top of page
COURSES 2026/2027
Revival & Rebellion. Autumn ‘26 - Spring ‘27
Are you ready to witness the collision of tradition and revolution?
From the rebirth of Classical ideals to the defiant brushstrokes that shattered them, this course explores the cyclical nature of art history initially over the 50 year period of 1848 to
1896. This is a crucial and fascinating moment in the history of art where politics and the social order is driving change. We’ll discover what informs change, delve into the moments when artists looked back to reclaim the past and the explosive times when they fought to
burn it all down.
Revivals galore! Renaissance and Neoclassicism are resurrected with ancient beauty being used redefine the "modern" world.
Spirit of Rebellion: We will trace the defiant path of the Romantics, Impressionists, and Avant- Garde radicals who broke those rules of perspective, colour, and social order and
ask why ? Just how revolutionary were those artists and why do so many love them now ?
Art as Power: We will analyse how visual culture has been used to both uphold empires and ignite revolutions and still does today ! Art holds up a lens to life and is the most
eloquent expression of change as it has the power to speak directly to us all !
Whether you’re an art history buff or a curious newcomer, you’ll enjoy
meeting new people, sharing group discussions and develop a sharper
eye for the hidden messages in every art work. Delving into the raison d’etre of art opens
up a whole new world! Learn to see art not just as a static object on a wall, but as a living, breathing act of defiance or a nostalgic yearning for the past !
September 22nd Tuesday afternoons OR 23rd Wednesday mornings until
December 2nd/3rd H. Term Break: October 27/28th-No class
Fees: £145. 10 weeks ( £15.50 walk-in rate )
From the rebirth of Classical ideals to the defiant brushstrokes that shattered them, this course explores the cyclical nature of art history initially over the 50 year period of 1848 to
1896. This is a crucial and fascinating moment in the history of art where politics and the social order is driving change. We’ll discover what informs change, delve into the moments when artists looked back to reclaim the past and the explosive times when they fought to
burn it all down.
Revivals galore! Renaissance and Neoclassicism are resurrected with ancient beauty being used redefine the "modern" world.
Spirit of Rebellion: We will trace the defiant path of the Romantics, Impressionists, and Avant- Garde radicals who broke those rules of perspective, colour, and social order and
ask why ? Just how revolutionary were those artists and why do so many love them now ?
Art as Power: We will analyse how visual culture has been used to both uphold empires and ignite revolutions and still does today ! Art holds up a lens to life and is the most
eloquent expression of change as it has the power to speak directly to us all !
Whether you’re an art history buff or a curious newcomer, you’ll enjoy
meeting new people, sharing group discussions and develop a sharper
eye for the hidden messages in every art work. Delving into the raison d’etre of art opens
up a whole new world! Learn to see art not just as a static object on a wall, but as a living, breathing act of defiance or a nostalgic yearning for the past !
September 22nd Tuesday afternoons OR 23rd Wednesday mornings until
December 2nd/3rd H. Term Break: October 27/28th-No class
Fees: £145. 10 weeks ( £15.50 walk-in rate )
Between The Lines: RADICAL WOMEN
In the late 1970’s and 80’s feminism was on the march!
Women art historians staged an unprecedented intervention...
One that would begin to reshape our cultural landscape.
One that was well overdue !
Individually, they began researching and resurrecting women in art history whose voices,
stories and of course, art had been deliberately written out.
40 + years on, what progress has been made ? What do we know about those women and why
should we be bothered anyway ?? Have our attitudes and perceptions altered as a result ?
This one-off afternoon course will zoom in on the years following the first world War, with Virginia Woolf, followed by some 60 years later, the Guerrilla Girls. Both made the
momentous decision to employ bold strategies to disrupt their times and carve new paths for
themselves in a world still very much ruled by men.
The Hogarth Press may be legend now, but Virginia Woolf doggedly pursued with a clear purpose her own printing and publishing business, taking full ownership of her career path !
In New York, in 1985-6, young women artists protested loudly at the paucity of art by women
on the walls of major galleries. Unlike the Sussex endeavour, they used the public method of posters, that were literally in your face or using subtle irony -see the letter poster below.
They saw themselves as the new conscience of the art world, where self publishing and image making came together, as they did for Virginia, whose sister, Vanessa was the clear choice to design most of the book jackets.
This pairing has recently been the subject of exhibitions at Charleston in Sussex to celebrate
the anniversary of Feminist art history and those, like Virginia Woolf, who began to whittle away at the male establishment in earnest, years before. It is time to regroup on women’s
place in history, explore the exciting relationship between word and imagery and consider what they achieved and what difference it has made to our lives now !
