Lectures

We trace the Art of the Kimono from the many layered robes of court dress, through changing styles that encompassed intricate and bold de-sign that wove signs, symbols and stories into the fabrics that people wore during the Edo period from the early 1600s to the mid-1900s

Voracious and adventurous in her tastes, Queen Victoria was head of state during a revolution in how we ate - from the highest tables to the most humble. A Greedy Queen considers Britain’s most iconic monarch from a new perspective, telling the story of British food along the way

The ‘Mona Lisa’ is both mesmerising and tantalis-ing. So much about it is mysterious, but one thing is clear: in a life studded with unfinished projects, this was one which Leonardo not only completed, but kept with him until his death, because in it he addressed and realised so many of the themes which are at the core of his work.

The lecture will examine the traditional role of carpet weaving and embroidery in the social lives of Central Asian women and how social and political influences led to the decline of textile production.  It will focus on the attempt to revive the rich textile heritage of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, using 15th Century designs sourced from illuminated manuscripts of the time and will highlight the challenges involved such as the sourcing of natural dyes from neighbouring Afghanistan.

Biography

Chris was born in Turkey and spent his childhood there and in war-torn Beirut. After school, Chris spent two years at sea before studying Media and journalism at Leicester University. He then moved to Khiva, a desert oasis in Uzbekistan, establishing a UNESCO workshop reviving fifteenth century carpet designs and embroideries, creating income for women. After a year in the UK writing A Carpet Ride to Khiva, he moved to the Pamirs in Tajikistan, training yak herders to comb their yaks for their cashmere-like down, spending three years there. Next came two years in Kyrgyzstan living in the world’s largest natural walnut forest and establishing a wood-carving workshop. Chris has recently finished studying at Oxford and is now a curate at St. Barnabas, North Finchley, and author of Alabaster and Manacle. He returns to Central Asia whenever he can and conducts tours there.

 Poster_2019_09_19_Khiva_carpet-3.pdf (146 KB)

Since the 19th century English high society had 'wintered over' on the Côte d'Azur, but always left by April. In the early 1920's, however, an intoxicating mix of artists, writers, musicians and international visitors, inspired by a mythological seascape of luminous colours, created a new summer season. Traditional boundaries were torn down.

Biography

Mary Alexander's experience includes public lectures in museums, tutoring for the Open University, 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 also worked in Pentagram design consultancy in London and New York, organising conferences and special events. She is an author of various articles on design and visual awareness issues.

 Poster_2019_10_24_Riviera.pdf (91 KB)

It is now around 200 years since the purchase of the so-called 'Elgin Marbles'  from Lord Elgin by the British Parliament. This lecture will explore the aesthetics, the back-story and the heated debates surrounding these fascinating and controversial works of ancient Greek art which were originally part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens.

Biography

As a Classics Tutor for Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, Professor of History of Art for the European Studies Program of Rhodes College and The University of the South, Stephen Kershaw has spent much of the last 30 years travelling extensively in the world of the Greeks and Romans both physically and intellectually. He has published A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths (Robinson, 2007) and A Brief Guide to Classical Civilization (Robinson, 2010) and is currently working on A Brief Guide to the Roman Empire.

 Poster_2019_11_21_Elgin_Marbles.pdf (103 KB)

When we look at early child portraits we often see only miniature adults dressed stiffly in adult-like clothes. Yet what can portraits by artists such as Rembrandt or Velázquez really tell us about children in the past? Recognising the (artistic) conventions behind such images may help to discover more about childhood throughout history, and about social expectations.

So how did adults see children in the past, and how were they actually presented in art from Antiquity up to the present? Our findings could well be very different from what we might expect.

Biography

Born in Gouda (Netherlands), Sophie has an MA and PhD in English Literature (Leiden), an MA in Medieval Studies (York) and a PhD in Art History (Leicester). She has taught at the universities of St Andrews, Leicester, Nottingham and Manchester, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, National Trust, V&A, U3A, WEA and other organisations, and organised many study days, tours and visits. She is also a regular lecturer for Cambridge University and Martin Randall Travel, and Honorary Research Fellow with the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews. She has numerous publications to her name.

 Poster_2020_02_18_Miniature_Adults-2.pdf (148 KB)

The Arts Society Hamburg very much regrets that it has taken the decision to cancel this lecture due to the increasing seriousness of the Coronavirus.

One hundred years ago a group of American musicians docked in London, bringing with them for the very first time one of the twentieth century’s most important musical genres: jazz, a fascinating blend of rigorous structure, free-wheeling creativity, close-knit ensemble work and improvisation.

