Northleach Decorative & Fine Arts Society

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LECTURE PROGRAMME 2011/2012

 

15 September 2011    Clare Ford-Wille  

 Tuscany Cities: Lucca, Pistoria and Prato

The unspoilt Tuscan cities:  despite being independent of each other, they were all trading cities. By the 12th century Pisa’s position as a Mediterranean seaport was supreme, Prato was one of Europe’s important manufacturers of wool, whereas Lucca was the centre of the silk industry.  All three cities have an outstanding Medieval and Renaissance past.

 

20 October 2011   Douglas Skeggs   

 Van Gogh and Gauguin

This lecture reconstructs the lives and works of these two remarkable artists and looks into the motives and ambitions that drove them.  The two short weeks they spent together would condemn Van Gogh to a hospital cell, an isolation from which he would never recover but one in which his final and most memorable paintings would be created.

 

17 November 2011   Louise Schofield

 Rescuing Zeugma from the Floodwaters of the Euphrates

This lecture tells the story of the archaeological rescue excavation that took place in 2000 of a Roman city on the banks of the Euphrates in Turkey.  Racing against the waters for four 4 ½ months, fabulous treasures were recovered including mosaic floors and wall-paintings finer than those of Pompeii.

 

19 January 2012   Lois Oliver  

 From Garret to the Scaffold: the Image of the Artist in 19C Music

Bringing together a wealth of great art and music from Berlioz to Puccini, this talk explores the reality and the fictions behind their portrayals of the artist in society.

 

16 February 2012   Sue Rollin  

 Caravan Cities of the Ancient Near East (Syria, Jordan & Lebanon)

This lecture looks at these and other great cities that have contributed to the rich and varied history of this fascinating part of the world with its splendid art and architecture and spectacular desert and mountain landscapes.

 

12 March   Anton Gabszewicz  

 Two London Porcelain Factories: Chelsea and Bow, A Study in Contrasts    

This lecture follows the factories of Nicholas Sprimont and Thomas Frye pioneers of porcelain manufacture in mid-18 century London.  The products of both concerns are looked at in tandem emphasising their differences and similarities and their commercial acumen.

 

19 April 2012    Jo Walton  

 Sir Christopher Wren and the English Baroque

St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the icons of Britain. This lecture looks at the remarkable genius of its creator Sir Christopher Wren: scientist, anatomist, mathematician, architect and urban planner and explains how he transformed the skyline of London and created a new language for architects in England.

 

17 May 2012    Hanne Sutcliffe  

 Chinese Jade

Jade stone has been precious to the Chinese for over 6000 years and has been honoured and revered by them for its mystic properties and beauty.  This lecture looks at the technique of making jade ornaments and provides explanations of where the jade is found and what it is.

 

21 June 2012    Rebecca Hossack  

 Aboriginal Art and Culture

Rebecca will trace the genesis of Aboriginal art including a discussion of the meaning of Dreamtime – the creation of the aboriginal universe – and the system of law which has informed the basis of the painting movement.  She will show examples of paintings from different aboriginal countries and will talk about their deep reverence for

the land and all that comes from it.