Thursday afternoon, October 20th or Tuesday 27th DATE TBC
Please register your interest soon !
Women art historians staged an unprecedented intervention...
One that would begin to reshape our cultural landscape.
One that was well overdue !
Individually, they began researching and resurrecting women in art history whose voices,
stories and of course, art had been deliberately written out.
40 + years on, what progress has been made ? What do we know about those women and why
should we be bothered anyway ?? Have our attitudes and perceptions altered as a result ?
This one-off afternoon course will zoom in on the years following the first world War, with Virginia Woolf, followed by some 60 years later, the Guerrilla Girls. Both made the
momentous decision to employ bold strategies to disrupt their times and carve new paths for
themselves in a world still very much ruled by men.
The Hogarth Press may be legend now, but Virginia Woolf doggedly pursued with a clear purpose her own printing and publishing business, taking full ownership of her career path !
In New York, in 1985-6, young women artists protested loudly at the paucity of art by women
on the walls of major galleries. Unlike the Sussex endeavour, they used the public method of posters, that were literally in your face or using subtle irony -see the letter poster below.
They saw themselves as the new conscience of the art world, where self publishing and image making came together, as they did for Virginia, whose sister, Vanessa was the clear choice to design most of the book jackets.
This pairing has recently been the subject of exhibitions at Charleston in Sussex to celebrate
the anniversary of Feminist art history and those, like Virginia Woolf, who began to whittle away at the male establishment in earnest, years before. It is time to regroup on women’s
place in history, explore the exciting relationship between word and imagery and consider what they achieved and what difference it has made to our lives now !
Thursday afternoon, October 20th or Tuesday 27th DATE TBC
Please register your interest soon !
CONSTABLE COUNTRY
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of John Constable in 1776
He fundamentally changed how we see the natural world.
He studied meteorology and light. He was the first to treat the sky as an organ of sentiment capturing specific weather conditions with astonishing accuracy.
His paintings paved the way for the birth of Impressionism !
A special 4 week course at Reach Village Hall
Tuesday Afternoons at 2.20 p.m.
April 14th to May 5th
or Wednesday mornings from 10.20 a.m.
May 13th to June 3rd
Step inside the world of John Constable, one of Britain’s most loved artists.
Contact me @ arthistoryincambs.com
He studied meteorology and light. He was the first to treat the sky as an organ of sentiment capturing specific weather conditions with astonishing accuracy.
His paintings paved the way for the birth of Impressionism !
A special 4 week course at Reach Village Hall
Tuesday Afternoons at 2.20 p.m.
April 14th to May 5th
or Wednesday mornings from 10.20 a.m.
May 13th to June 3rd
Step inside the world of John Constable, one of Britain’s most loved artists.
Contact me @ arthistoryincambs.com
SPRING TERM 2026 - THE FOREIGN ENRICHMENT OF BRITISH ART
The 18th century: Britain comes of age
Our history of multiculturalism continues with how our national identity evolved with vital foreign input, often by artists who call Britain home and so revealing the true heritage behind some
of the nation's defining artworks.
This term, we will be studying William Hogarth, Wright of Derby, Angelica Kauffman, Gainsborough - familiar masters but also
lesser-known creators. A period of enlightenment and consolidation.
Reach Village Hall, Fair green, near Burwell
Tuesdays: 2.20 - 3.50 p.m. from January 6th to March 18th OR
Wednesdays: 10.20 - 11.50 a.m. No classes on February 17th & 18th
FEES: £70 per Half Term (or £140: Full 10 weeks)
Newcomers - Walk-ins: £15 cash on the day or BACS in advance.
of the nation's defining artworks.
This term, we will be studying William Hogarth, Wright of Derby, Angelica Kauffman, Gainsborough - familiar masters but also
lesser-known creators. A period of enlightenment and consolidation.
Reach Village Hall, Fair green, near Burwell
Tuesdays: 2.20 - 3.50 p.m. from January 6th to March 18th OR
Wednesdays: 10.20 - 11.50 a.m. No classes on February 17th & 18th
FEES: £70 per Half Term (or £140: Full 10 weeks)
Newcomers - Walk-ins: £15 cash on the day or BACS in advance.
NEW COURSE: AUTUMN TERM at Reach V. H.
THE FOREIGN ENRICHMENT OF BRITISH ART
Susanna Horenbout remains a shadowy figure for one simple reason: she was a woman. The daughter of the famous artist, Gerard Horenbout, she was probably born in Ghent, and trained as an artist in her father’s workshop. At some point in the 1520s, Susanna moved with her whole family to England, where they lived and worked for the rest of their lives. What is her story as a foreign female artist ?
