Programme – Page 3

The Art of the Poster: the Poor Man’s Art Gallery

April 17, 2024 10:30 am

Andrew Davies delves into the persuasive powers of the posters that have brightened, enriched and informed life in Britain since the 19th Century.

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.

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.

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.

Downton to Gatsby: Jewellery and Fashion from 1890 to 1929

November 15, 2023 10:30 am

Through the many jewels he made for the main characters in the acclaimed TV series ‘Downton Abbey’, Andrew examines changing styles in the period 1890 to 1929.

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?

Johannes Vermeer: Master of Light, Colour and Harmony

Jane Choy-Thurlow

The Jacobites in Italy – the end of a dream

February 15, 2023 12:00 am

Dr. Patrica Andrew 15 February 2023 Synopsis The history of the Jacobite court and its followers in Italy is both dramatic and tragic. Numerous artistic depictions provide a full picture of the court in exile and of the personalities associated with it. We follow the dying dreams of the Jacobite cause, looking at the Jacobite […]

The Exceedingly Curious Tale of ‘A Curious Herbal’

September 14, 2022 12:00 am

Nancy Stevens 14 September 2022 (Change to original programme) Synopsis This is the remarkable tale of how and why a book of plants for the medical profession was made in 1737 by Elizabeth Blackwell, a talented botanical artist from Aberdeen. Encompassing The Chelsea Physic Garden, Head Gardener Philip Miller, Sir Hans Sloane and details of […]

Fabergé: the World’s Greatest Goldsmith

November 13, 2019 12:00 am

John Benjamin 13th November 2019 Synopsis The son of a middle class provincial jeweller, this talk analyses the mercurial rise of Carl Fabergé in pre-revolution Russia who, by his late 30s, was producing incomparable jewels and objects d’art for the Imperial Court and bourgeois Moscow and St Petersburg. The presentation discusses Fabergé’s early life and […]