The lecture combines both art and social history to trace the unique position teapots and tea drinking occupy in British culture, illustrated with the largest collection of ceramic teapots in the world, housed in the Twining Teapot Gallery in Norwich Castle Museum.

During the painting of this picture, Seurat developed new colour theories and the novel technique of Pointillism, to capture the shimmering effects of sunlight on water.

Britten, one of our most original and versatile composers, died in 1976.  With Peter Pears, he founded the Aldeburgh Festival, still held at Snape Maltings in Suffolk.

This lecture explores Kahlo's life through her most famous faintings.  The Exhibition Frido: The Making of an Icon will run at Tate Modern from 25th June 2026 to 3rd January 2027.

The Rajput Maharajas built majestic fort-palaces and, in this lecture, we visit some of the finest of these, looking at life and ceremony in their courts.

The influx of Japanese art into Europe had a radical influence on art in the latter half of the 19th century.  We will llook at many examples and examine those influences.

Wallpaper is the most ephemeral of domestic Decorate Arts, but has a long and fascinating history, encompassing a huge range of beautiful patterns.

With 10 of Picasso's paintings, Alan will examine his life, painting styles and significance in modern art.  The Three Dancers, is in the Theatre Picasso at Tate Modern fronm 27th September 2025 to 12th.April 2026.

In art, blue is loaded with symbolism and has been used to venerate icons since the earliest civilisations.  Enjoy this rich history via Impressionism and Japanese Print.

Pevsner catalogued the significant buildings in the country in The Buildings of England.

The Wallace Collection was brought togther by five generations of one family between 1760 and 1880.

Tate Britain will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of these two giants of British art with the exhibition "Turner and Constable" from 27th November 2025 to 12th April 2026.

In 1883 Monet moved into Le Pressoir, Giverny and, below his house, he created gardens whose colours vibrantly or contemplatively evolved under the Norman skies.  Initially he painted the rural motifs of the poplars and grainstacks before devoting himself to the floral canvas of his own making, until his death in 1926. Botanically and horticulturally skilled, Monet grew the latest in irises and water lilies, watching them as the day reflected its course in their shapes; moments captured for eternity in over 500 paintings. The meticulous restoration of Giverny provides the canvas to explore the man, his paintings and his gardens.

Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was an artist who defined an age. His elegantly spare black-and-white pen drawings distilled the essence of the fin-de-siecle: decadent, erudite, unsettling, and marketable.

Diagnosed with tuberculosis in childhood, he knew his life would be short, and he crammed much into his short career – illustrating Malory’s Morte D'arthur and Oscar Wilde’s Salome, acting as art editor of both The Yellow Book and the Savoy, scandalizing the conventional and becoming a devout Roman Catholic. This talk charts his brief but brilliant life through his extraordinary art.

The Emperor Qianlong was arguably the greatest of all the Qing Emperors as he guided China through a period of unquestionable political, economic and cultural prosperity which rivalled any comparable period of high achievement in Chinese history. Territorially Qianlong added more than 30 per cent of landmass to the Empire through successful military campaigns and astute diplomacy. He was passionate about preserving Manchu culture whilst respecting and nurturing other ethnic Chinese cultures. Qianlong travelled his Empire regularly undertaking lavish expeditions to the South and West designed to forge loyalty to his Imperial rule. Despite all these successes as a ruler it is in the fields of the sciences, arts and culture that Qianlong made the greatest contribution to China’s heritage. Qianlong was a noted scholar who during his lifetime wrote and published over 43,000 poems, painted on virtually a daily basis and was accomplished in the art of calligraphy.

It was perhaps as a Collector of Fine Art that Qianlong created his greatest legacy. He amassed a treasure trove of hundreds of thousands of works of art from previous dynasties or which represented the finest current workmanship. His collection spanned all genres of the arts including paintings, porcelain, jade, textiles, enamelling, ivory carvings and snuff bottles. This lecture will provide an insight into Qianlong not only as a successful Emperor of China but also as a scholar and ‘ultimate’ collector of fine art. A wide range of items of the highest quality, produced by the Imperial Workshops, will illustrate this lecture.

