This lecture explores Chinese landscape painting through the ages to convey the development and evolution of this important tradition. While the title, ‘Travellers Among Mountains and Streams’, is based on that of an 11th century work by the great Northern Song master, Fan Kuan, its key elements, mountains and water, or ‘shan sui’, represent the essence of all Chinese landscape painting. Using ink and brush and a variety of techniques and formats, the artist’s response to the natural landscape and to man’s place within it, has been said to evoke ‘landscapes of the mind’.

Patrick Heron was one of the major artists associated with the St Ives Group and an important art critic. His work is joyful, colourful and explores the space creating potential of colour and line. He was a pioneering abstract artist, anticipating some of the developments towards post-painterly abstraction in the UK before it emerged in the USA.  His early work is strongly influenced by modernist French artists such as Cézanne, Braque and Matisse.

This lecture is plotted around this love affair, describing an initial, awkward introduction and mutual curiosity in the sixteenth centuries, followed by a period of separation defined by a period of Japanese isolation beginning in 1639 (although there was clearly some residual attraction behind the scenes). Then, the relationship blossomed into full-on passion after Japan opened itself to international trade in 1854. European artists were smitten by Japanese art, and Japanese artists eagerly drank in the culture of the west.

PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS A CHANGE TO THE ADVERTISED LECTURE
Banksy is British, out of Bristol, and emerged in the 1990s with a stencil-based approach to street art. His work pops up in the most surprising places. Most memorable are large rodents, chimpanzees, girls with balloons and flower-throwing freedom fighters. Some see Banksy as a prankster but with increasingly serious cultural or socio-political points to make. The picture that shredded itself at Sotheby’s in 2018 is a good example. His installations and graffiti on or near the West Bank Wall, and in Ukraine, are another. Surprisingly, Banksy remains anonymous to the general public, despite his popularity. The lecture will trace the course of his career and describe his major artworks, as well as commenting on his identity. 

William Morris was a man of prodigious energy, talent, and versatility. He was a designer, a craftsman, a writer, a lecturer, a conservationist and a revolutionary socialist. He is best-known today for his wallpapers and textiles, but he also designed embroideries, stained glass, mural decoration, books and tapestries. And his firm, Morris & Co., was the foremost decorating company of his day. His over-arching passions were a love of art and making, and a hatred for what he perceived as the greed and inequality that characterised contemporary society.

In this lecture we gallop through almost 2000 years of London's history brilliantly illustrated through the stained-glass windows found in the city churches and livery halls.  Often overlooked, these provide a unique insight into the milestones which have made up London's story.  As well as 18th, 19th century and 20th century windows we look at some of the most up-to-date and contemporary glass makers.  

The bleak midwinter held little appeal to the artist for many centuries until Bruegel’s Hunters in the Snow in the 16th century. From pristine backdrop to the tempestuous snowstorms of Turner to the capturing of ‘snow effect’ by the Impressionists, the ability of artists to convey snow as a symbol of peace but also of grandeur and terror is compelling.

The talk looks at Giles's life and work with a particular emphasis on his seasonal cartoons, particularly those featuring Grandma and the Giles family. They include some of his funniest cartoons but, as the art historian William Feaver pointed out, they also demonstrate that he had few equals when it came to representing Britain in Winter. 

This richly illustrated talk will take you to a mysterious and atmospheric ancient city on the coast of southern Albania, to the banks of the two great rivers of Mesopotamia - the Euphrates and the Tigris - and then to the wild and wonderful mountains of northern Ethiopia.

Marianne North led an unconventional life, painting rare plants in their native lands. Edward Lear, Charles Darwin, and Joseph Hooker all formed part of her literary and botanical life.  The pursuit of plants took her around the world whilst her paintings were destined for Kew

Immerse yourself in a world of carnations, tulips, hyacinths and roses as you discover the history of the famous Turkish Iznik ceramics. From its origins imitating Chinese porcelain to its 16th-century heyday and subsequent decline. The focus on flowers makes this an ideal subject for spring but it works equally well at any time of year.

In 1936 Dame Laura Knight became the first woman to be elected as a full member of the Royal Academy in London, 168 years after its establishment. In her extraordinary career she painted landscapes, portraits and seascapes, as well as scenes from the circus, the ballet and the theatre. She was the only woman to be given War Commissions in both the First and Second World Wars and the only British artist to cover the Nuremberg Trials of 1946. 

Although glass has been made for centuries, the 1960s saw a revolution in the way it was made, opening it up to artists across the world and allowing glass to be used as a medium for art. After looking at the historical context and the genesis of the movement, we examine the work of six key glass artists from the US and the UK, including Dale Chihuly, Sam Herman, and Peter Layton.

The 17th century in the Netherlands was the time of Rembrandt and Vermeer, of extraordinary riches and incredible progress. There may be no other country in which in the brief span of a hundred years so many paintings were executed. You will be hard pressed to find a museum in the world not housing at least one Dutch painting from the Golden Age! This talk will use 6 paintings to introduce how the arts flourished in this tiny republic during this period. 

