Fake News has been around since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs and art has always been one of its favourite media. This lecture uncovers the subtle art of spin and propaganda in art from the glories of Ancient Mesopotamia to the Norman Conquest and then onto Elizabethan England and the dark days of Nazi Germany. Every picture tells a story - whether it is true or not is an entirely different matter.

Geri Parlby's career spans across diverse fields. She started as a news and investigative reporter via Mirror Group newspapers before becoming Head of Press for United International Pictures, handling major blockbuster publicity campaigns from Paramount, Universal, MGM & UA studios throughout the 1980s. She then set up her own London based film and video PR agency which she ran for 8 years before retiring to start a family. 

Driven by her passion for art she studied for an MA in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute before gaining a theology PhD from the University of Roehampton.  Geri's extensive knowledge and engaging speaking style led her to become an accredited Arts Society lecturer and she has been lecturing both across the UK and internationally for the past 18 years.  

This lecture explores how Norse myths and legends have been portrayed in the decorative and fine arts over more than 1,300 years. The talk begins with a brief overview of the pantheon of deities, the Norse creation story and Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods. It then looks at Viking age representations in wood, stone and metalwork, the effect of Christianisation, and 16th century manuscripts illustrating the Icelandic Eddas.  It continues with 19th century paintings and sculpture created in a period of Scandinavian romantic nationalism, the appropriation of mythological images by the Nazi regime and more recent re-interpretations of Thor, Odin, Loki and the Valkyries in cartoons and Manga. 

James Vaux is a researcher and lecturer specialising in Nordic arts, culture, design and history His talks focus on understanding art through its historic, cultural and political context.  James aims to question conventional art world narratives about painters, designers and movements, to unveil the hidden forces that lie beneath great art.

James took a law degree at Oxford with First Class Honours and qualified as a solicitor before switching career. As a managing director of the international bank Rothschild, he advised governments and corporates worldwide. He set up and ran the bank’s Nordic operations, living and working in Scandinavia and immersing himself in the countries’ arts, culture and history. James then gained an MA (Distinction) at UCL in Language, Culture and History (Scandinavian Studies). His dissertation was on Swedish design, and he specialised in landscapes, the Viking Age, politics and literature. 

He studied interior design and art history at the Inchbald School, Mid-Century Modern at Sotheby’s Institute and electronic music at Point Blank. He has also been a DJ, promoter, record label owner, hosted a local radio show for four years and ran a pop-up community cinema.

How long does it take to put together a major exhibition?  Who decides what subjects will be explored and which objects will be included? How do you get an object from the Vatican to the British Museum?  This lecture offers a behind the scenes insight into the process and drama of putting together a ‘blockbuster’ exhibition. Drawing on her experiences at the Wallace Collection, Courtauld Institute, The British Museum and her own gallery, Anna will share the trials, tribulations and joys of getting from the idea to the opening night.  Behind the Scenes offers members a chance to discover a range of practicalities from packing crates, climate control and even insurance that open the door on to the inner workings of a museum.

Anna Bianco is a freelance curator, writer, lecturer, tour guide and art historian. She has been an accredited lecturer of The Arts Society for 11 years. She has a BA History of Art and an MA in Curating from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She has curated exhibitions and displays at The Wallace Collection, The British Museum, The Embankment Galleries and The Southwark Art Collection. She was Director of the Tryon St. Gallery on the Kings Road, and was Associate Curator at Copperfield Gallery, Southwark. She was also Senior Curator for Faith at Auckland Castle in County Durham. She has been a guest lecturer for Christies Education, Durham University, London College of Communication and the Open University. She has also been a tour guide for Context Travel across London.  She focuses her work on the medieval and renaissance periods but Anna takes most enjoyment from helping everyone to discover the stories behind art works and museum objects.