For all the things that have been written about the great Sun King, Louis XIV, he is best remembered for the creation of Versailles; the immense chateau which he built on the site of his father’s old hunting lodge and which became the seat of French government, the setting for all grand court ceremonial and the envy of every other European monarch.

This lecture will be an introduction to the sumptuous state apartments, the vast gardens and pleasure pavilions, the spectacular entertainments which took place both inside and out, the collections of the King and the whole etiquette of life at one of the greatest courts in Europe.

Simply the word "Fabergé" conjures up images of jewelled art linked to Russian Royalty.  This talk explores the relationship between a ruler and a jeweller - The rulers- Romanov Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II - and the jeweller - Carl Fabergé.  The Imperial Fabergé Eggs were delivered every Good Friday to the WInter Palace, for Russia's Tsars to give as Easter presents to their Tsarina's.  The talented House of Fabergé became the sought after jeweller to the "Glitterati" of the time.  Come and explore the crafting of several Imperial Easter Eggs, and learn of the hunt for the missing Fabergé Eggs.

‘Ted’ Seago’s refined landscapes personified a respect for the traditions of British landscape painting as well as the impressionism. In Britain, he was part of a remarkable post-impressionist flowering that included the likes of Sickert, Munnings and Augustus John. What made Seago quintessentially English was the great subtlety of his colour control and peaceful landscape compositions. This refinement won him admiration from four generations of royalty and an international fan-base that would cause his exhibitions to sell out on the first day. But you won’t find his paintings in the Tate Britain, nor did his work ever find favour with the art establishment.

This lecture compares his work with those masters he most admired, as well as the contemporary trends he chose to ignore. It tells of his lasting appeal, asking whether he should now be considered a great master of British art. The lecturer’s father, artist Rodney F Russell, was a friend and lifetime admirer. In considering the classic technique of Seago, the lecturer is remembering a tradition passed down from his father and Seago alike. 

To begin our seasonal celebrations, musician and broadcaster Sandy Burnett is on hand to share his selection of much-loved Christmas tunes. Expect an hour of the finest festive music from across the globe – his selections include sparking moments from Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker, a heartwarming ballad from Mel Tormé, something from Soweto, a heavenly chorus from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Leipzig, an illustration of the English carol tradition at its finest - and something more cynical from Eartha Kitt.

Some of the most iconic images of the 20th century were created, not for galleries or private patrons, but for record sleeves. The zebra crossing immortalised on the cover of the Beatles’ Abbey Road is the site of a pilgrimage for people travelling thousands of miles to recreate this famous scene. Album covers have been produced by Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton and a host of lesser-known artists and designers. We will explore the art of the album cover and reveal the close connections between visual and musical creativity in this vibrant period of popular culture.

This lecture will complement The National Gallery Exhibition:

Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers 14.9.2024 - 19.1.2025

The exhibition will focus on the artist’s period in Provence where he painted some of his most famous, brightest and expressive works.

As well as looking at the works that will feature in the exhibition the lecture will look at his own personal struggles and ambitions, the art that influenced him and the art that he wanted to create.

Despite his time in Provence being quite short and Vincent not finding the support or recognition that he craved, the paintings he created in the South of France would become some of the most influential, recognisable and loved paintings ever made by an artist.

This lecture complements the forthcoming Royal Academy Exhibition 'Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Florence, c. 1504' which will run from November to February.

The first decade of the sixteenth century in Florence was an exhilarating place for an artist to work, brimming with new ideas and approaches. For a brief but intense period Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael were all based in Florence. These are the years of Mona Lisa, David and Raphael’s many serene Madonnas. We explore the rivalries between the artists and the impact that Michelangelo and Leonardo had on the young Raphael.

The Aztecs (known also as the Mexica) flourished in central Mexico between 1325 and 1521. Their shimmering city, built on a lake, lay at the heart of a vast empire. Military might was accompanied by exceptional developments in art and architecture. The Aztecs have often been described as warlike and bloodthirsty, yet their creative achievements were breathtaking. These included exquisite gold objects, fine ceramics, monumental stone sculpture, turquoise mosaics, featherwork, and precious pictorial manuscripts. Despite the devastation that marked the Spanish Conquest of 1521, many Aztec skills and beliefs still survive among their descendants. 