The 19th century saw a growing number of independent career women. In the art world, more and more women became professional artists and a few of them were at the forefront of artistic innovation. Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) was one of them. From her first Impressionist paintings in the 1860s and 1870s to her bold late works, she worked with a passion and dedication that used to be socially accepted only when displayed by men. She continuously pushed herself and adopted a bold style yet remaining attached to domestic subject matters and landscapes.

The British Crown Jewels are an unchanging jewelled anchor, whilst all around us changes.  Delve into the history & beauty of the Crowns, Sceptre, Orb and other royal jewels used during the coronation ceremony.  Diamond industry expert Laurie Wickwire, GIA will take you to the front row of the Coronation with details of the diamonds, rubies, sapphires and pearls used in the newly crafted royal  regalia used by Kings & Queens since 1661. Secrets & mystery abound within these priceless jewels, seen by millions, worn by one.

Angels don’t speak, they sing, and they have inspired much wonderful music. Patrick will investigate their roles as guardians, messengers and fighters through imaginative music by Britten, Elgar and Mendelssohn. Angelic words also feature in regularly repeated liturgical texts that Patrick sings daily in St Paul’s Cathedral, such as the Sanctus and Te Deum. These will give us an opportunity to explore and enjoy angelic music by composers such as Bach, Mozart and Walton

By the latter half of the 1700s British artists who wanted to make money chose portraiture as the genre to focus on. The two most successful portrait painters of the day were Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. Both worked in very different styles which reflected different modes of flattery. Another key ‘portrait’ painter is George Stubbs, who did not paint portraits of people but animals – he was the horse painter par excellence. 

Sir Thomas Lawrence was twenty when commissioned to paint a portrait of Queen Charlotte. His early masterpiece is one of the greatest royal portraits. However, Charlotte and George III considered it unsuitable for the Royal Collection and Lawrence retained the painting, which is now in the National Gallery. The young artist had unwittingly broken one of the tacit rules of royal portraiture, showing the Queen with a wistful expression, half-smiling and distracted. 

Shanghai developed as a Treaty Port after the 19th century Opium Wars, but the humble yet picturesque dwellings for local Chinese remained. Shanghai's heyday came in the 1930s when stylish apartment blocks and hotels were built in a glamorous Art Deco style. Much original architecture survived up to the 1990s, when the city emerged as a major Asian financial centre, dominated by glittering skyscrapers and with a vibrant contemporary art market. 

This talk explores the fascinating story of how dyes were discovered, made and used, focusing on some of the social implications of colour at different times in history. We are taken from pre-historic man to the middle of the 19th century and geographically from Europe to the Middle East, India, Turkey, north America, Mexico and Peru. 

The Mayan civilization, in South America, built enormous monuments, produced jade and ceramic items of great beauty and developed a calendar that was far more advanced than anything in Europe at the time. They had an advanced understanding of mathematics and astronomy and developed a hieroglyphic script which scholars are beginning to decipher, allowing us to understand their achievements. 

The Japanese are highly sensitive to the changes of the seasons and decorate their homes and themselves according to the time of the year. From clothes to food to art objects we will see and understand the motifs used for spring and summer, as well as explore the almost obsessive Japanese fascination with cherry blossoms.  

Located at the northernmost point of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, Skagen is an attractive spot in the summer for its unusual light. From the 1870s to the beginning of the 20th century this fishermen village was home to an artists’ colony. Reacting against styles enforced by the Academies and influenced instead by French modernism, they painted en plein air and represented scenes from ordinary life- fishermen at work, social gatherings, and domestic scenes. 

Founded in 1824, the National Gallery houses one of the world's finest collections of European paintings. The Gallery was founded by Parliament and remains reliant on public funding. This talk uses highlights from the NG's collection to show how our vision of the "ideal" art collection has evolved over time, along with ideas of the kinds of people the Gallery was supposed to serve.

For the last 150 years Christmas cards have been adorned with nativity scenes or holly, ivy and mistletoe, a rotund Father Christmas, hosiery, trees, and to the shout of Noel, Noel. Sacred and profane, plant symbolism and carols that echo the sacred magic of the nativity scene. There are also fashion plates, New Year wishes and cartoons. So, what on earth do Christmas cards portray – tasty, tasteful or tasteless?

The talk examines the journey of the musical, from its almost accidental beginnings of The Black Crook of 150 years ago through to the modern phenomenon which is Hamilton. It will highlight the great musical productions of London’s West End and Broadway and focuses upon the game changing moments of both composers and productions. Enjoy the great music, the great stories and the dynamic theatricality of their finest moments.

To understand jewellery, we need to read the message sent by jewels, both open and hidden. Medieval lapidary books interpreted gemstones. Gemstones in eighteenth and nineteenth century acrostic jewels spelled out secret messages. Romantic jewels used flowers, hands and hearts to send coded messages of affection and mourning. Political jewels also send a silent message, whether through the colours of the Suffragettes or the hidden imagery of Stuart loyalists.