This new course will be a history of multiculturalism, of how our national identity has evolved with vital foreign input, often by artists who call Britain home and revealing the true heritage behind some of the nation's defining artworks.
A significant contribution is from women, who, given the limited opportunity for any visibility, we must recognise and applaud.
Foreign artists working in Britain and British-born artists affected by foreign cultures will be explored: The Horenbouts, Hans Holbein, Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi, Wenceslaus Hollar, William Hogarth, Angelica Kauffman, Gainsborough - familiar masters but also lesser-known creators.
New research invites us to challenge the notion of an exceptional or exclusive British culture, and in so doing rewrite the history of the Renaissance and Enlightenment era.
Tuesdays: 2.20 - 3.50 p.m. SEPTEMBER 23rd to DECEMBER 4th OR
Wednesdays: 10.20 - 11.50 a.m. SEPTEMBER 24th to DECEMBER 5th
No classes on October 28th & 29th
FEES: £70 per Half Term ( or £140: Full 10 weeks) Walk-ins: £15 cash on the day or bacs in advance FIRST PAYMENT due by September 1st
This new course will be a history of multiculturalism, of how our national identity has evolved with vital foreign input, often by artists who call Britain home and revealing the true heritage behind some of the nation's defining artworks.
A significant contribution is from women, who, given the limited opportunity for any visibility, we must recognise and applaud.
Foreign artists working in Britain and British-born artists affected by foreign cultures will be explored: The Horenbouts, Hans Holbein, Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi, Wenceslaus Hollar, William Hogarth, Angelica Kauffman, Gainsborough - familiar masters but also lesser-known creators.
New research invites us to challenge the notion of an exceptional or exclusive British culture, and in so doing rewrite the history of the Renaissance and Enlightenment era.
Tuesdays: 2.20 - 3.50 p.m. SEPTEMBER 23rd to DECEMBER 4th OR
Wednesdays: 10.20 - 11.50 a.m. SEPTEMBER 24th to DECEMBER 5th
No classes on October 28th & 29th
FEES: £70 per Half Term ( or £140: Full 10 weeks) Walk-ins: £15 cash on the day or bacs in advance FIRST PAYMENT due by September 1st
ART AT SEA 2025 Summer school at Reach V. H. Wednesday August 6th at 2 p.m.
Who doesn’t love the sea? We are a maritime nation. We live on an island, surrounded by water.
The sea draws many of us to spend time by the coast on our holidays or on day trips, with diverse pleasures on offer !
In honour of 250 years since the birth of Turner (1775), who was obsessed by the sea from the Thames to the Venetian lagoon in all its moods and also to complement the Courtauld exhibition – Seurat and the Sea – on now until May 17th , I’d like to offer this suitably light hearted topic to serve up for our summer school this year !
For those of you interested in the future of our seas globally, the Sainsbury Centre at U.E.A., Norwich is staging a more serious exhibition: A world of water (March 15th- August 3rd ) focusing on the impact of climate change and what is being done to support marine ecosystems. It will however feature some artists, like Maggi Hambling, who I will also include.
Several artists have explored the sea as a theme and in its many guises – inspired by
mythology ( Botticelli’s Birth of Venus), by the drama of sea and sky (Claude & Turner) or by the ever changing moods of water affected by weather ( Monet). Maggi Hambling has famously enjoyed the challenges of painting the drama of water and life upon it. Other artists include Sargent, John Steer, Edward Bawden.
Fee: £35 ( including a themed tea & cake ! )
The sea draws many of us to spend time by the coast on our holidays or on day trips, with diverse pleasures on offer !
In honour of 250 years since the birth of Turner (1775), who was obsessed by the sea from the Thames to the Venetian lagoon in all its moods and also to complement the Courtauld exhibition – Seurat and the Sea – on now until May 17th , I’d like to offer this suitably light hearted topic to serve up for our summer school this year !
For those of you interested in the future of our seas globally, the Sainsbury Centre at U.E.A., Norwich is staging a more serious exhibition: A world of water (March 15th- August 3rd ) focusing on the impact of climate change and what is being done to support marine ecosystems. It will however feature some artists, like Maggi Hambling, who I will also include.
Several artists have explored the sea as a theme and in its many guises – inspired by
mythology ( Botticelli’s Birth of Venus), by the drama of sea and sky (Claude & Turner) or by the ever changing moods of water affected by weather ( Monet). Maggi Hambling has famously enjoyed the challenges of painting the drama of water and life upon it. Other artists include Sargent, John Steer, Edward Bawden.
Fee: £35 ( including a themed tea & cake ! )
Summer Term at Reach Village Hall
Real Or Not Soour Real !?