Drawing on his practical experience both as musicologist and gigging musician, Sandy is able to shed light on jazz from the inside.

His talk touches on the disparate influences which lay behind the emergence of jazz, and his musical illustrations range from the blues, ragtime and the very earliest jazz recordings through to classics by Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and the dawn of the Swing Era.

The evening will be concluded with a concert featuring a group of musicians from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, led by British jazz clarinetist Samantha Wright. The audience can expect to experience music associated with early jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller.

Biography

Sandy is one of the UK’s most versatile music commentators, enjoying a career that combines broadcasting, performing and lecturing. After studying at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and working as music director for the RSC, National Theatre and in London’s West End, Sandy Burnett spent a decade as one of the core team of presenters on BBC Radio 3. Combining engaging scholarship with hands-on expertise, he devises and leads cultural holidays all over the world, is the author of the Idler Guide to Classical Music, is a highly sought after double bassist on the London jazz scene, and was appointed the Academy of Ancient Music’s Hogwood Fellow for the 2018-19 season.

Watch Sandy on YouTube

 Poster_2020_03_26_Age-of-Jazz-c-2.pdf (401 KB)

This is an online lecture

A fascinating talk exploring the many depictions, myths and cultural roles of that most glorious of plants, the sunflower.

Tracing its origins from South America, its association with the god Apollo, to its role in art as personification of kings starring in depictions by artists from van Dyck to van Gogh. Worshipped by the aesthetes and arts and crafts movements it found favour in the gardens of the Impressionists, and led a touch of magic to the humbler cottage garden.

From Clytie to Klimt this is the extraordinary tale of an extraordinary plant.

Biography

Twigs Way is a successful writer, researcher and speaker, who is fascinated by the social and cultural aspects of garden history including landscapes in art and literature. She combines this with a specialist consultancy in management of historic landscapes.

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2020_07_21_Sunflower-2.pdf (185 KB)

This is an online lecture

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) is arguably the most important Indian artistic figure of the modern era. The first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, claimed that he had two gurus: Gandhi and Tagore. A renowned poet, novelist, composer and painter, Tagore is also the only person in history to have written the national anthems for two countries (India and Bangladesh).

This lecture provides an introduction to Tagore’s remarkable life and work, including his novels, poetry, songs and paintings. It also explores the role Tagore’s art played in the story of India’s fight for independence.

Biography

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

 Poster_2020_09_08_Tagore.pdf (220 KB)

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

This is an online lecture

William Morris considered a beautiful home to be “the most important production of Art” and much of his working life was devoted to the production of household goods that were intended to bring art and beauty into a wide range of homes.  He also expended enormous time and energy on beautifying his own homes, creating first at Red House in Bexleyheath, and then at Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, and finally at his country home, Kelmscott Manor, a series of interiors that exemplified his ideas about art and design. This lecture explores not only the decoration, but also the relationships and lifestyles associated with each of these very different homes.

BIOGRAPHY OF LECTURER

Jo Banham is a freelance curator, lecturer and writer. From 2006 to 2016 she was Head of Adult Learning at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and before that Head of Learning and Access at the National Portrait Gallery, and Head of Public Programmes at Tate Britain. She has also been Curator of Leighton House and Assistant Keeper at the Whitworth Art Gallery. She has published on many aspects of Victorian and early 20th century decoration and interiors. She is currently curating an exhibition on William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement for the Juan March Fundacion in Madrid and the Museu Nacional d’Art Catalunya in Barcelona. She is also Director of the Victorian Society Summer School.

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2020_10_08_William_Morris.pdf (73 KB)

This is an online lecture

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

BIOGRAPHY OF LECTURER

Jacqueline is Managing Director of an art tours company, running residential courses in Andalucía, Southern Spain in the art and culture of the region. Jacqueline is a course director and lecturer at the V&A and also lectures at The Royal Academy, Christies Education, The Art Fund, The London Art History Society and has recently toured New Zealand for The Arts Society and Australia fror ADFAS, where she will return next year. Her specialist field is Spanish Art, but she also lectures on European Art 1790-1950. She has recently published A Taste of Art, London (Unicorn Press 2019). 

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2020_17_11_Sorolla.pdf (69 KB)

This is an online lecture

To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, born in December 1770, Sandy guides us through the life and work of this brilliant, cantankerous, visionary and astonishingly original composer, a man who tore up the rule book of classical music. Visual illustrations include a selection of contemporary portraits, while musical examples are drawn from his genre-busting piano sonatas, quartets and symphonies, and from the revolutionary opera Fidelio. We’re talking about much more than just a musician here – Beethoven was a true Romantic artist, or as he preferred to describe himself, a “poet in sound.” 

