At The Trinity Centre Meole Brace Shrewsbury SY3 9HF

10 30am to 3 30pm

Booking now closed

In this Day of Special Interest Douglas Skeggs will take us through the successive phasesof this hard, determined, often brutal and tragic dynasty who ruled Russia for over threehundred years. This study day will follow the course of what was essentially a feudalagricultural country through to becoming an industrial and military power under theinfluence of this family. From Peter the Great, the founder of St Petersburg, through hiseccentric daughter Elizabeth we will then move on to Catherine the Great, the mostpowerful of all the Empresses of Russia who had no real claim to the throne. The thirdlecture will explore the tragic figure of Nicholas II, the last Tsar and one of the most poignant figures in history whose death in a cellar in Ekaterinburg ended the reign of thisturbulent and ill-fated family.  

Lecture 1: “The Blaspheming Bear”  The life of Peter the Great 

Lecture 2: “The New Byzantium”       Russia at the time of Catherine the Great 

Lecture 3: “The Last Romanovs”       The life and death of Nicholas and Alexandra

Douglas Skeggs is a very experienced Arts Society Lecturer, so we are delighted that heis able to come to Shrewsbury. Douglas read Fine Art at Magdalene College Cambridge and has been a lecturer on paintings since 1980. He was the director of The New Academy of Art Studies for three years and is a regular lecturer at universities, colleges and Arts Societies all over the UK. Among his more improbable venues for lectures are thebar on the QE2, MI5 headquarters, the Captains Room at Lloyds, and an aircraft hangar in a German NATO base. Douglas regularly lectures overseas and has taken numerous tours around Europe. He has written and presented various TV documentaries, notably the Omnibus programme on Whistler and the exhibition video on William Morris. Three one-man exhibitions of his paintings have been held in England and Switzerland. He has published five novels, which have been translated into 8 foreign languages.

The cost for the day is £45.00 per person for members and £50.00 per person for non-members. This includes coffee/tea, a two-course fork buffet and a glass of wine.

Your day will begin with coffee upon arrival, a one-hour lecture, a mid-morning coffee break, a second morning lecture, lunch (including vegetarian options), followed by the third lecture. The lectures will be taking place in the unique setting of the Holy Trinity Church.

Your seating will be on the church pews, so you may wish to bring a cushion. For thoserequiring easier seating access, we can organise an individual seat. Free parking is available however it is limited due to other Trinity centre users. We wouldadvise car sharing were possible, or you can park at the Brooklands Pub and take theshort walk up Church Lane. If you require Blue Badge access please let us know whenmaking your booking.

Numbers are limited due to the size of the Trinity Centre and will be allocated on a first come basis. Please note the closing date for the event is Sunday 1st March 2026.Your place will be confirmed once we receive payment. Please complete all your details and payment on the form and return as directed. The booking form can be found on the website in Documents 

We will also be taking bookings at the January and February Lecture.

Please note closing date for bookings is Sunday 1st March

We regret refunds, less than 2 weeks before the event, can only be made if your place can be filled from the waiting list.

Image  Nicholas II and Family

Booking for this Day of Special Interest is now closed.

10am to 3.30pm

The Trinity Centre, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury SY3 9HF 

Women artists in France created astonishingly rich oeuvres, despite considerable professional obstacles. Excluded from the official École des Beaux-Arts until 1897, they also faced prejudice from art critics and dealers who regarded genius as a male attribute.  This Study Day offers the opportunity to explore in-depth the achievements of an extraordinary range of individuals, including Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, the favourite portraitist of Queen Marie-Antoinette; animal painter Rosa Bonheur, the first woman to be awarded the Légion d’honneur; and Impressionist innovators Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt and Eva Gonzales.

The study day includes the following three lectures:

Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun: Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) was one of the most celebrated artists her time. She displayed exceptional early talent, and on 31 May 1783 became one of just four women elected to France’s prestigious Académie Royale de Peinture et de sculpture. She was Queen Marie-Antoinette’s favourite portraitist, creating royal portraits that were astonishing in their informality. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, that relationship became a liability. Vigée Le Brun fled France with her nine-year old daughter, travelling through Italy, Austria, Russia, Germany, England and Switzerland. Wherever she went, she painted aristocracy and royalty, charging phenomenal sums and becoming the highest earning artist in Europe. This session draw on the artist’s own rollicking memoirs.