This lecture shows how Antoni Gaudi engaged with nature in the most innovative and extraordinary ways in his architecture in Barcelona. Inspired by honeycombs and spiders’ webs, armadillo skins and mushrooms, trees and whales’ bellies, he worked with extraordinary ceramicists, iron workers, tilers and decorative artists. However, it will also be the aim of this lecture to uncover two of the other architects working in Barcelona over the turn of the twentieth century; Domenech y Montaner and Puig y Cadafalch.

A specialist in Spanish Art, Literature and Language, Jacqueline Cockburn originally graduated from Durham University in Modern Languages and then took an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Further BA Degree in 1996 in Art History and a PhD in 2002 at the University of London in Art History and Spanish. Jacqueline is Managing Director of Art and Culture Travel, running residential courses in Andalucía, Southern Spain in the art and culture of the region as well as curated tours to Madrid, Tangiers, Barcelona, Paris and Venice. Jacqueline is a course director and lecturer at the V&A and also lectures at The Royal Academy.   Her specialist field is Spanish Art, but she also lectures on European Art 1790-1950.  She speaks fluent Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Houses made from wool that warm in the depths of winter, carpets that tell stories, woven bands that appease ancestors, embroideries that ward off evil, and kilims that store kitchenware, with everything ready to be packed and carried on yak, or camel at a moment’s notice; the little-known nomadic textile cultures of the Kyrgyz, Turkoman and Karakalpak are explored in this lecture, along with the rise and fall of nomadism and where nomadism fits within the modern world. Chris also shares his own experience of working with nomadic yak herders in the High Pamirs for three years.

Chris Aslan was born in Turkey and raised there and in war-torn Beirut. This set him on a course for an adventurous life and he has spent two years at sea, and lived in Central Asia for 15 years. He started off in Khiva, a desert oasis in Uzbekistan, establishing a UNESCO workshop reviving fifteenth century carpet designs and embroideries, and becoming the largest non-government employer in town. He was deported as part of an anti-Western purge, and took a year in Cambridge to write A Carpet Ride to Khiva. Chris then spent several years in the Pamirs mountains of Tajikistan, training yak herders to comb their yaks for their cashmere-like down. Next came a couple more years in Kyrgyzstan living in the world’s largest natural walnut wood and establishing a wood-carving workshop. Since then, Chris has studied and rowed at Oxford and now divides his time between lecturing for the Arts Society, writing fiction and non-fiction in his mountainous home overlooking the sea in North Cyprus and returning to Central Asia to lead tours whenever he can, having left a large chunk of his heart there. 

New Orleans at the end of the 19th century was a busy port welcoming ships and sailors from all over the world bringing with them many diverse styles of music. It was also one of the few places in America where the music of the slave population was openly enjoyed by black and white communities alike. In this Creole crucible it was not long before such a kaleidoscope of musical traditions would come together, react, and evolve into an exciting new music, namely jazz.  This talk looks at the part African Blues and Cakewalk, American Classical and Vaudeville, Latin American Dance, and Middle Eastern Klezmer all played in the story of jazz. 

Emma Johnson

With 30 CDs to her name, Emma Johnson is one of the few clarinettists to have performed as a soloist all over the world. She also enjoys giving talks about music - Woodwind Wizardry and The Poet John Milton were both broadcast by BBC radio and she has lectured about composers Gerald Finzi and Malcolm Arnold for the internet company Tonebase, as well as about Schubert and Brahms for Martin Randall Travel.
Johnson studied Music and English at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, where she was the first woman to be made an Honorary Fellow. She was honoured by the Queen with an M.B.E. in 1996.

Her charity, the Emma Johnson Music Foundation, gives workshops in primary schools to introduce children to instrumental music. 

London's history is fascinating and full of colourful characters, from William Shakespeare to Dick Whittington's cat!   This lecture gallops through almost 2,000 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 and 20th century windows we look at some of the most up-to-date and contemporary glass makers.