The Aztecs of central Mexico have been described as warlike and bloodthirsty, yet their creative achievements were breathtaking. The Aztecs flourished between 1325 and 1521, when they surrendered to invading Spanish forces. As a late civilisation, the Aztecs were able to benefit from earlier advances made by the Olmecs and by the founders of Teotihuacan and Tula.

Tenochtitlan, the shimmering Aztec city, was built on a lake. This Venice of the New World, with a population of 250,000 inhabitants, lay at the heart of a vast empire. Religion dominated every aspect of Aztec life. Military might was accompanied by exceptional developments in art and architecture.

Aztec creativity found expression in miniature gold objects, fine ceramics, monumental stone sculpture, exquisite turquoise mosaics, featherwork, and precious pictorial manuscripts. Splendid examples of all these Aztec art forms were recently shown at London’s Royal Academy in 2003.

Despite the devastation that marked the Spanish Conquest, many Native arts and beliefs have survived to the present day. Náhuatl, the official language of the Aztec empire, is spoken by approximately two million people. Textile and ceramic traditions, mask-carving, dances, festivals, and celebrations for the Days of the Dead have their roots in the past.

In 2003 the Aztecs were the subject of a a groundbreaking exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. From September 2009 to January 2010, an exhibition at the British Museum looked at the life and legacy of Moctezuma II and examined the semi-mythical status of this great Aztec ruler.

One of the pioneers of abstract modern art, Wassily Kandinsky exploited the evocative interrelation between colour and form to create an aesthetic experience that engaged the sight, sound, and emotions of the public. He believed that total abstraction offered the possibility for profound, transcendental expression and that copying from nature only interfered with this process. Highly inspired to create art that communicated a universal sense of spirituality, he innovated a pictorial language that only loosely related to the outside world, but expressed volumes about the artist's inner experience. In this lecture we will look at paintings by Wassily Kandinsky and the origins of his first abstractions, as well as other Russian artists, who developed non-objective art in Russia.

Paintings and sculpture by women artists typically make up only a tiny proportion of historic art collections, and many museums and galleries are now actively working to address this imbalance. An exhibition to be held at Tate Britain from May to July 2024 (dates tbc) will showcase women artists working in Britain from the sixteenth century to the First World War. Besides well-known artists such as Angelica Kauffman and Rosa Bonheur, it will introduce lesser-known figures who were highly successful in their day, but have since been forgotten. As a researcher on this exhibition, my lecture includes a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how the exhibition was put together. During the opening period, I can also offer an in-gallery tour.

The exhibition will showcase women working in Britain from the 16th century to the 1st world war.  Amy's lecture includes a behind the scene glimpse of how the exhibition was put together.

Featured artists:

Artemisia Gentilsechi (1593-c.1656)

Mary Beale (1633-1699)

Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807)

Florence Claxton (1828-1920)

Emily Mary Osborn (1828-1925)

Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899)

Elizabeth, Lady Butler (1846-1933)

Helen Allingham (1848-1926)

Henrietta Rae (1859-1928)

Anna Lea Merritt (1844-1930)

Annie Swynnerton (1844-1933)

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/women-artists-in-britain-1520-1920

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/angelica-kauffman

We will explore the history and architecture of London’s University quarter, Bloomsbury where I will reveal some of the significant scientific discoveries that have taken place here. From the first steam engines to a jar of moles and the Blaschka glass collection at London's Grant Museum of Zoology, and from Benzene Rings to strange inflammable air and the first the anaesthetic. We will discover the history and architecture of the University of London Colleges and institutes. Including Birkbeck College, Senate House and the original University of London - University College London, still home to the preserved remains of its spiritual founder Jeremy Bentham.

Invented at the end of the 1830s, photography triggered a visual revolution. At the time, some feared that photography would replace painting altogether. It certainly did not but painting was not left untouched either. In this lecture we will consider how photography participated in changing the face of painting in the second half of the 19th century. It introduced a new relationship between reality and its representation that influenced painters such as the Realists and the Impressionists. It also encouraged painters to explore new directions. Freed from having to record the external world, painters could focus on more intangible things (such as emotions) or on formal aspects (such as colour for its own sake).