Rosa Bonheur: French painter Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) had an extraordinary gift for painting animals that brought her international fame and recognition. Her works fetched exceptionally high prices on both sides of the Atlantic, and in 1865 she became the first woman to be awarded the légion d’honneur, France’s highest of merit. Defying convention, Bonheur obtained official police permission to wear men’s clothing, so that she could study animal anatomy in the male-only spaces of livestock sales. Her most famous work The Horse Fair displays such dynamism that when it was exhibited at the 1853 Paris Salon, one critic wrote that he had to suppress the urge to jump out of the way of the galloping horses. Such was its fame, that Queen Victoria requested a private viewing at Buckingham Palace. Bonheur’s commercial success enabled her to buy the Chateau de By, near Fontainebleau, where she lived with her lifelong companion Nathalie Micas, establishing a studio and menagerie, that included sheep, gazelles, monkeys, and three lions

Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Eva Gonzales: In April 1874, the Impressionists burst onto the scene with their inaugural exhibition held in Paris at 35 Boulevard des Capucines. The Impressionists revolutionised modern art with their swiftly-brushed images of contemporary life. As the critic for Le Figaro, Albert Wolff, put it, the group included: ‘five or six lunatics, one of whom is a woman.’ That core founder member was Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), and she was soon joined by fellow Parisian Eva Gonzales (1849-1883) and American artist Mary Cassatt (1844-1926). While their male colleagues painted Parisian streets, cafes and theatres, these female artists offered a distinctively feminine perspective, capturing the intimacy of female experience, friendships, and child rearing.

Dr Lois Oliver is Professor in History of Art at the University of Notre Dame in London, Associate Lecturer at Boston University London, and a Visiting Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute. She has worked as a Curator at the V&A, the National Gallery, and the Royal Academy. Her recent exhibitions include ‘Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism’ at Dulwich Picture Gallery and ‘Jock McFadyen: Tourist without a Guidebook’ for the Royal Academy. Lois has created audio and multimedia tours for many of the UK’s leading arts institutions and has appeared on BBC Radio and TV. Also a keen violinist, she plays regularly with Kensington Chamber Orchestra and the Endellion Festival Orchestra. Lois studied English Literature at Cambridge University, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, completing an MA in Venetian Renaissance Art and writing her PhD thesis on The Image of the Artist, Paris 1815-1855.

Please print out the application form in the documents section which can be found by following this link  Documents Store 

Please send the completed form and your payment to:

Jill Robinson, Field House, Bourton Manor, Bourton, Much Wenlock TF13 6QE

Email: jill0411@aol.com     Mobile: 07941142887

Payment should be made direct using online banking to:

The Arts Society Shrewsbury Account No: 00803405 Sort Code: 20-77-85

Please state your surname followed by DOSI as reference (so that we can track your booking). Alternatively enclose a cheque made payable to The Arts Society Shrewsbury

Booking for this Day of Special Interest is now closed. 

Working as a housekeeper was one of the most prestigious jobs a 19th and early 20th century woman could want - and also one of the toughest. The most senior of upper servants, the housekeeper carried a family's secrets with her to the grave. She ran the English country house, controlled its female servants and conserved its many treasures - and yet she has not been remembered by history. Using old letters, secret diaries and neglected archives, Tessa Boase has resurrected a series of fascinating stories from 19th and 20th century domestic service. We'll be looking at this changing key role, from the formalities of the Victorian era to the power shift of the 20th century, hastened by two world wars. Mrs Wells of Uppark, Mrs Penketh of Erddig and Mrs Higgens of Charleston were working at times of great social change. Each housekeeper responded very differently to the challenges she faced.

Tessa Boase is a freelance journalist, author, lecturer and campaigner with an interest in uncovering the stories of invisible women from 19th and early 20th centuries - revealing how they drove industry, propped up society and influenced politics. Since uncovering the feminist origins of the RSPB, Tessa has been campaigning for public recognition of its females founders with plaques, portraits and a statue.