Biography of Lecturer

 Sandy is one of the UK’s most versatile music commentators, enjoying a career that combines broadcasting, performing and lecturing. After studying at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, Sandy worked as music director for the RSC, the National Theatre and in London’s West End, as well as extensively on BBC radio.  He is the author of the Idler Guide to Classical Music, runs an online classical music appreciation Listening Club, is a highly sought after double bassist on the London jazz scene, and was appointed the Academy of Ancient Music’s Hogwood Fellow for the 2018-19 season.  

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2020_16_12_Beethoven.pdf (167 KB)

We invite you to an online wine tasting on Zoom at 7 pm (CET)

Helen Swift, the manager of the Hamburg Branch of Vino, will be introducing us to 6 "seasonal drinking” wines (below).  To join this event you will need to register in order to be sent the six bottles of wine in advance of the tasting.  

To register, contact:  hamburg@theartssociety.org

Bio of Helen Swift:
Helen grew up in England and lived afterwards in France and Spain for several years.  She has been working in the wine trade since 1986 here in Hamburg, the last 15 years of which have been as branch Manager of Vino.  Over the years she has gathered several different WSET qualifications (WSET is a British based foundation for educating wine professionals) and she is still engaged in the Diploma studies. Helen has travelled extensively, particularly through France in search of interesting wines and of course to enjoy the country and it’s charms.

LECTURE SUMMARY

This lecture explores the relationship of art to film in the crucial years in Germany between the wars. Metropolis (1926) will be our starting point to understanding expressionism in German cinema. The blueprint of the murder/suspense/thriller genre film M (1931) was made by the same director and will be closely examined for its invention and influences. The savagely satirical paintings of Dix, Grosz and Beckmann will support our investigation into this highly important twenty years of European culture.

BIOGRAPHY OF LECTURER

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

 Poster_2021_02_11_German_Film.pdf (111 KB)

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

Everyone knows Saint-Saëns musical interpretation of the Danse Macabre, but what was the original Danse about? The Dance of Death reminds viewers that Death comes to us all, rich or poor, young or old: "memento mori". Graphic illustrations of such encounters occur in manuscripts, murals, windows and print. Alongside the shock value there is satire, e.g. in Holbein‘s woodcut of a nun ogling a handsome suitor in her cell, oblivious of Death nearby. An unusual topic with lots of black humour.

Biography

Sophie was born in Gouda (Netherlands). She has an MA and PhD in English Literature (Leiden), an MA in Medieval Studies (York) and a PhD in Art History (Leicester). She has taught at the universities of St Andrews, Leicester, Nottingham and Manchester, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, National Trust, V&A, U3A, WEA and other organisations, and organised many study days, tours and visits. She is 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.  

 Poster_2021_03_16_Dance-of-Death.pdf (229 KB)

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

The bed has been the site of multiple encounters in art from Titian’s stunning mythologies through Manet’s Olympia, Picasso’s nudes, and the object of Tracey Emin’s infamous My Bed. But if the bed has been linked to passion, it has also been linked to death and this lecture explores its manifestations in the art of Caravaggio, Munch, Klimt, and others.

Biography

Marie-Anne trained as an artist before gaining a PhD in Art and Critical Theory from the University of Sussex. She has lectured in art history for the City Lit, Tate Modern, the Course, Art in London, London Art Salon, Dulwich Picture Gallery, the Nth Degree Club and many private art societies. She also runs art history study tours abroad. 

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please  contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2021_04_20_Beds_in_Art.pdf (158 KB)

Canary Wharf was a totally new concept which revived London’s Docklands. Or was it? This lecture takes you back to the foundations of the West India Docks with their magnificent warehouses and follows through to the glittering high-rise commercial hub of today. It shows how history has repeated itself – from the unprecedented scale of development with buildings to marvel at, to the re-use of derelict space in an ‘island’ setting, the innovative transport connections, the private security systems, and the opposition of the City of London. Businesses central to the national economy underpinned both developments – from the slave-owning sugar producers of two hundred years ago to the global finance houses of today.It is all there in a lecture that tells these parallel stories, while contrasting them with neighbouring Limehouse and its flagship Nicholas Hawksmoor church, a riverside community before the docks were dreamt of. We meet the likes of Robert Stephenson and William Adam in the first build-out and come across Cesar Pelli and Norman Foster in the second. 