Mrs Anna Warrillow

I graduated as a Blue Badge Guide early in 2013 and won an award for the best new guide at Westminster Abbey. Since then I have been conducting bespoke private tours for discerning visitors to London. I established my own guiding company Canvas and Stone Tours in 2018 (www.canvasandstonetours.co.uk)

My background and passion is Art & History. I studied for my BA in History of Art & Italian at the University of Sussex and did my MA in Renaissance Decorative Arts & Design at the Royal College of Art. 

I worked for 6 years as a curator in the Sculpture Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum as well as in smaller collections such as the Henry Moore Family Trust. As well as guiding I am an adjunct lecturer at Richmond The American International University in London where I teach undergraduates The History of London. 

I lecture regularly for art, history and academic societies as well as providing training courses and Continual Professional Development courses for students and guide members of the Institute of Tourist Guides.

This talk is on how magicians have appeared in art throughout the centuries, whether in paintings, satirical prints or cartoons.  Early artists used the magician to symbolise the mysterious and the unknown, associating them with astrology.  In the 16th century Pieter Bruegel and Hieronymus Bosch produced two of the most famous and striking pictures of the conjurer performing the Cups and Balls trick.  The 18th and 19th century saw a proliferation in engravings and lithographs showing the magician both indoors and on the streets.  Bringing it right up to date, there are examples of how cartoonists and satirists delight in linking politicians with skulduggery with images of them featuring Sawing a Woman in Half or Pulling Rabbit out of the Hat.  Be prepared for tricks a plenty.

Ian Keable gained a First Class degree from Oxford University, qualified as a Chartered Accountant and then became a Professional Magician. He is a Member of The Inner Magic Circle. In 2014 he published Charles Dickens Magician: Conjuring in Life, Letters & Literature. He now divides his time between performing magic, giving talks and researching and writing. 

His latest book is The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in Eighteenth-Century England.

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In the field of world class architecture, British talent has always been at the forefront, and we have much to celebrate.  Ian will tour around the UK and overseas showcasing the brilliance of some of the designers who have made huge improvements to the built environment and enhanced the lives of those around them.  He will showcase famous names like Lutyens, Gilbert Scott, Foster, Hadid and Rogers as well as several lesser known but equally creative architects.

Ian Swankie

A Londoner with a contagious enthusiasm for art and architecture, Ian is an official guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Guildhall Art Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral. He is also a freelance London tour guide. Since 2012 he has led a popular weekly independent art lecture group in his home town of Richmond in West London. He is an Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars, one of the City livery companies.

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Antony Gormley’s career spans nearly 40 years, during which he has made sculptures that explore the relationship of the human body to space, often using his own body as his starting point.  His work has been shown throughout the world, in galleries including the Tate in London and the Hermitage in St Petersburg but is also often on open display, as public art, such as Another Place at Crosby Beach near Liverpool.  As well as works that he is well known for, such as the iconic Angel of the North, this lecture will look at some of his earlier and less well-known works to give an overall view of the development of his work across his whole career up to the present.

Ms Rosalind Whyte BA and MA from Goldsmith’s College, and an MA (distinction) from Birkbeck College. Experienced guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the Royal Academy and Greenwich. Lectures at Tate, to independent art societies and on cruises. Leads art appreciation holidays.

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Most people love watching and listening to birds, from colourful jays and peacocks to the tuneful songs of blackbirds and thrushes.  In this lecture we will see them depicted in Aboriginal rock decorations a millennia ago, then as the attributes of gods such as Juno’s peacocks or Minerva’s wise owl in classical times, right up to the present day.  Paintings by artists as diverse as Dürer and Picasso and sculptures by Brancusi and Elizabeth Frink, amongst others, show birds of many different shapes and sizes, both as hunters and as the hunted.

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The world of opera is full of remarkable contributors, great game changers who leave the stage in a completely different place from the one they found.  In the 19th century three such men revolutionised the art form – Verdi, Wagner and Puccini.  From the romantic heartbreakers of La Traviata and Rigoletto via the mystery and magic of the Ring Cycle to the breathtaking melodramatic tear jerkers of Tosca and La Boheme, we will enjoy their remarkable journeys and innovative, dynamic and thrilling theatricality encompassed in so much of their work.  This illustrated lecture will highlight the great opera productions which have graced the world’s opera houses.