Please note this day is now fully booked. If you wish to join the waiting list, please contact Jill Robinson on jill0411@aol.com

With the restoration of the Palace of Westminster in the news, this highly topical study day covers a thousand years of the history, art and architecture of Britain's most famous building: from the disatrous fire of 1834, through the rebuilding of Barry & Pigin's new Palace, to the damage of the Second World War and finishing with an update on the current multi-billion pound proposals to restore this great survivor for the 21st Century

Dr Caroline Shenton is an archivist and historian. She was formerly Director of the Parliamentary Archives in London, and before that was a senior archivist at the National Archives. Her book The Day Parliament Burned Down won the Political Book of the Year Award in 2013 and Mary Beard called it ‘microhistory at its absolute best’. Its acclaimed sequel, Mr Barry’s War, about the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster, was a Book of the Year in 2016 for The Daily Telegraph and BBC History Magazine and was described by Lucy Worsley as "a real jewel, finely wrought and beautiful". Caroline’s third book, National Treasures, tells the extraordinary and sometimes hilarious stories behind the saving of London’s art and museum collections in World War Two. Caroline was Political Writer in Residence at Gladstone’s Library in 2017, has appeared at the Cheltenham, Hay and Henley literary festivals and on BBC radio and TV. In 2023 she was appointed by the government to the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA).

The cost for the day is £48.00 per person for members and £53.00 per person for non-members. This includes coffee/tea, lunch, and a glass of wine. The day will begin with coffee upon arrival, a one hour lecture, a mid-morning coffee break, a second morning lecture, lunch, followed by the third lecture. 

Lunch Menu Choices

Main Meal

Chicken, Ham & Leek in white wine sauce, with Puff Pastry Topper

Mushroom Stroganoff (Vegetarian)

Roast Vegetable Casserole (Free From)

Served with New Potatoes & Vegetables

Pudding

Autumn Crumble

Fruit Salad

&

Jug of Cream

Numbers will be limited due to the size of the Trinity Centre and will be allocated on a first come basis. Your place will be confirmed once we receive payment. Please complete all your details and return this form to Jill Robinson:

Email: jill0411@aol.com   Post: Field House, Bourton Manor, Bourton, Much Wenlock, TF13 6QE   

Payment should be made direct using online banking to:

The Arts Society Shrewsbury: Account No: 00803405   Sort Code: 20-77-85

Please state your surname followed by DOSI as reference (so we can track your booking). Alternatively enclose a cheque made payable to The Arts Society Shrewsbury

Booking forms can be found in the Documents Store

PLEASE NOTE THIS DAY IS NOW FULLY BOOKED. IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THE WAITING LIST PLEASE CONTACT JILL ROBINSON ON jill0411@aol.com

The British Empire and Imperial India: Images, Architecture and Arts

Lecturer: Dr John Stevens

Thursday 7th March 2024

10am to 3.30pm

The Trinity Centre, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury SY3 9HF 

How did the British view themselves and their subjects in the era of imperialism? How did imperial subjects view the British? This study day considers these questions by exploring a range of images, buildings, objects and art forms from across the British Empire. Beginning with a broad view of the empire and imperial art in the 19th and 20th centuries, we will go on to focus more closely on imperial India. We will consider the arts and architecture of the vibrant city of Calcutta, the ‘second city’ of the British Empire throughout the 19th century. We will then take a detailed look at the life and art of one of India’s cultural giants, Rabindranath Tagore.

The study day includes the following three lectures:

Images of the British Empire: At the turn of the 20th century, the British Empire held sway over approximately one quarter of the total population of the world. British imperial power was projected through a variety of artistic mediums, from fine portraiture and grand imperial buildings to more popular forms of imagery. British artists also produced countless images of people from all over the globe who had become subjects of British rule. Through considering a variety of paintings, buildings and objects from across the empire, this lecture provides a fascinating insight into the ways in which the British viewed themselves and their subjects in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Imperial Calcutta - Arts & Architecture: Calcutta was the second city of the British Empire and a hub of cultural and artistic production throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. This lecture provides an overview of the arts (poetry, theatre, literature, song) and architecture of this extraordinary city, which was India's capital until 1911. At the epicentre of the 'Bengal renaissance', Calcutta played a central role in shaping the arts and culture of modern India, as a huge variety of artists sought to interpret India's classical heritage in new ways, and to combine this heritage with Western cultural forms. This lecture examines how Calcutta's arts and architecture were affected by British rule, and explores the fascinating ways in which Indian artists viewed the British in India.