Biography of Lecturer

Charlie Forman is  a London walking tour guide and lecturer who  highlights the social, architectural and artistic history of  his home city.  He is a member of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association and his talks focus on the multi-faceted forces that have shaped and changed the city and the artistic and cultural heritage thus produced. After many hundreds of walks and a four-decade long career in housing and regeneration he has absorbed a deep understanding and appreciation of the capital. During the seven years build-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games he played a role in channelling potential long-term benefits into surrounding East London communities. His publications include Spitalfields: A battle for land.

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please  contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2021_05_10_Canary-Wharf.pdf (149 KB)

The lecture follows Shanghai‘s history through its art and architecture, a potent hybrid of East and West. Once known as The Paris of the East, Shanghai developed as a Treaty Port after the 19th Century Opium Wars, when imposing buildings were put up by Western trading companies. These contrasted with the humble dwellings for local Chinese. Shanghai‘s heyday came in the 1930s, when the city was populated by White Russian emigrés, Jewish refugees, gansters and sing-song girls and when stylish apartment blocks and hotels were built in a glamorous Art Deco style. Today the city is a major financial centre, dominated by glittering skyscrapers and with a vibrant contemporary art market.

Biography

Anne is a lecturer at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Queen’s Gallery. For ten years she guided private evening tours of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. She lectures extensively for private groups, guides museum tours in London and has lectured for the British Council and British Higher School of Art and Design in Moscow. 

After studying Modern History at Durham University, she trained and became a senior specialist in ceramics at the head offices in London of Bonhams (1981-1986) and Christie's (1987-1995). From 1995 to 2002, she was resident in Shanghai, China and gave lectures on the history of the China trade and European Chinoiserie to the international community of diplomats and expatriates in Shanghai and Beijing.

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please  contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2021_06_10_Shanghai.pdf (234 KB)

Bath – which rightly deserves its name as a World Heritage Site -  takes its name from the famous Roman Baths, which were rediscovered during the 18th Century. The health-giving properties of the spring waters in Bath caused a surge in visitors, and during the year wealthy Londoners would come there to enjoy the season, often as much for pleasure as good health.

This virtual tour on Zoom will look at the pleasures of Bath, using first-hand accounts of life in Georgian era Bath, readings from newspapers of the time, paintings of famous Bath residents and photographs of Bath today. There will be stories of the dances that took place at the assembly rooms, card games that went on into the night, horse racing and, surprisingly, women's six a side football that formed some of the many amusements in 18th century Bath. You'll hear of the malingering Prince of Orange, visitors like Jane Austen, duels fought to the death and scandal amongst the aristocracy. 

Biography of lecturer

Footprints of London was founded in 2011 when a group of friends from one of the London guiding courses had the bright idea of pooling their efforts to promote their walks. Today they are nearly 50 strong, but the principle remains the same: a company co-operatively owned by the  guides. 

Rob Smith is one of these guides. He is a qualified Clerkenwell and Islington Guide and is very knowledgeable about social history, art history and all of the major landmarks in London.  However he also leads walks all over Greater London and the South East.  In addition he  teaches London history classes at Bishopsgate Institute, Morley College and South Thames College.  Rob, who is a passionate story teller, has led many walking tours of Bath.

In order to register to receive the link to get into this live online lecture, please  contact hamburg@theartssociety.org.  

Arts Society members are free.  Guests €15.00, payable in advance.

 Poster_2021_07_06_Tour_of_Bath-2.pdf (83 KB) (83 KB)

Disillusioned with the stuffiness and sentimentality of academic painting, a group of radical young painters burst onto the Glasgow art scene in the early 1880s and set in motion the stirrings of modernism in Scottish painting. Working out of doors in Scotland and France, they painted contemporary rural subjects strongly influenced by Dutch and French realism. This lecture introduces the characters and their works and shows how they set the scene for what was still to come – especially the explosion of talent centred on the Glasgow School of Art under Francis Newbery and the Scottish Colourists.

Biography

When I first saw the work of Klimt in Vienna as a young student it was love at first sight – I had never even dreamed that such beauty existed in the world.  This was just the beginning of my lifelong passion for art.  After early retirement from my career teaching German and English, I now have the great pleasure of spending all day every day looking at and talking about art.  I particularly enjoy visiting galleries in Scotland to indulge my love of the Glasgow Boys, Glasgow Girls and Scottish Colourists.  As a tour guide at Manchester Art Gallery and a regular speaker to a variety of groups, I love to share the joy of looking at art. 