The celebration of Christmas brings together a broad range of traditions which are now regarded by many as integral to Christmas as a whole. Using a wide range of artworks and covering the output of many well-known and lesser known artists including Giotto, Caspar David Friedrich and Norman Rockwell this talk examines the elements of Christmas in their artistic setting. From the Christmas feast to Christmas Cards, holly and ivy, trees, crackers, gift giving and of course lots and lots of snow, this lecture is guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit. 

Shindler Colin

Colin Shindler has been lecturing on American and British social and cultural history for over 20 years. He was awarded his PhD at Cambridge University and subsequently lectured on film for their History Faculty between 1998 and 2019 exploring its relationship to modern British and American social and cultural history. He also teaches a variety of adult education courses at Madingley and Higham Hall in Cumbria and has lectured on cruises.  Between 1975 and 1999 he pursued a wide-ranging career as a writer and producer in television, radio and film. He won a BAFTA award for his production of A Little Princess. His production of Young Charlie Chaplin was nominated for a US Prime Time Emmy. He wrote the screenplay for the feature film Buster and was the producer of various television dramas such as Lovejoy and Wish Me Luck. He has written three novels as well as numerous television scripts and radio plays but regards his greatest cultural contribution as choosing the title music for the police series Juliet Bravo.

As an experienced international speaker, Mary lectures regularly for The Arts Society throughout the UK, Europe and Australia and New Zealand. She also contributes articles to magazines, newspapers and professional journals.  She was President of The Arts Society Glaven Valley, Norfolk from 2016- 2021.

Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) was a key player in early twentieth century avant garde art, design and literary/theatrical circles in Paris. As a widely travelled polymath, Dufy's charismatic personality, wit and curiosity about the world was infectious.

His imagination and technical virtuosity - across a range of media including painting and lithography, posters, book illustration, theatrical set design, textiles and fashion, ceramics and large murals - cut across all conventional boundaries. Whether a small intricate woodcut illustrating a love poem, or the truly gigantic 1937 world fair murals depicting the role of electricity in the modern age, the effect is mesmerising.

Dufy defies categorisation, constantly innovating and experimenting with new materials and effects. His analysis of the visual world is sophisticated and joyous in equal measure. Perhaps this goes some way to explain why some later critics fail to grasp its complexity and pigeonhole him a 'decorative artist', or misunderstand the irony in his witty yet gentle caricatures of elegant social life.

From the early sixties, when he left the Royal College of Art more famous than his teachers, Hockney's paintings have shown a charm and humour that sets them apart from others of his generation. A naturally gifted draftsman, his love of ingenious visual devices has led him to experiment with a whole range of techniques, from stage design to coloured paper making. From the early abstract expressionist images, through his famous Californian scenes of swimming pools to the photo-montages of the mid eighties, this lecture follows the career of an artist whose wit and imagination has never faltered.

The first time the word cartoon was used in the sence that we know it today was in 1843 in Punch magazine.  This talk tracks their evolution .  Copious illustrations bring it right up to date.

This lecturer will trace his long, chequered and colourful career, giving particular emphasis to the creative tensions produced by his very different cultral and artisric environments.

This richly illustrated talk will take you to Southern Albania to the banks of the two great rivers of Mesopotamia, and then to the wild and wonderful mountains of Northern Ethiopia.  

In the sweltering heat of New York's summer, Andy Warhol invited Bob Dylan to his factory to sit for a screen test.  It was 1965.  This lecture examines the world of Pop Art, through the eyes of these controversial artists.

Caravaggio was a man out of step with his time. He took his models from the streets and scorned
idealised interpretation of religious subjects, taking his models from the streets.  His use of light was revolutionary.

This lecture examines the life and works of this enigmatic man.

Shirley Smith graduated from the University of East Anglia with a first class honours degree in the History of Art, specialising in the Italian and Northern Renaissance. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a part-time lecturer for the University of East Anglia and for the Department of Continuing Education of the University of Cambridge. Has run study days and certificate courses as well as residential weekend courses. Also lectures to the Art Fund and individual clubs and societies. She is particularly keen to set the art and architecture of the period in the context of the society for which it was produced.