The Art of Rabindranath Tagore: Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) is arguably the most important artistic figure of the modern era. The first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, claimed that he had two gurus: Gandhi and Tagore. A renowned poet, novelist, composer and painter, Tagore is also the only person in history to have written the national anthems for two countries (India and Bangladesh). He became a global sensation when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, the first non-European to do so. This lecture provides an introduction to Tagore's remarkable life and work, including his novels, poetry, songs and paintings. It also explores the role Tagore's art played in the story of India's fight for independence.

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The cost for the day is £48.00 per person. This includes coffee/tea, lunch and a glass of wine.

Numbers will be limited due to the size of the Trinity Centre and will be allocated on a first come basis. Your place will be confirmed on receipt of payment.

The day will begin with coffe upon arrival, a one hour lecture, a mid-morning coffee break, a second morning lecture, lunch and then a third and final lecture.

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Please print out the application form in the documents section which can be found by following this link  Documents Store 

Please send the completed form and your payment to:

Jill Robinson, Field House, Bourton Manor, Bourton, Much Wenlock TF13 6QE

Email: jill0411@aol.com     Mobile: 07941142887

Payment should be made direct using online banking to:

The Arts Society Shrewsbury Account No: 00803405 Sort Code: 20-77-85

Please state your surname followed by DOSI as reference (so that we can track your booking). Alternatively enclose a cheque made payable to The Arts Society Shrewsbury

The Arts Society Shrewsbury

Day of Special Interest

Sir Joseph Banks and the Fine Art of British Exploration 1768-1836.

 Lecturer: James Taylor 

 Wednesday 29th March 2023

 10am to 3.30pm

 The Trinity Centre, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, SY3 9HF

This study day of three inter-connected talks features striking and memorable artworks derived from the voyages of captains James Cook, Matthew Flinders and Robert FitzRoy, accompanied by Charles Darwin, to South America, New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific by the shipboard artists Alexander Buchan, Sydney Parkinson, William Hodges, John Webber, Ferdinand Bauer, William Westall, Augustus Earle and Conrad Martens.  

Talk 1. Introduces Sir Joseph Banks and the art by Alexander Buchan, Sydney Parkinson and William Hodges of the first and second voyages of captain James Cook. 

Talk 2. Focuses on captain Cook's third voyage to the South Pacific and the art of John Webber; also, Flinders follow-on voyage to Terra Australis, the first to circumnavigate Australia, and the artworks of William Westall and Ferdinand Bauer.

 Talk 3. Reveals the lives of captain Robert Fitzroy and Charles Darwin his 'naturalist and gentleman companion' on the second voyage of the Beagle, that enabled Darwin to gather evidence for his evolutionary theory, highlighted by the artworks of Augustus Earle and Conrad Martens. 

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The cost for the day is £45.00 per member. This includes coffee/tea, lunch, and a glass of wine.

Numbers will be limited due to the size of the Trinity Centre and will be allocated on a first come basis

The day will begin with coffee upon arrival, a one hour lecture, a mid-morning coffee break, a second morning lecture, lunch, followed by the third and final lecture. 

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 Please print out the application form in the documents section Documents Store and send it with your payment by cheque to:

Mrs Pippa Walker, The Manor House, Much Wenlock, Shropshire, TF13 6HT.

Telephone: 01952 728046

Please note that this day is now fully booked.  If you wish to join the waiting list, please contact Ceri Lewis on cerilewis2003@yahoo.co.uk

After several postponements and eventually a cancellation, we are delighted to be once again offering this Day of Special Interest with Christopher Bradley. 

Christopher is expert in the history and culture of the Middle East and North Africa. As a professional tour guide and lecturer he has led groups throughout the Middle East and Asia. He has written extensively on Arabia and is the author of The Discovery Guide to Yemen, Insight Guide to the Silk Road and Berlitz Guides to Libya; The Red Sea; Oman; Cairo; Abu Dhabi and Nile Cruising. He has lecturered widely not just for the Arts Society but also the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Institute of British Architects. As a film producer and cameraman he has made documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic TV and Channel 4. He is also a  professional photographer. 

In our study day Christoper Bradley will be talking to us about The Silk Road which 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.

Regrettably, due to Covid 19 our Day of Special Interest has been cancelled until further notice.

Refunds for everyone who paid to attend the event are being processed by our Treasurer and will be refunded by cheque and not BACS as previously hoped. 