Now more than ever we need art, and I have embraced the ups and downs of Zoom – it will take more than a global pandemic to stop me doing what I love the most. 

 Poster_2021_09_21_Glasgow_boys.pdf (205 KB)

For the series and film Downton Abbey, Andrew was commissioned to make many jewels for the main characters, and this inspired him to create a talk based on this unique period. Jewellery and Fashion are often seen as two entirely separate and distinct fields of design, but this is very far from the case. In his talk, Andrew will guide us through the extraordinary decades and events between 1890 and 1929, where the great couturiers collaborated with the finest of jewellers to produce jewels and clothes of outstanding quality and glittering opulence.

Along with this, he illustrates the clients and patrons who commissioned the jewels and shows how they were worn with their sumptuous gowns.

Biography

Andrew Prince has had a passion for jewellery since he was a small child. In fact his enthusiasm can be traced back to the time when, at the age of three, he swallowed one of his mother’s pearl earrings having found her jewel box hidden from him in a cupboard. The very first piece of jewellery he created was a ring made of copper wire pulled from the back of a television. He presented it to his grandmother (it turned her finger green and gave her a rash). He then created a necklace for his mother using beads taken off her wedding dress (she was not at all happy).

In 1980, when he was nine, Andrew's mother took him to the Princely Magnificence exhibition at the V&A, exhibiting Renaissance jewels dating from 1500 to 1630. It proved a revelation. Dazzled by the splendour and opulence of the jewels on show, Andrew decided then and there that creating jewellery was what he wanted to devote his life to. His passion for jewellery grew when, in 1984 on his first ever visit to Bond Street, Andrew viewed an exhibition by Castellani and Giulianoe at Wartski & Co’s. While there, he was allowed to handle beautiful 18th century gold boxes and magnificent imperial Russian pieces by Fabergé. In 1987, just before leaving school, he took time off to visit Geneva to view the astonishing Sotheby’s auction of the Duchess of Windsor's jewellery collection. Here, for the first time, he held pieces created by some of the world's greatest jewellers, fashioned from only the finest of stones and set in designs of outstanding quality. For the young Andrew, it was a life-changing experience.

Andrew's taste for fine 'costume jewellery' can be traced back to an antique market, where he came across a late Victorian brooch set with what he initially thought were emeralds and diamonds. They were, in fact, crystal and green glass set in silver and gold. He realised that beautiful jewellery didn't require expensive stones, and that it was the elegance of the design and the quality of the workmanship that truly mattered. Private commissions then started to trickle in. The trickle turned into a flood, as celebrities such as Michael Jackson (a large crystal and pearl shoulder jewel) and Shirley Bassey (necklaces) were seen wearing Andrew's creations.

In 2002, the V&A commissioned a collection of jewels to accompany the resplendent Tiaras, Past and Present exhibition which became one of their most popular exhibits. The exposure gained by the show then led to Andrew's jewellery appearing in film.

In 2005, he was asked to make tiaras and jewellery for Mrs Henderson Presents starring Judy Dench. In 2009, pieces were commissioned for The Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt and Miranda Richardson. In 2012, he was chosen by the creators of Downton Abbey to supply a large collection of jewellery for the third series. The characters played by Maggie Smith, Shirley Maclaine, Elizabeth McGovern and Michelle Dockery were all adorned with elegant tiaras, combs, earrings and necklaces designed and created by Andrew Prince.

 Poster_2021_10_28_Downton.pdf (115 KB)

With Alexandra we will discover the wealth of modern and contemporary public art in the unique square mile of the City of London - creations ranging from the hand crafted to the high tech. This lecture looks at the artists, their techniques, lives and influences plus the history of the fascinating streets where their work can be found.

Biography

Alexandra is an official Guide and Lecturer at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Guildhall Art Gallery. Pallant House Gallery Lecturer. She is a 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 and 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.

 Poster_2021_11_18_Public_art.pdf (265 KB)

Charles Dickens has often been proclaimed as “The Man Who Invented Christmas” and indeed on hearing that Dickens had died, a cockney barrow-girl said: “Dickens dead? Then will Father Christmas die too?”  Dickens revived the Christmas traditions with his warm portrayal of Christmas in the domestic setting; with plum pudding, piping hot turkey, games, dancing  and family cheer by the hearth. Although he celebrated Christmas in numerous works it is his enduring master piece, ‘A Christmas Carol’ published on 19th December 1843 which immortalises the spirit of Christmas Cheer. Dickens was a man of extraordinary energy and talent: literary genius, reformer, public speaker, actor and amateur magician.

