Lectures
The Committee works hard to produce an annual programme from the NADFAS Directory of accredited lecturers, which promises to be informative, interesting and entertaining for our members.
Lectures take place on the third Wednesday of the month, apart from December when it is on the second Wednesday. There is no meeting in August. Lectures begin at 10.30am and at 2.00pm.
The venue is the Abbey Hall in the Guildhall, Abbey Close, Abingdon OX14 3JD. Please click here for directions (the location of the entrance to the Guildhall is marked by the black arrow). There is public parking in the Civic, Abbey Meadow and Rye Farm car parks; P2, 5, 7/8 respectively on the map.
Members may:
- attend the other lecture session, rather than their designated one, up to three times a year.
- bring a guest to a lecture up to three times a year. It will be necessary for them to sign in the guest and ensure that the guest fee, currently £6, is paid.
Details of forthcoming lectures are shown below.
19 June 2013
REYNTIENS: BRITAIN’S LEADING STAINED GLASS ARTIST
Dr Libby Horner (www.libbyhorner.com)
Patrick Reyntiens – a brilliant raconteur, an extraordinary personality, hugely intellectual, an experimenter and innovator whose work has transformed the conception and construction of stained glass. Not merely the interpreter of the work of Cecil Collins, Ceri Richards and John Piper, but an artist of tremendous breadth and talent in his own right. Dr Horner has had unprecedented access to previously unseen sketchbooks and autonomous panels.
17 July 2013
POSTERS OF THE BELLE EPOCH: THE GREAT AGE OF THE POSTER
Charles Harris (www.postersightuk.moonfruit.com)
This lecture relates technical innovations in printing with creative genius and remarkable craftsmanship that enabled the Poster to become the world’s first effective method of mass communication. From Manet’s ‘Les Chats’ to Cheret’s ‘Electricine’ and Lautrec’s ‘Moulin Rouge’, you’ll see inspirational work by artists who made the poster great: magnificent Mucha, socially conscious Steinlen, idealistic Grasset and many more. Learn how an effective poster is designed and how it plays on the mind; and why most posters today go unnoticed.
18 September 2013
EDWARD LEAR: LANDSCAPE PAINTER AND POET
Mr Denis Moriarty (www.denismoriarty.com)
Edward Lear, eminent Victorian and friend of the Laureate Tennyson, was an eccentric. Loved by earlier generations of children for his nonsense verse, he was an adventurous traveller who earned a reputation as a brilliant watercolourist and painter of Italy, Greece, Egypt and India. This lecture, set firmly in the context of an illustrated and fascinating biography, draws on the poems, paintings and present day locations to evaluate a colourful and creative life.
16 October 2013
THE LEGEND OF WAYLAND THE SMITH
Dr Sam Newton (www.wuffings.co.uk)
A new look at the ancient and once widely known legend of Wayland the wonder-smith (‘lord of the elves’), which we shall attempt to reconstruct from the significant references to it preserved in Old English poetry and landscape, Old Norse saga and verse, and especially from the Anglo-Saxon art of the Franks’ Casket, where scenes from Wayland’s tale are juxtaposed with a depiction of the Nativity.
20 November 2013
OLD FATHER THAMES: THE RIVER IN ART
Andrew Davies
No River Thames, no London – and the history of Britain (and the world) would be very different. For centuries the river has been at the heart of London life and it is no surprise that artists from Canaletto to Whistler, from JMW Turner to Monet have been compelled to represent it in all its moods and activities. Today we explore how these great names, together with lesser known artists such as Samuel Scott, J Atkinson Grimshaw and Andre Derain have portrayed the world’s most historic thoroughfare.
11 December 2013
O YES IT IS! A HISTORY OF PANTOMIME
Jane Tapley
This talk examines the complex and fascinating story of how pantomime developed out of its Greek and Roman roots through the religious plays of the Middle Ages to the Italian Commedia Dell’Arte. It looks at the characters of the Harlequinade and how actors like Grimaldi, Music Hall stars like Dan Leno and Vesta Tilley, and today’s television actors have all contributed to the art of Pantomime. This entertaining account is illustrated with slides from Victorian prints, production shots of pantomime and original paintings of Beryl Cook!
15 January 2014
SOROLLA: PAINTER OF SUNLIGHT
Gail Turner
The Spanish artist Joaquin Sorolla (1863-1923) was a phenomenal international success in his own lifetime. His paintings of fishermen, beach scenes, portraits and regional studies of Spain – all permeated by colour and light – were eagerly bought by European and American collectors. He was grounded in Spanish traditions of realism, but was influenced by Impressionism and open to the ideas of the contemporary avant-garde. His passion was painting sunlight so there is a wonderful optimism about his works. His former home and studio is now one of Madrid’s most popular museums, and his work in the Hispanic Society in New York is a major attraction.
19 February 2014
IMPERIAL PURPLE TO DENIM BLUE: THE COLOURFUL HISTORY OF TEXTILES
Dr Susan Kay-Williams
The story of textiles is broad, ranging across time periods and continents. In this lecture we look at this eclectic history, not only how textile colours were discovered and made, but also their uses, including political, clerical and financial meanings, and how these have changed over time. Textile trade has been hugely important and the story of colour is bound up with power, war, money, exploration, adventure, science, serendipity and even sex. This lecture has Europe at its centre but stretches from India and China to Mexico and Peru, from prehistory to the current day.
19 March 2014
WILLIAM KENT: C18TH OPPORTUNIST AND GENIUS
Christopher Rogers
Born in Bridlington in 1685, the son of a joiner, William Kent became one of the most important influences on the cultural life of the C18th. Beginning as an artist of modest quality; Kent became architect, creator of great interiors, furniture designer and innovative gardener. The great house at Holkham, familiar London landmarks such as Horse Guards and the gardens at Stowe and Rousham reflect the diversity of his talents. This illustrated lecture explores the range of work which Kent undertook and attempts to evaluate his success.
Please click here for details of past lectures.