The Silk Road extended for over 8,000 kms, acting as a highway for beliefs, ideas, inventions and art, whilst silk was just one of the many products traded for 1,400 years. Buddhism spread throughout Central Asia and there are wonderful paintings from the Magao Caves at Dunhuang and the 'Caves of the Thousand Buddhas' at Bezeklik. Samarkand and Bukhara are the beginning of the great Islamic buildings that continue through Persia and Syria. Along the way we see traditional murals, ceramics, statues, carpets, architecture, mosaics, tile-work, rock carvings and of course, silk itself. 

Expert in the history and culture of the Middle East and North Africa. As a professional tour guide and lecturer he has led groups throughout the Middle East and Asia. Has written extensively on Arabia and is the author of The Discovery Guide to Yemen, Insight Guide to the Silk Road and Berlitz Guides to Libya; The Red Sea; Oman; Cairo; Abu Dhabi and Nile Cruising. As a photographer has pictures represented by four photographic libraries. A broad range of lecturing experience, including to the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Institute of British Architects. As a film producer and cameraman he has made documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic TV and Channel 4.

The Medici Study Day will be held at The Trinity Centre, Meole Brace on Wednesday 13 March starting at 10.30am. Members may remember that the lecturer, Douglas Skeggs, came to us earlier in the year and gave a wonderful lecture on Titian. He has provided the following information about the day:

“Bankrolling the Renaissance”

A history of the Medici family

with Douglas Skeggs

The Medici were in many ways an unattractive family. Ruthless in pursuit of profit for their Florentine bank, which had branches in every city of the known world, they were greedy for success, merciless to those who opposed their ambition and vicious in their own internal squabbles. And yet without them we wouldn’t have Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”, the Fra Angelico frescoes in San Marco, Donatello’s “David” or the majestic Michelangelo sculptures in the Medici chapel. The Platonic Academy wouldn’t have been founded and the doors for the Baptistry would never have been cast.

This Study Day, composed of three talks, looks into the turbulent history of this extraordinary family.

1: Bankrolling the Renaissance.

Under the guidance of Cosimo Medici, the family became the unofficial rulers of Florence and leading patrons of the arts. This inevitably aroused fierce jealousies, which boiled over in the attempted assassination of Cosimo’s grandson Lorenzo.

2: Popes and Patrons.

With Florence gripped by the apocalyptic preaching of Savonarola, the Medici were exiled from Florence. But they re-emerged triumphantly as Popes in Rome. Here their decadent and eccentric rule led to the Sack of Rome and ultimately opened the door to Luther’s Reformation of the Church.

3: From Riches to Royalty.

Although the Medici were a spent force in Italy, an ingenious marriage had put Catherine de Medici on the throne of France, to be followed, shortly afterwards, by Marie de Medici. This last talk looks at the impact these two formidable queens had on the shape of French history.

Douglas Skeggs read Fine Art at Magdalene College Cambridge and has been a lecturer on paintings since 1980. In that time he has given over 7000 lectures to universities, colleges and art societies. He was the director of  'The New Academy of Art Studies' for three years and is presently a regular lecturer at 'The Study Center', 'Christie's' course 'The History of Art Studies' and other London courses. Among his more improbable venues for lectures are the bar on the QE2, MI5 headquarters, the Captain's Room at Lloyds, and an aircraft hanger in a German NATO base. Overseas he has lectured in Belgium, France, Germany and Spain, and has taken numerous tours around Europe. He helped set up the Abercrombie & Kent “Private Label tours” and is presently cultural adviser to Ultimate travel.

  He has written and presented various TV documentaries, notably the Omnibus programme on 'Whistler' and the exhibition video on 'William Morris’.'Three one-man exhibitions of his paintings have been held in England and Switzerland. He has published five novels, which have been translated into 8 foreign languages, and his book on Monet, 'River of Light', has sold 30,000 copies in England, America and France.

DAY OF SPECIAL INTEREST –  EMPEROR QIANLONG – 1736-1796 (Son of Heaven, Man of the World) WITH DAVID ROSIER

60 people attended our Day of Special Interest on 24 January to hear David Rosier, who has lived in the Far East for many years, inform us on the Qian Dynasty (1644-1911) and in particular the influence of the longest living Emperor, Qianlong.