1925-2025: Surrealism Comes Of Age
A short course on Wednesday mornings only from April 23rd to May 21st
With artistic precursors encompassing figures that are diverse in space as well as time, like Hieronymous Bosch, Goya, William Blake, Fuseli and Primitive art, we trace this most subversive of movements arising from the horrors of WW1 in Dada- a war to end all wars ! to the emergence of a movement spearheaded by poets and painters including some of the greatest male and female artists of the day in the 1920’s – Picasso, Ernst, Dali, Miro, Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, Magritte, Man Ray, Meret Oppenheim, Nussbaum and more….
Surrealism continues its hold on us today !
Discover how and why.
Surrealism continues its hold on us today !
Discover how and why.
POST IMPRESSIONISM
Spring Term 2025
Long before Paris was liberated, artists were liberated by Paris!
Meet the larger than life characters who, at the turn of the century are ready to shock the world and re write art history... plus a host of other artists!
Term starts on Tuesday January 7th or Wednesday 8th.
Last class on March 19th
Mid term break – February 11th & 12th
Fees: £130 Full term ( £65 per half term)
INFO/CONTACT @ arthistoryincambs.com
Term starts on Tuesday January 7th or Wednesday 8th.
Last class on March 19th
Mid term break – February 11th & 12th
Fees: £130 Full term ( £65 per half term)
INFO/CONTACT @ arthistoryincambs.com
An Afternoon With Vincent
Reach Village Hall
Thursday January 23rd 2.15-3.45 p.m.
“The Japanese teach us to live in nature as though they themselves were flowers”
The flagship exhibition at the National Gallery may be over (by mid January 2025), but we can still find joy and consolation in the art of Vincent Van Gogh. He believed that painting should be above all uplifting. This is an invitation to escape the winter blues into nature as Vincent saw it, expressed in paintings of flowers, trees, and the shimmering landscapes of Provence.
Discover why he quickly became the most famous artist on the earth who continues to inspire and elicit a deep empathy among us today !
Fee £25 based on a small group.
Payment by January 3rd
Discover why he quickly became the most famous artist on the earth who continues to inspire and elicit a deep empathy among us today !
Fee £25 based on a small group.
Payment by January 3rd
The Story Of Post-Impressionism Uncovered
Autumn Term at Reach V.H.
September 17th/18th – November 26th/27th
No classes on October 8th/9th
Tuesdays 2.15-3.45 p.m. OR Wednesdays 10.20 -11.50 a.m.
"I want to make of Impressionism something solid and enduring, like the art in museums."
Paul Cezanne
Roger Fry, best remembered for his role as Modernism’s impresario, created controversy in England around the names of Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin and also Matisse and Picasso with his two groundbreaking exhibitions of the new French art in the early 20th century.
It was he who coined the term Post-Impressionism in 1910, seeking to define how and why French art had moved away from Impressionism towards Modernism.
This course will showcase the artists that fell under this banner, who with no common goal, pursued different paths, whilst having their origins in Impressionism.
In the Spring term, we will follow the next generation(s) of early 20th century artists in France and England, inspiring new stylist movements based on the great French trio. Their trajectory takes us right across Europe.
Other artists include Seurat, Signac, Bernard, Rousseau, Klimt, Munch, Dufy.
Fees: £65 per half term (5 weeks) First payment due by August 30th
This is a 60p rise per week ( a bargain, I hope ! ) Second one by October 16th Weekly walk-ins @ £13.50
Paul Cezanne
Roger Fry, best remembered for his role as Modernism’s impresario, created controversy in England around the names of Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin and also Matisse and Picasso with his two groundbreaking exhibitions of the new French art in the early 20th century.
It was he who coined the term Post-Impressionism in 1910, seeking to define how and why French art had moved away from Impressionism towards Modernism.
This course will showcase the artists that fell under this banner, who with no common goal, pursued different paths, whilst having their origins in Impressionism.
In the Spring term, we will follow the next generation(s) of early 20th century artists in France and England, inspiring new stylist movements based on the great French trio. Their trajectory takes us right across Europe.
Other artists include Seurat, Signac, Bernard, Rousseau, Klimt, Munch, Dufy.
Fees: £65 per half term (5 weeks) First payment due by August 30th
This is a 60p rise per week ( a bargain, I hope ! ) Second one by October 16th Weekly walk-ins @ £13.50
Roger Fry’s Vision of Art
A Special Study Afternoon At Reach V. H.
Cambridge Alumnus from a Quaker background
Leading spirit of the early 20th century.
Artist, art historian, connoisseur, writer, critic, curator.
