Daniel Wilson: a Glasgow Art Collector in Paris

June 12, 2024 10:30 am

The amazing and little-known story of the Glasgow-born chemical engineer Daniel Wilson, who in 1820, settled in Paris where he played a major role in launching the French industrial revolution. From his vast profits he formed a remarkable art collection, which numbered over 350 works.

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Sheer Folly: A History of Gardens

May 15, 2024 10:30 am

The history of gardens is punctuated by people telling other people how they could do it better, but Caroline’s talk is far from academic and dry, it is informative and amusing, starting with an Italian vision of the palace and gardens of Scotland’s James I.

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The Art of State Ceremonial Music

March 13, 2024 10:30 am

From the State Opening of Parliament to royal weddings and funerals, Great Britain provides some of the biggest ceremonial events in the world. Dr Graham Jones MBE illustrates why we, arguably, have a reputation of being the best in the world when it comes to such events.

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Children’s Book Illustration

February 14, 2024 10:30 am

A colourful and nostalgic lecture by John Ericson showing how the interaction of image and narrative creates such powerful memories. John also looks at the intriguing lives of famous illustrators such as Beatrix Potter, Howard Pyle and Arthur Rackham.

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Women in Renaissance Portraiture

December 18, 2023 10:30 am

This talk delves into the representation of women as explained in Elisabetta’s book, Netherlandish and Italian Female Portraiture in the Fifteenth Century: Gender, Identity and the Tradition of Power.

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Becoming Cary Grant

He was Hollywood’s definitive leading man, ‘the best and most important actor in the history of Cinema’. Born in Bristol, Archibald Leach set out to become Cary Grant. But who was the real Cary Grant?

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