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In 1925, 16 million visitors visited the Paris Expo – the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts.  What would they have seen and what drew such crowds?  How did this seminal exhibition play a fundamental role in giving rise to a new international and truly global style that we have come to know as Art Deco?  Pamela will have the answers to these questions and explain the immediate global appeal of all things Art Deco as a result of this Expo.

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This lecture celebrates the 400th anniversary of Charles I’s accession to the throne. Charles I’s obsession for collecting works of art began when, as a young prince, he travelled to Spain and saw the magnificent collection of King Philip IV of Spain.  As king he engaged Rubens to paint the ceiling of the Banqueting House in Whitehall and appointed Van Dyck as his court artist.  He became one of England’s greatest collectors and by the end of his reign had amassed over 2,000 works of art but in so doing he had bankrupted England and alienated his people.  After his execution most of the collection was sold.  Much was retrieved by Charles II whilst some now resides in the great art galleries of Europe.

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“Europe has a great deal of art and America has a great deal of money” remarked Joseph Duveen.  With his quintessential English charm and an unparalleled gift for creative salesmanship, Duveen convinced the early 20th century titans of Wall Street that there was indeed one thing more important than money – art.  But was he just a charismatic crook milking millionaires or was he indeed the world’s greatest art dealer?

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Drawing comparisons between different styles and approaches, this lecture will consider the ancient heritage of Rome and the revival of classical tradition by artists like Cimabue, Duccio and Giotto, alongside the historical and philosophical context that contributed to the ‘rebirth’ of the arts in 14th century Italy.

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Taking as its starting point the curiosity of the human species about ourselves and how we might depict the human form, this lecture assesses the nature of human creativity arising from our imagination - the ability to make meaningful connections from disparate thoughts and events.  Justin explores the role of imagination in the creative process across the natural sciences and the humanities, focusing on the visual arts and its interpretation of nature and natural events.  The lecture poses the contentious thesis that art and science are united by a single quest, to understand the place of humankind, a quest driven by imagination.

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A light-hearted seasonal lecture for Christmas, describing what we actually know about the three kings – or rather what we don’t know! For a start we don’t know how many “kings” there were. Matthew doesn’t tell us. We assume they were 3 because they brought 3 gifts.  But why gold, frankincense and myrrh? 

Also, there’s no reason to suppose they were kings of anywhere. We don’t even know their gender – some of them might have been women.  And since they gave away the location of the baby Jesus to Herod the alleged baby slayer, we can reasonably assume they weren’t too clever – let alone wise!

Beginning with Radio 4 in 2005, and continued by the likes of YouGov, panels of art experts, and several broadsheets and tabloids, there has been a fascination to discover the most popular paintings and other artworks in Britain today. This lecture brings together results from seven recent polls and several sets of expert recommendations, to present the most popular paintings in Britain over the last 20 years. There will be some surprises when it’s revealed which paintings and painters did and did not make it into the Top 40, let alone the Top 20. The no. 1 painting may also come as a surprise. Prior to the lecture, members of the audience will be asked to predict their Top Three. Towards the end of the lecture, audience members will see how their predictions shaped up. There will also be time to reflect on the factors that make a painting popular.

Ralph will discuss the Huguenot influence on this most decorative period. His talk will Illustrate new silversmithing techniques fused with new designs, together with methods of manufacture, interpretation of engraved heraldry and the social context.  The audience will be taken on a journey to uncover the original owners by tracing the heraldry and revealing aspects of their life stories.

Fabulously wealthy aristocrats and middling sorts variously had a stint in the Tower of London, had tragic family circumstances, had their descendants gamble away their estates, or were dragged to their death in an overturned carriage… Knowledge of the owner’s background and exploits adds considerably to their interest and brings another dimension to the objects.