In his lecture Bertie Pearce reveals a Dickensian Christmas with readings, biographical details and conjuring tricks.

Biography

Bertie has a BA (Hons) in Drama from Manchester University, and a Diploma Internationale from the École Internationale du Théatre, Jacques Lecoq. He is a member of the Inner Magic Circle, with Gold Star. His past experience includes lecturing and performing on cruise ships, and to U3A, historical societies, festivals, schools and colleges. In addition, he has toured the world with a magic cabaret show and a one man show entitled All Aboard and has written articles for newspapers and magazines on entertainment and theatre.

Bertie last visited us in February 2010.

 Poster_2021_12_14_Dickens_of_a_Christmas.pdf (173 KB)

LECTURE SUMMARY

Ernst Barlach is one of the most important German artists of the 20th Century. His sculptures, drawings and engravings dating from between 1905 and 1938 can be found in collections and museums all around the world – and, of course, also in Hamburg. This lecture looks at Barlach as a poetic sculptor. A large part of his work is dedicated to remembering the First World War, not glorifying it but as memorials for sorrow.  This will be compared to  that of the British "war poets" Wilfried Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Isaac Rosenberg – and to the very different reception they had in the UK while Barlach‘s work came to be considered degenerate in Nazi Germany. 

BIOGRAPHY OF LECTURER

Drs Helen Sisjling MA was born in Australia, lived in the Netherlands and now lives in Spain. She has an MA in History of Art (University of Leyden), an MA in English Literature (Universities of Leyden and Oxford) and an MA Educational Management (University of Amsterdam). Helen taught English for the first part of her career to later become a management consultant on education, specialising in educational improvement and training teachers and managers in The Netherlands and the Antilles. Helen is presently Chairman of The Arts Society in Nerja and lectures regularly to several of The Arts Societies in Spain and other societies.

  Poster_2022_01_27_Ernst_Barlach-2.pdf (136 KB)

The lecture illustrates how the artist used his work to wage war against London’s sex trade and child poverty as part of his personal crusade to establish modern urban life as an appropriate subject for high art. Insights into the darker side of life in 18th century London are blended with the story of how Hogarth worked his way up from an apprenticed engraver to successful painter and philanthropist.

Biography

Julia Musgrave got her first degree in Chemical Engineering and went on to become a Chartered Information Systems Engineer and IT project manager. In 2008 she decided that life was too short for just one career and decided to become an art historian.

She now has a Graduate Diploma in the History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art and an MLitt in ‘Art, Style and Design: Renaissance to Modernism, c.1450 – c.1930’ from the University of Glasgow. She gained her Ph.D. at the University of York for her research into the involvement of Roger Fry and the Bloomsbury Group and the social networks of the British art world in the development of the Contemporary Art Society from 1910 to 1939.

She teaches Art History at the City Literary Institute (City Lit) and is Co-Director of The London Art Salon. She is also an accredited Arts Society lecturer.

 Poster_2022_02_22_Sex_and_city-3.pdf (283 KB)

In 1882 Gertrude Jekyll wrote a short but seminal article in “The Garden” in which she urged the readers to “remember that in a garden we are painting a picture”. As an accomplished watercolour artist, Miss Jekyll was familiar with the principles of using colours, but she felt that in gardens they “had been greatly neglected”. This talk looks at how to apply these principles in designing a border and at how contemporary work of the likes of Turner, Monet, Rothko, Jackson Pollack evolved in parallel with ideas about what a garden or border should look like.

Biography

Lecturer, botanist, gardener, author.

Since 1986 Timothy has given 1,500 public lectures. This was originally part of his work as director of the Oxford University Botanic Garden from 1988 to 2014. Botanic gardens are often described as living museums, and garden curators lecture about them in the same way as museum curators talk about their collections. Since 2014 he has been a college lecturer and tutor at Somerville College Oxford. Gardens are often thought of a place where science and art meet on equal terms. His lectures investigate this relationship.

 Poster_2022_03_29_English_Garden_Design.pdf (264 KB)

On 1st April 1919 five young American musicians docked in Liverpool, bringing with them for the very first time one of the twentieth century's most important musical genres: jazz.

Sandy‘s lecture covers the early years of jazz from its beginnings through to the start of the Second World War. Drawing on his practical experience both as musicologist and gigging musician, Sandy is able to shed light on jazz from the inside.

