LECTURE PROGRAMME 2012

Monday, 30 January

The Boy who bit Picasso

When Anthony Penrose was three he sank his teeth into Picasso. The artist was a great friend of Penrose's Bohemian parents (his mother was the famous American photographer Lee Miller and his father was the English writer and collector of modern art Rloland Penrose). This engaging memoir tells how Tony played bullfights with  Picasso, got messy with him in his studio and what the great man did in responce to the young Tony's bite...

By Anthony Penrose

 

Monday, 27 February

Vermeer: the musical Pictures

By discussing the ten musical paintings of Vermeer, Peter Medhurst explores the world of music making in the 17th century Low Countries. Live music includes: Almande prynce ~ Anon Dutch, Ballo del granduca ~ Sweelinck, Allemand ~ and Heere Keere ~ arr.Valerius. The Dutch paintings of the 17th century which show musical scenes are amongst the most evocative and best loved of the period. Some of the more dramatic ones show richly decorated virginals - keybord instruments of the harpsichord family- being played by young women engaged in solitary practice or performing to music masters, who stand at their side in rapt attention. Shakespeare never wrote a truer word then when he remarked 'If music be the food of love, play on', and in many of these paintings it is clear that music is a prelude to lovemaking.

By Peter Medhurst

 

Monday, 19 March

Wonder Workers and the Art of Illusion (The History of Magic through Art and Pictures)

From the beginning of time the fascination with magic and the impossible has been widespread.Egypt was the cradle of magic. Where there was power there was magic. Then there is the age old skill of sleight of hand, which proves that 'the hand is quicker than the eye'. Magicians were known as "Jongleurs' lest they be sentenced to death for 'witchcraft and conjuration' under the edict of Henry VIII. With the emergence of the Music Hall, magic gained a new respectability and audiences flocked in there by the thousands to watch the extraordinary feats of The Great Illusionists. This gave birth to legendary tricks such as pulling a rabbit from a hat and sawing a lady in half. And if magicians guarded their secrets with their lives, how was the Magic Circle formed? Home to 10.000 secrets. - Wonder Workers and the Art of Illusion is a whistle stop tour of the history of mystery from 3000 BC to the 21st century and be careful! - You might be amazed and bewitched.

By Bertie Pearce

 

Monday, 16 April

Banks, Burgundy and Piracy: The 15th century Artists of Bruges

This lecture explores what has sometimes been called the Northern Renaissance: that flowering of art in Bruges in the 15th century. It draws attention not only to the great artists of that age, such as Van Eyck and Hans Memling, but sets them in their political, cultural and religious context.  

By Dr. Christopher Herbert

 

Monday, 11 June

The Iconography and Ideology of Nefertiti and Egypt's other Amarna Royal Women

Nefertiti is arguably the most famous queen of Pharaonic Egypt. Her bust displayed in Berlin is iconic. She was the Chief Royal Wife of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton (1352-1336 BC), and together they continue to fascinate. Intriguing chances appear in the art and religion of this period of Egypt's history - peculiar representations of the royal family, and an attempt at monotheism in what was traditionally a polytheistic society. The female members of this royal family were exceptional. In this lecture I shall examine the various roles (including political and cultic) played my Nefertiti and the other royal women of the time, and how these were expressed in stunning artistic representation.

By Lucia Gahlin

 

Monday, 24 September

The World of Auction, Behind the Scenes

What does an expert look for? And who do the jewels belong to? All will be revealed through many amusing anecdotes and personnel accounts of exciting discoveries made over many years through my involvement in the auction world. This fun and entertaining lecture will reveal some of the mysteries behind the world of auction and look at collections that have belonged to some extraordinary people.

By Joanna Hardy

 

Monday, 29 October

Charles Dickens: His Life, Time and Works

2012 is the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birthday. Best known for his novels, but Charles Dickens was also a magazine editor, actor, philanthropist, businessman, letter-writer, tireless walker, the father of 10 children, great hater and good friend, nearly MP (Member of Parliament) for Reading - and a man who installed his mistress in a love-nest in Slough. We will discover the tempestuous life of this volcanic genius, truly a 'once in a lifetime' figure. In particular we will explore the importance of 'place' (Kent, London etc.) on Charles Dickens.

By Andrew Davies

 

Monday, 26 November

    The History of Windsor Castle and its Royal Occupants, 1080-2002

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest continuously occupied castle in the world: It has been enlarged and modified throughout its 900 year history to reflect the needs, ambitions and styles of various monarchs. As such the castle is evolved from an impregnable fortress into a royal country residence which as well as being the Queen's favourite home, which is regularly used by her for spectacular state occasions. The restauration of the castle after the fire of 1992 enabled Her Majesty to continue the development of the structure. This lecture shows how todays castle has grown from its 11th century origins and how this evolution relates to the personalities and tastes of its Royal occupants and to the history of Britain. Four monarchs in particular are shown to have made Windsor Castle what it is today - Edward III in the 1360s, Charles II in the 1670s, George IV in the 1820s and the present Queen.

By Oliver Everett