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This lecture is about the development of the chair in terms of its construction and style from ancient times through to the 19th century and also its use as a symbol of power and authority in courtly ritual.

In 1745, a Princess from the minor province of Anhalt-Zerbst in Saxony, married Prince Karl Peter Ulrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, heir to the Imperial Russian Throne.  She was Princess Sophie Auguste Frederike and by 1762 she had deposed Prince Karl, was crowned Empress Catherine II and became the sole ruler of the Russian Empire.

With seemingly inexhaustible wealth, she set about creating the most glittering court in Europe, if not the world.  From the arts, to architecture, to the most dazzling of jewels, her passion for cultivating, commissioning and collecting only the finest has formed the nucleus of the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Ballet must be one of the most accessible art forms, but it has its baffling side. Another line up of women in white? Does he really fall in love with a swan? Couldn’t we have subtitles when they start gesturing at each other? The lecture covers all the striking features of ballet, from pas de deux, to Royal Ballet specialities like fast feet and traditional mime.

Set in the context of the Royal Ballet’s history and performing tradition, the talk is based on years of articles and events shared with dancers, choreographers and ballet masters.

Few countries in the world offer such a rich and varied cultural heritage as Mexico. Before the Spanish Conquest of 1519, numerous civilisations rose and fell. Their great cities were peopled by muralists, sculptors in stone, ceramic artists, feather and gold workers, jewellers, weavers and painters of sacred books. Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and Diego Rivera (1886-1957) helped to shape the cultural identity of twentieth-century Mexico by fusing pre-Conquest and European traditions.

Today countless folk-artists create splendid weavings, rich embroideries, shimmering beadwork, jewellery of silver and gold, fine pottery and dance-masks for religious festivals.

Almost everyone has played Monopoly at some time in their life.  It is one of the world’s most popular and enduring board games.  But, how well do you really know it?

This talk starts with the original Landlord’s Game of 1903 and its evolution into the game as we know it today.  Based on the classic 1936 London version we then take a photographic journey around the locations on that Monopoly board.

Expect some surprises as we explore the relationships between the various properties, look at the ones that don’t actually exist and uncover the story behind the game we all know so well – or do we?

Lydia will explore the role of music and musical instruments in both life and art of the Dutch Golden Age.  This talk comes with musical excerpts which illustrate particular instruments shown in paintings. Based on a popular exhibition at the National Gallery by the same title some years ago. 

The 14th century artist Cennino Cennini provided insight into of some of the surprising materials which any artist had to master before he could begin to paint, such as the tail of a squirrel and burnt chicken bones. Many of these materials were difficult to use and had an effect on the finished look of paintings from the centuries before industrial processes changed the artist’s world.

This lecture will explain the techniques and the reasons for some of the features of 15th and 16th century paintings which may seem odd to our modern eyes.

The Silk Road extends over 8,000 kms from China through Central Asia to the Mediterranean. The route acted as a highway for beliefs, ideas, inventions and art, whilst silk was just one of the many valuable commodities traded for 1,400 years. With the Greek invasion of Alexander the Great, early Persian routes spread east towards India. Chinese stability finally allowed the trade of silk, jade and ceramics in exchange for horses, pearls and gold. The wonderful paintings in the Magao caves at Dunhuang are evidence of the spread of Buddhism along the Silk Road. Samarkand and Bukhara are the beginning of the great Islamic buildings that continue through Persia and Syria. Along the way we will see traditional murals, ceramics, statues, carpets, architecture, tile-work and of course silk itself.

‘Laura Ashley’ – the name that has become an international byword for the classic English countrywoman living in bliss. But what was Laura Ashley the woman really like, behind the façade of the family-based company that not only used her name, but also was moulded on her personal image? And how did she manage to change the way we all dressed and decorated our homes in the 1970s?