Biography

Sandy is one of the UK’s most versatile music commentators, enjoying a career that combines broadcasting, performing and lecturing. After studying at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and working as music director for the RSC, National Theatre and in London’s West End, Sandy Burnett spent a decade as one of the core team of presenters on BBC Radio 3. Combining engaging scholarship with hands-on expertise, he devises and leads cultural holidays all over the world, is the author of the Idler Guide to Classical Music, is a highly sought after double bassist on the London jazz scene, and was appointed the Academy of Ancient Music’s Hogwood Fellow for the 2018-19 season.

 Poster_2022_04_23_Age-of-Jazz.pdf (173 KB)

Occupying a pair of early Georgian townhouses nestled in historic Greenwich, the story of how The Fan Museum came to fruition dovetails into the multifaceted history of the handheld fan. 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 extraordinary collections which encompass more than 5,000 fans and related objects dating from the eleventh century to the present day and gathered from most parts of the world.

BIOGRAPHY OF LECTURER

Having successfully completed a BA (hons) in Fashion at Reading School of Art, Jacob took up a position as an assistant for womenswear designer Donald Campbell. In 2010 he returned to education and obtained a postgraduate degree (Distinction) in Fashion Curation from London College of Fashion. Shortly thereafter Jacob joined The Fan Museum, 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 its temporary exhibition programme and overseeing loans from the Museum’s extraordinary collections to organisations such as the Palace of Versailles and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2017 he curated ‘Street Fans’, a pioneering project linking street art and fan making which drew record audiences to The Fan Museum.

 Poster_2022_05_19_Fans.pdf (167 KB)

From the mountains of Jiangxi province in far-off China, down river, over lake and mountain, and finally across oceans, 98 % of the Chinese porcelain on display in European museums, stately homes, palaces and personal collections are testimony to an epic journey and of monumental human endeavour. Luxury for the rich created by the effort of millions. Each year in the 1600s and 1700s millions of pieces - services, vases and ornamental wares - were shipped and portered over the mountain border into Guangdong province, passing through the aptly-named “Gate of Heroes”.

Biography

Since his 1986 debut on the BBC Antiques Roadshow (and all series since), Lars has spoken widely, within and beyond the UK. With over 40 years of experience in ceramics and other areas, he aims to combine several compelling narratives with enthusiasm and humour.

Born in Copenhagen, he studied Archaeology at Cambridge and joined Sothebys where, as a director and auctioneer (1977-1993), he specialized in Chinese and European ceramics. Today his consultancy devises and curates exhibitions, advises on the acquisition, care and disposal of ceramics and other fields.

 Poster_2022_06_02_Gate_of_Heroes.pdf (164 KB) 

*The lecture location is shown here*

The Annual General Meeting of the Society will take place from 6 30 pm to which only members are allowed entry.

The lecture will follow at 7 15 pm and after that a buffet supper will be served. Guests are welcome and are free but you will not be allowed in without prior registration.  

Contact:hamburg@theartssociety.org in order to register

The arrival of Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Naum Gabo in St Ives at the beginning of the Second World War marked a significant moment, both for them and for the artists already living and working in the small Cornish town. These three artists were key players in British modernism and soon challenged the status quo of the existing artists’ colony, established at the end of the 19th century. They inspired and, in Hepworth’s case employed, a younger generation of artists before they too were challenged by new ideas. This lecture will chart the rise of St Ives as a centre for modern art after the war and show that it was not only Nicholson, Hepworth and Gabo who achieved international success but other artists such as Peter Lanyon, Roger Hilton, Terry Frost and Wilhemena Barns Graham. This success led to the town becoming a focal point for post-war avant garde art which led the eyes of the modern art world to focus, for a brief period, on St Ives.

Biography

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

Sarah is the founder of Cambridge Art Tours, which runs tours and courses in and around East Anglia. She is also a Tour Director for a travel company and has led tours to Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and America. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah moved her work online, offering art history courses to audiences all over the world.

When social historian Tessa Boase told the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds she wanted to write their early story, they refused to let her visit their archives. To a former investigative journalist, this was a challenge she could not resist.

This lecture shines a light on the intriguing story of women’s love affair with plumage – and of the brave eco feminists who fought back on behalf of the birds. Moving from a polite Victorian tea party to an egret hunt in a Florida swamp; from a suffragette ‘monster rally’ to a milliner’s dusty workshop, you’ll be taken back in time to a world where every woman, of every class wore a hat. 