We heard about the formation of the dynasty following the Ming period, Qianlong’s forefathers and the long eventful reign of a man who had a strong work ethic and brought wealth and culture to China.

He was a prolific poet, collector and in particular encouraged the art of Italian Jesuit, Giuseppe Castaglione.

The three lectures were accompanied with pictures of The Forbidden City portraits, costumes, treasures and art, giving a broad impression of the era.

 David also brought part of his extensive collection to show the intricacy of the embroidery of the period and explained the symbolic signs of ranking within the court.  The workmanship and colours were exquisite and attendees were delighted to see them at close hand.

 David Rosier gave a fluent, extensive and highly informative set of lectures which were enthusiastically received and appreciated.

The ‘Birmingham Group’ was an informal group of, now relatively unknown but influential, artist-craftsmen, working in Birmingham in the late 19th/early 20th centuries.  Members of the group also overlapped with other more formal organisations, including the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft, the Ruskin Pottery and the Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts.  Professor Anderson will examine their work & legacy, & how they were influenced by leading artists like Edward Burne-Jones, who was born in Birmingham, & William Morris.  The day will conclude in the galleries to view some of their work & with a visit to St. Philip’s Cathedral to see the remarkable Burne-Jones windows. 

Venue: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery  10 am  - 3:30 pm

Click here to view the event poster.  Please note that this event is now fully booked.

This Day of Special Interest will be held at the Trinity Hall, Meole Brace, where John Benjamin, who appears regularly on Antiques Roadshow, will talk on Jewellery from Elizabeth I to Victoria and 20th Century jewellery; in the afternoon he will identify and value Members’ own jewellery.
 

2016 is the 250th anniversary of The Lunar Society of Birmingham.  Its members, who included Matthew Bolton, James Watt, Erasmus Darwin, Josiah Wedgwood and Joseph Priestley, were both artists and scientists; their legacy of experimentation in the late 18th/ early 19th centuries helped to shape the modern industrial world.  The day will examine the relationship between art and science in the Lunar Circle, with examples drawn from painting, Matthew Bolton’s silver and Wedgwood china.  It will also discuss the virtually unknown women connected with the Lunar Circle, including Elizabeth Stockdale Wilkinson who was involved in early photography.

Clicke here to view the event poster.  NB: THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

This was a Day of Special Interest at Croome Court, near Worcester, arranged for some eighty members of societies in the NADFAS West Midlands Area.

2016 marks the tercentenary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.  Croome was his first major commission in which he designed and supervised the creation of not only the magnificent, expansive gardens but also the house.  During two illustrated lectures given before lunch, Dr Tom Duncan examined the changes occurring in garden design in 18th Century England, and the influence of paintings and literature, as the ‘classical’ Arcadian ideal gave way to the ’romantic’ picturesque.  In the afternoon members divided into three groups, two of which had guided tours of the house to see some of the restoration work in progress, while the third enjoyed a conducted walk round the grounds during which our guide explained many of the garden-design aspects covered in Tom Duncan's lectures. 

This was a most interesting and ejoyable day out and it was clear that many in the group intended to make a return visit in the near future to see further development of this impressive house and garden.

David Phillips’ Study Day at Trinity Centre was excellent in every way.  We were educated and entertained, and were given a visual treat with superb photography and wonderfully detailed close-ups to illustrate the various points as they arose.

We started with an analysis of Jasper Ware by Wedgewood and learnt about the problems they have with forgers, but we became the experts when David taught us to differentiate between the two.  As Curator of Art at Nottingham Castle Museum David acquired considerable knowledge of Jasper Ware but his main interest is with paintings. The question is:  can we trust the experts?  The answer would seem to be ‘Yes’.  On the whole we can trust the experts, but their job is not easy: the complexity of authenticating a piece of artwork is very difficult!  We were shown some intriguing examples of where things had gone very wrong for the ‘expert’ and there are many examples of art connoisseurs disagreeing.  It gives the forgers a field day but they go to extraordinary lengths and do a great deal of research in order to establish an authentic ‘paper trail’ and create a plausible fake. This makes an intriguing story in itself; better than a Le Carré novel any day!

We were shown how the layers between the paint and the canvas can be of such importance when establishing a forgery from the ‘real thing’.    David showed us examples of how paintings change with age and we looked through the layers of the structure and how damage has been caused in the past.  Serious damage can be done by poor restoration, and we were shown the excellent photographs to illustrate the point.  The experts now undertake the difficult work with great care and precision.