From the very first, grainy image created in 1826, photography has evolved into a major art form. Developments in photography have posed challenges to more traditional art genres and it interesting to see how some of the great artists have adapted to using cameras as part of their work. This talk looks at photography over the past nearly 200 years, looking at key advances in technology and the inter-relationship with art movements. The work of pioneering women photographers is particularly interesting, and the talk concludes with examples of some great photographs that have been sold for millions of dollars at auction.

The kimono, literally meaning ‘wear’ (ki) and ‘thing’ (mono), is a traditional garment worn by both men and women in Japan. But it is so much more than that. Rich in symbolism and encapsulating the best in textile design and techniques through the ages, the kimono has a fascinating history that reflects wider aspects of Japanese life and culture. From everyday kimono to wedding kimono to the elaborate dress of Japanese geisha, this lecture will trace the story of the kimono, its past and its present, and the place that it occupies in the world of contemporary fashion.

The word ‘decorative’ is usually associated with functional objects like tea pots; but if such objects are functional, how can they be purely ‘decorative’? Is not a painting, which has no other function than to decorate a room, more ‘decorative’ than an object that is used? The first lecture in this series will look at the background to the development of the notions of ‘fine’, ‘decorative’ and ‘applied’ art, and how the fortunes of the fine artist and the mere craftsman fared from the Middle Ages to the present day.

When the very first Chinese porcelains found their way to Europe, the beauty and fragility of the material led to their being mounted with precious metal and treasured alongside other rare and exotic objects such as ostrich eggs and rock crystal vessels. They were housed in cabinets of curiosities and exchanged as diplomatic gifts between great European rulers. This early and exclusive ownership of Chinese porcelain spread enormously in the 17th century with the opening up of trading routes be-tween Europe and the Far East and led to a widespread fashion for housing and displaying collections of Chinese ‘blue-and-white’; and spawned a whole range of European imitations. This lecture will examine the enormous and long-lasting influence that these Chinese porcelains had on European taste and culture and the whole history of interior design.

(Lecture changed due to Illness)

The life and works of Harry Murphy – Goldsmith, Silversmith and unique Englishman!

Edgar Degas said that “A painting requires as much fraudulence, trickery and deception as the perpetration of a crime” and, while this may be a slight exaggeration, it has a ring of truth. Artists can manipulate colour, form, composition and subject-matter (even facts!) in order to explore universal themes such as life, death, feelings, or politics, and to engage our emotional participation in the work. In this lecture we will see how Delacroix, Matisse, Kandinsky and others use colour, composition and subject matter to engage our emotions or provoke a response. We will examine the way that modern treatments of traditional genres, by artists like Rubens or Manet, can add to, or change, our understanding of the subject and its message. We will also explore the way in which Leonardo, Poussin and Beckmann, for example, frequently manipulate perspective, composition and reality in order to deceive us.

In this lecture Bertie recounts the extraordinary tale of how a small bronze statue, which had sat in his Grandfather’s garden for 40 years, was discovered as a master piece and ended up in the Getty Museum, California. Adriaen De Vries (c.1556-1626) was a Northern Mannerist sculptor born in the Netherlands. A technical virtuoso, he created spectacular bronzes for the most discerning patrons of his time, including the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II of Prague.He excelled in refined modelling and bronze casting and in the manipulation of patina and became the most famous European sculptor of his generation.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) is one of the most popular French painters of the late nineteenth century. It is his art that illustrates and epitomises the compelling image and ‘Bohemian’ lifestyle of the Belle Époque period of 1890s fin-de-siècle Paris. He had an extraordinary capacity for observation and facility for the realistic and imaginative treatment of many diverse subjects.

Despite his infamously hedonistic lifestyle, his output as an artist was prodigious, and he worked hard to become a master of many different techniques and media (most notably that of colour lithography). In his hands, advertising posters were raised to high art, and he portrayed the nightlife and demi-monde of Paris — circuses, cafés, dance halls and brothels — with clear, bold colour and a certain seamy panache that is instantly recognisable. The lecture discusses aspects of Toulouse-Lautrec’s private life and, in context, the ideal of the Bohemian Paris that he inhabited.