About the lecturer

Tessa is a freelance lecturer for The Arts Society along with other organisations such as the V&A, English Heritage and the National Trust. She’s the author of two books of social history: The Housekeeper’s Tale – The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House, and Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather – Fashion, Fury and Feminism, Women’s Fight for Change. Her interest lies in uncovering stories of invisible women of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, revealing how they drove industry, propped up high society and manipulated politics. Tessa has an MA in English Literature from Oxford University, a diploma in Art History from the British Institute of Florence, and has enjoyed a long career in journalism for national newspapers and magazines. 

 Poster_2022_10_04_fashion_feathers-4.pdf (292 KB)

Tate Modern originally opened in 2000 but in June 2016 opened its doors to the stunning new Blavatnik Building immediately setting the new gold standard for museum design. This talk looks at the sleek new architecture and its engagement with the local environment and then follows the highlights of the collection, starting with Monet, Matisse and Picasso, continuing through the 20th century artists such as Bacon, Freud and Epstein and on to some international recent works. Some are easy to explain, and some are quite challenging.  Some are profound, some are witty, some are whacky, but they all have a place. Tate Modern is the most visited modern art museum in the world and this armchair tour is a chance to explore the artworks without the crowds.

About the lecturer

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.

 Poster_2022_11_08_tate_modern-2.pdf (274 KB)

In this lecture we will explore how ballet is seen as the purest expression of every emotion, earthly and spiritual. The film Red Shoes evocatively portrays the beauty, wonder and grace of ballet where there is no art without sacrifice. Other key films such as Black Swan and Billy Elliot will be opened up for analysis. The most beautiful paintings inspired by dance will also be discussed. These include works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Knight and Oppler.

About the lecturer

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

Technical note: We will try to have hybrid technology available for those of you who wish to attend on Zoom.

 Poster_2022_12_14_ballet_in_film.pdf (320 KB) 

For the last five years, Helen has made a study of Black Art in Britain, taking particular interest in Donald Rodney, Keith Piper and Lubaina Himid to name but three. The work of these artists powerfully responds to the history of slavery, racism, and colonisation. Helen will discuss the BLK Art Group artists, as well as more contemporary artists including Sonia Boyce who won the Venice Biennale’s top Golden Lion prize in 2022.

Biography

Helen is the Head of the History of Art Department at St Mary’s School Ascot. She studied at Manchester University and achieved her Masters’ Degree in architectural history from the Courtauld Institute of Art. Based in London she has previously worked for the Royal Academy and National Gallery, as well as leading specialised art history courses across Italy.

 2023_02_13_Black_Art.pdf (257 KB)

The director of the National Palaces of Pena, Queluz and Sintra in Portugal will give us his expert insights into the park and palace of Monserrate, which was built by the English merchant of French Huguenot origin Gerard De Visme in the style of Horace Walpole’s Strawberry Hill. William Beckford, the author of Letters from Italy with Sketches of Spain and Portugal (1835) lived here, and Lord Byron visited before the palace and gardens were completely remodelled by the rich merchant Sir Francis Cook during the Victorian era.

The clarinet was one of the first instruments of the jazz era, thanks to early pioneers from the Tio family of New Orleans, who then passed on their teachings to the likes of Sidney Bechet, Barney Bigard and Johnny Dodds. It was made ever more popular however in the 1930's and 40's thanks to bigbands led by Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller.

But what happened to the clarinet after this time? Where was the clarinet in bebop and beyond, and who were those bandleaders and musical innovators who forged this new path?

British clarinetist, researcher and lecturer Samantha Wright will present an exciting lecture, taking you on a journey from the roots of jazz to the contemporary with her trusty clarinet!

Local lecturer and teacher Annette, who holds an M.A. in English literature, will give us an introduction as well as a demonstration of the Japanese folk tradition with a botanical element. 

Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge has been described as “one of the country’s most intimate and spellbinding museums, the collection of one man and his unerring eye; restorative, homely yet life-changing”. This man was H.S. ‘Jim’ Ede, curator, writer, collector and friend to artists. In 1957, he opened his Cambridge home as “a living place where works of art could be enjoyed… unhampered by the greater austerity of the museum or public art gallery.” His collection included works by Ben and Winifred Nicholson, Christopher Wood and Alfred Wallis which were placed alongside pieces of furniture, ceramics and natural objects. His curated home remains, by and large as he left it, characterised by its unique atmosphere, fascinating juxtapositions and personal connections. This lecture by Sarah Burles will discuss the life of Jim Ede, his collecting and his vision for Kettle’s Yard.

Biography

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

Sarah is the founder of Cambridge Art Tours, which runs tours and courses in and around East Anglia. She is also a Tour Director for a travel company and has led tours to Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and America. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah moved her work online, offering art history courses to audiences all over the world.