Finally, David asked us to differentiate between good and bad art.  He explained why he considered certain pieces of modern art to be of merit and why, in his opinion, other pieces could be dismissed.  In the end it is up to us as individuals.

David Phillips spoke without notes throughout the day.  He is hugely knowledgeable but has a soft touch and an engaging sense of humour.   It was a fascinating day!

In 2014 the Wedgwood Collection was saved from disintegration by an extraordinary Art Fund appeal. The site has since undergone major redevelopment, with a new museum gallery added. The day examines the involvement of influential artists with Wedgwood, looks at the contributions made by NADFAS Heritage Volunteers to three major conservation projects and concludes with guided visits to the refurbished museum.

Booking form and poster available from the Documents list on the 'About Us' page.

We had a very enjoyable and instructive Day of Special Interest at the Trinity Centre in  Meole Brace   Our Lecturer was Peter Medhurst and the subject for the day was ‘Music inspired by Paintings and Paintings Inspired by Music’.  Peter’s skilled presentation managed to satisfy not only the most talented musicians amongst us but also those with little or no musical knowledge.

After morning coffee Peter's first session concentrated on paintings that have produced a direct musical response from famous composers.  The most compelling of these, for me, was The Isle of the Dead and Rachmaninov’s tone poem for orchestra which I found both atmospheric and beautiful.  Peter talked us through the significance of the painting and the music which enhanced both my appreciation and understanding  of both pieces.

Following an excellent lunch provided by the Trinity Centre caterers we switched  to  the theme of music that drew its inspiration from identifiable paintings.  Once again we were rewarded by the beauty of both the art and the music.  Peter has a lovely singing voice and great musical skill  and  was able to sing from the keyboard and so illustrate the various points he wished  toexplain with great effect. 

His final choice of art/music provoked much discussion!   Kadinsky’s Impression 111 is certainly not to everyone’s taste but once we understood how the artist had arrived at the result it began to make some sense.   The same can be said about Schoenberg ‘Three Piano Pieces Op 11’. 

We went away with much to think about and the inspiration to find out more both about the paintings we saw but also the music we had heard.

Briony Cooper
Organiser

Our Day of Special Interest, organised by Briony Cooper, began in the auditorium where our host, Gareth Williams, who was appointed Curator to the Weston Park Foundation in 2006, introduced us to the conservation and restoration practices employed at Weston Park.  Gareth stressed both the importance and benefits of sound conservation as restoration work is often extremely lengthy, and thus prohibitively expensive, and can be easily avoided through a little care and common sense.  Gareth is also responsible for curatorial and conservation management, overseeing the Learning Department and developing cultural tourism.

Then on to see Dr Mary Kempski and her team of conservators from the Hamilton Kerr Institute in Cambridge at work in the music room. They visit Weston Park annually and this year they were concentrating on some of the pictures from the dining room, including a number of works by Van Dyke.  With a little gentle cleaning it is astonishing what can be achieved. 

We were also shown two newly decorated bedrooms, as well as the new scheme for the drawing room. The house is in remarkable condition and our President, Howard Franklin, who remembers it from the 60s, described it as sparkling and a great credit to the Foundation and their work.

After a most enjoyable lunch in the orangery we were given a tour of the principal rooms and a chance to see some of the current works to the house in progress, including the new lighting scheme in the dining room.  As the house has not yet re-opened to the public we all felt privileged to be given a most enjoyable private view of the collection.

Roly T-J

 For the 2013 Day of Special Interest Eric Knowles came to talk to us about Art Deco.  As in previous years there were 2 lectures in the morning: in ‘A Gentle Introduction to Art Deco’  Eric offered an overview of the style that emanated after the First World War as a reaction to Art Nouveau, both in Europe and the USA.  This was the age of Jazz, the Charleston and Hollywood.  He then discussed and contrasted the sophisticated and glamorous French approach with the minimalist, ‘Modernist’ interiors advocated by the Bauhaus in Germany. Eric looked at jewellery, ceramics, glass, furniture, sculpture, posters and architecture.  

His second talk ‘Art Deco: The British Approach’examined objects and graphics that we were most likely to come across closer to home.