now a freelance lecturer to various arts, heritage and antiquarian societies; she has also worked in Pentagram design consultancy in London and New York, organising conferences and special events.  She is the author of various articles on design and visual awareness issues; her background combines an unusual blend of academic and visual communications skills.  Mary has lectured for DFAS Australia and New Zealand in 2011, 2013, and 2016.  She is an enthusiastic member and President of The Arts Society Glaven Valley.

See below for the booking form:-

 http://www.theartssocietyglavenvalley.org.uk/DocumentStore/BOOKING%20FORM%20FOR%20Paris.pdf

This study day will aim to illustrate the many connections between music and art from the medieval period to the eighteenth century with a particular focus on Old Master Paintings. Although Music is often separated from the visual arts in the current day, many great artists were also musicians and took both disciplines extremely seriously. Paintings and Sculpture illustrate how music was performed and consumed centuries ago and allow us to glimpse into the past with both our eyes and ears. As part of this lecture several pieces of music will be performed on a lute.

Lecture 1: Medieval to Renaissance

This lecture will explore the changes that occurred during the late medieval to the renaissance and how the rise of Protestantism and humanism affected the purpose of music in art, religion and society. Paintings by Van Eyck, Holbein, Titian and countless others that feature musicians and musical performance will help us to navigate this period in both the northern and southern Europe.

Lecture 2: Baroque

Beginning in Carravaggio’s Rome and ending in Vermeer’s Netherlands this section will deal with the various approaches that artists and musicians capture the emotional energies of the 17th century.

Lecture 3: Music and Painting in the Age of Enlightenment

Despite the prominence of Opera in the eighteenth century it was a period that music making became a truly widespread activity both in the home and at court. The increasing number of paintings, portraits and drawings of music making from this century provide us with the opportunity to investigate the significance of music in the age of reason.

Adam Busiakiewicz

Adam is an Art Historian, Lecturer and Lutenist. An Art degree from University College London and a Masters degree in Fine and Decorative Art from Sotheby’s Institute. Amongst his interests in British and Old Master Paintings, he is especially interested in the history and collection of the Earls of Warwick and is currently working on his doctorate at the University of Warwick.

The Study day is in Cley Village Hall and begins at 10.15am. Coffee will be served at 11.30am and a two-course meal at12.45pm. The final lecture starts at 2.00pm and the afternoon will end at approximately 3.30pm.
The fee for the study day is £35 per person.

See below for the booking form:-

http://www.theartssocietyglavenvalley.org.uk/DocumentStore/October%20Study%20Day%202019%20.pdf

Our guest speaker will be Dr Mervyn Miller, who is an architect, town planner and historian and a member of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society for many years. He is also a Trustee of the Lutyens Trust, and a longstanding authority on International Arts and Crafts  architecture and the Garden City movement.

The study day presents a review of the life and career of Charles Rennie Mackintosh 1868-1928, in context both of his time and present standing, which will be highlighted during the three sessions. 

See the booking form here:-

http://www.theartssocietyglavenvalley.org.uk/DocumentStore/Study%20day%20Rennie%20M.pdf

Architects such as Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Terry Farrell, Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Renzo Piano, I.M.Pei, Jean Nouvel and Santiago Calatrava have become international stars or ‘starchitects’. With huge cosmopolitan practices, their creations are hailed as iconic and cutting-edge, but what about the quality? Who was the first starchitect – Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright? Are these star personalities about to disappear into team anonymity?

There will be as usual 3 lectures that will cover a much wider scope than Professor Binfield's lecture last year.

Clyde Binfield is a graduate of Cambridge University and later became a Professor of History at the University of Sheffield. He has returned to some of his first and last loves – buildings, their creators and their settings.

Photo David Hughes

Below is the booking form and details:-

http://www.theartssocietyglavenvalley.org.uk/DocumentStore/Arts%20Soc%20gv%20FORM%202018%20sept%20study%20day.pdf

This study day examines the portraits and careers of some of history's most notorious mistresses and courtesans in order to take a light hearted look at changing attitudes to sexual morality down the ages. It also charts the rather complex and ambiguous attitudes of art and society towards the numerous and anonymous working girls at the lower end of the scale.

The talk is very much a social history: carefully placing the works of art in their proper historical context, which reveals many little nuances and meanings in well-known works which might not otherwise be immediately apparent to the modern eye. It is, of course, also full of scandalous stories and anecdotes.

Linda Smith is a well-qualified art historian with a broad range of knowledge, and a special interest in British art, and the art of the twentieth century.

Please click on the link below to find the booking form

http://gvdfas.org.uk/DocumentStore/Arts%20Soc%20gv%20FORM%202018%20feb%20study%20day.pdf

The Covent Garden piazza was the first great square in London.  Created in the 1630s, its perimeters were decorated by a string of Italianate buildings – notably, on its western side, that self-consciously Palladian church, St Paul’s by Inigo Jones.

One of the most fashionable areas in town, the piazza soon sprouted every amenity a wealthy Stuart or  Hanoverian household might require: coffee houses, a market for fresh fruit and vegetables (and prostitutes); and, in 1732, the first of three successive theatres on the square’s northeastern borders.

All this made for rich pickings by artists such as Hogarth and others. Over the (nearly) four centuries since the piazza's creation much was to change as the sights, sounds and skills on show shifted with the times. One theatre after another burned down, only to be redesigned and rebuilt, while today’s market would be unrecognizable to earlier habitués from Swift and Dr Johnson to Bernard Shaw’s Eliza Doolittle.

Gustave Doré portrayed Covent Garden as little more than a dark and dangerous place of the night. Yet the piazza and the cultural life it has long embraced have continued to survive, indeed to thrive: a state of grace which would surely sometimes have seemed (to Eliza at least) ‘not bloody likely!’

Reading List

The First Bohemians Vic Gatrel

The Gilded Stage a social history of Opera  Daniel Snowman

The talk is based on the Islamic manuscript, the Padshahnama (chronicle of the King of the World) which is the unique official history of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, who ruled India from 1628 to 1658. He is best remembered for the building of the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The book is the finest Islamic manuscript in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle and was given to King George III in 1797 by the ruler of the north Indian state of Oudh.

Britain's historical involvement with India is sometimes criticised. And there were undeniably dark and culpable episodes. But a number of British individuals were very dedicated to India and made great contributions to the study of its history, languages, religions, archaeology, architecture, topography, sociology, zoology and botany.

The talk describes the very successful work in those fields of a series of Britons who are not often given the recognition they deserve. Between Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General, and Lord Curzon, a most prominent Viceroy, there were civil servants, soldiers, judges, doctors, engineers, surveyors and others who immersed themselves in the local culture and revealed a great deal about India's amazing past.

Please click on the link below for the booking form.

http://gvdfas.org.uk/DocumentStore/feb%2017%20study%20day.pdf