Past Lectures

Tuesday 20th February 2024 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Lois Oliver

French painter Rosa Bonheur had an extraordinary gift for painting animals that brought her international fame and recognition and in 1865 she was awarded the Légion d’Honneur, Defying convention, Bonheur obtained official permission to wear men’s clothing, so that she could study animal anatomy in the male-only spaces of livestock sales. Her painting ‘The Horse Fair’ was so famous that Queen Victoria requested a private viewing at Buckingham Palace.

Tuesday 17th October 2023 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Nirvan Romell

The talk explores the causative connection
between the political, social and economical
history of this famous city and its arts. The
uniqueness of the city’s history and people are
reflected in the revolutionary and innovative
character of Venetian arts – both in positive
and negative ways. The lecture highlights, in
particular, the contribution that the Venetian
colonies made to the famous school of art.
Venice has been highly romanticised in the past
two centuries and the lecture tries to separate
facts from sentiment.

Tuesday 19th September 2023 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Helen Rufus-Ward

This lecture will focus on Victorian encounters with India and will begin by focusing on the Indian portraits decorating the corridors of Queen Victoria’s favourite palace, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Austrian artist Rudolf Swoboda was commissioned by Queen Victoria to paint authentic portraits of her Indian subjects to represent ‘various types of the different nationalities’ of India. Swoboda produced some extraordinary paintings during his two visits to India and the Queen was thrilled, calling them her ‘Beautiful Things!’ If Queen Victoria couldn’t travel to India – India had to come to her!

Tuesday 18th July 2023 at 10.45am

THE MARY GLEN MEMORIAL LECTURE

Lecturer: James Russell

From trawlermen to submariners, migrants to merchant seamen, people across the ages have shared the experience of being at sea. This invigorating lecture explores the perils and pleasures of life at sea, while at the same time taking audiences on an art historical voyage from the age of JMW Turner to the present. Along the way we relax aboard an ocean liner, explore the interior of a wartime submarine and meet everyone from 19th century British emigrants to trawlermen and shipwrecked sailors. Expect moments of drama, a few laughs, and many stunning depictions of the sea itself.

Tuesday 21st January 2025 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Rev'd Dr Nicholas Henderson

A walk in the country; you come upon the typical village country church. This lecture will help you look at the architecture inside and out, the church furniture, those mysterious nooks and crannies, high and low. How and why did it all come to look this way? This is a fascinating journey through English history unravelled before your eyes. “I can’t make you experts” says Nicholas Henderson, “but I can teach you enough to amaze your friends on that day in the countryside.”

Tuesday 18th February 2025 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Lucy Hughes-Hallett

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!’

Tuesday 18th March 2025 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Sophie Matthews

Music in Art looks at how the depiction of musical instruments from the Middle Ages to the 18th century evolves, focusing on instruments that Sophie plays, so as well as looking at images by artists such as Bruegel, Bosch and Hogarth she gives musical demonstrations on replicas of the instruments depicted