MS RACHEL CHURCH

Rachel Church studied history at the University of Cambridge, followed by an MA in Museum Studies from Leicester. She was a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum from 1998 to 2021 and worked on major museum projects such as the refurbishment of the Silver Galleries, the British Galleries and Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Galleries. She was part of the core team which redisplayed the William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery. She has researched and written widely about jewellery, including Rings (V&A / Thames and Hudson, 2011 and 2017) and Brooches and Badges (V&A / Thames and Hudson, 2019). Her website www.thelifeofjewels.com explores stories behind jewellery and its history.

Since the first commercial flight in 1919, airlines created some of the most iconic and beautiful travel posters. Spanning a century of art and design, from art nouveau images of the ‘colonies’, through Art Deco streamlined planes to satellite images of the planet... this world-wide journey is a visual delight, inspiring dreams of far-flung destinations in vivid colours and styles.

MR MARK OVENDEN

Mark Ovenden is a broadcaster and author who specialises in the subjects of graphic design, cartography and architecture in public transport, with an emphasis on underground rapid transit.

His first book Metro Maps of the World published in 2003 is a guide to the diagrams, plans and maps of underground rapid transit system including images ranging from photos of the systems to rare and historical maps. Paris Metro Style in map and station design was published November 2008. Railway Maps of the World was published in May 2011 in the USA, a British edition was produced in September 2011. London Underground by Design was published by Penguin Books in January 2013. A celebration of the Johnston typeface centenary and 90th Anniversary of Gill Sans was published in 2016, and in July 2017 Mark fronted a television documentary for BBC Four on the subject of Johnston and Gill and in November 2018 he presented a documentary for BBC Radio 4 on skyscrapers. Others works on graphic design and transport systems are in preparation.

The life of Lee Miller, told with reference to those with whom she exchanged creative inspiration – Man Ray, Roland Penrose, Pablo Picasso, David E. Scherman, her father Theodore Miller and her son Antony Penrose. A definitive view by her son and biographer this presentation has been acclaimed for its ability to embrace many different levels of the history of art and photography, social commentary and emotional connection with the subject. • Contains some war time images which may be disturbing. 

Like the artist himself, David Hockney´s creations are playful, experimental, and filled with humanity. It is fascinating to see how he continues to work in different media, experimenting with the latest techniques and materials, and combining traditional and unconventional methods to create a unique vision whilst making us share with him his delight in the process of making artworks.

The commander of HMS Victoria little expected when he docked in the port of Napier, New Zealand, on 3rd February 1931 that two hours later his vessel would be aground, the port wrecked, and the town consumed by fire. The earthquake struck at 10.47am and by the end of the day, Napier was in ruins. But from this catastrophe rose a phoenix for Napier which was rebuilt in record time and today Napier has the largest number of art deco buildings in the densest concentration of anywhere on the planet.

A delightfully entertaining look at the history of pleasure piers covering over 200 years, from the first pier in the Regency period up to the present day. Almost 100 pleasure piers were built around our coastline, diverse in designs and some crowned with exotic palaces or pavilions. These elegant structures bear witness to the remarkable skills of the Victorian engineers and are an important part of our social history symbolizing the nation’s love of days out and summer holidays at seaside resorts.

Thomas Hardy’s Wessex is the land of his creative imagination - a sort of ‘dream Dorset’ based on the county of his birth - which provided the rich and complex background for his passionate and original novels and poems of pastoral life. The talented watercolourist Henry Moule was a close friend of Hardy. Walter Tyndale was a Victorian painter who specialised in landscape and architectural watercolours. Looking at their paintings of rural Dorset and through Hardy’s own words we will be able to explore Hardy’s Wessex.

Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge has been described as ‘one of the country’s most intimate and spellbinding museums, the collection of one man and his unerring eye; restorative, homely yet life-changing’. This man was H.S. ‘Jim’ Ede, curator, writer, collector and friend to artists. In1957, he opened his Cambridge home to university students as ‘a living place where works of art could be enjoyed… unhampered by the greater austerity of the museum or public art gallery’.

Angels don’t speak, they sing. And they have inspired much wonderful music. Patrick will investigate their roles as guardians, messengers, and fighters through imaginative music by Britten, Elgar and Mendelssohn. Angelic words also feature in regularly repeated liturgical texts that Patrick sings daily in St Paul’s Cathedral, such as the Sanctus and Te Deum.

You may not have heard of her but from the early 1960s a young student called Margaret Calvert began working with designer Jock Kinneir and their work utterly transformed the entire face of modern Britain. They designed the road sign system from the typeface to the colours and shapes. They created the look of British Rail. Their signage was used by every hospital and NHS building. They created the yellow and black wayfinding system of British airports.

The Bank of England sets the leading interest rate for the UK and regulates the UK’s financial services industry – its actions affect everyone in the country. It has also accumulated, since its foundation in 1694, an impressive range of artworks.  You can expect to hear about architecture, statues, mosaics and, of course, the intricate designs on the banknotes.

400 years on and Shakespeare remains the most famous Englishman in the world. Here we explore his life, influences of the Elizabethan age and how his work impacted the global stage. Learn what the first open-air theatres were like, how popular his plays were with his contemporary audiences, how his plays survived and who saved them.