Creator of controversy within the British conservative art establishment.
A key member of a tiny coterie of snobs, the so-called Bloomsbury group. Championed the great triumvirate in his ground breaking exhibition of French art.
Modernism’s impresario, a threat to the stability of the British Empire ?
YES !!
Roger Fry was all of the above.
Fry is part of the story unfolding on the Post-Impressionism course, a name we owe to him, and a man who shaped so much of our understanding about this period in art.
He is proving to be such large a part that I now feel we deserve an afternoon in his company, our study day of the term, getting to know this extraordinarily versatile figure !
Tuesday, December 3rd 1.20-3.50 p.m. with an Xmassy Tea
FEE: £38 Payment due by November 6th please
Leading spirit of the early 20th century.
Artist, art historian, connoisseur, writer, critic, curator.
Creator of controversy within the British conservative art establishment.
A key member of a tiny coterie of snobs, the so-called Bloomsbury group. Championed the great triumvirate in his ground breaking exhibition of French art.
Modernism’s impresario, a threat to the stability of the British Empire ?
YES !!
Roger Fry was all of the above.
Fry is part of the story unfolding on the Post-Impressionism course, a name we owe to him, and a man who shaped so much of our understanding about this period in art.
He is proving to be such large a part that I now feel we deserve an afternoon in his company, our study day of the term, getting to know this extraordinarily versatile figure !
Tuesday, December 3rd 1.20-3.50 p.m. with an Xmassy Tea
FEE: £38 Payment due by November 6th please
Is It A Woman’s World ?
Paths of Identity
at the Fitz
Wednesday August 21st 2 - 3.30 p.m.
This single afternoon session presents new and unseen works of art by female and male artists, juxtaposed with other pieces in the main collection. They address issues around the domestic interior, traditional domain of women and socially unacceptable feminine occupations, such as reading.
We will discover how gender determines what is painted and how the artists style themselves from the 18th to 20th centuries through their art works.
Meet in gallery 1 – Founders Entrance
Fee: £28 Payment by July 30th
We will discover how gender determines what is painted and how the artists style themselves from the 18th to 20th centuries through their art works.
Meet in gallery 1 – Founders Entrance
Fee: £28 Payment by July 30th
An Afternoon With ANGELICA KAUFFMAN
Thursday June 13th Reach V. H.
2.30-4.30 p.m.
Angelica Kauffman was one of the most celebrated artists of the 18th century.
In a major solo exhibition at the Royal Academy, we trace her trajectory
from child prodigy to one of Europe's most sought-after painters.
Known for her celebrity portraits and pioneering history paintings, Kauffman helped to shape the direction of European art. She painted some of the most influential figures of her day – queens, countesses, actors and
socialites – and she reinvented the genre of history painting by focusing largely on female protagonists from classical history and mythology.
The exhibition covers Kauffman’s life and work: her rise to fame in London, her role as a founding member of the Royal Academy and her
later career in Rome where her studio became a hub for the city’s cultural life. It finishes on June 30th.
On the afternoon course, we will discuss paintings by Kauffman, including
some of her finest self-portraits, her celebrated ceiling paintings for the Royal Academy’s first home in Somerset House, as well as history paintings of her favourite subjects and discover the remarkable life of the artist whom one of her contemporaries described as “the most cultivated woman in Europe”.
FEE: £32 by May 10th
In a major solo exhibition at the Royal Academy, we trace her trajectory
from child prodigy to one of Europe's most sought-after painters.
Known for her celebrity portraits and pioneering history paintings, Kauffman helped to shape the direction of European art. She painted some of the most influential figures of her day – queens, countesses, actors and
socialites – and she reinvented the genre of history painting by focusing largely on female protagonists from classical history and mythology.
The exhibition covers Kauffman’s life and work: her rise to fame in London, her role as a founding member of the Royal Academy and her
later career in Rome where her studio became a hub for the city’s cultural life. It finishes on June 30th.
On the afternoon course, we will discuss paintings by Kauffman, including
some of her finest self-portraits, her celebrated ceiling paintings for the Royal Academy’s first home in Somerset House, as well as history paintings of her favourite subjects and discover the remarkable life of the artist whom one of her contemporaries described as “the most cultivated woman in Europe”.
FEE: £32 by May 10th
Paths Of Identity At The Fitz
For this course, I am resurrecting a former theme from 20 years ago!
Who do you think you are?
With exciting, new and unexpected works of art juxtaposed alongside familiar paintings from the collections, we are invited to employ fresh perspectives exploring human identity beyond traditional lens of status and wealth.
This showcase presents a contemporary look to the newly refurbished Victorian Founder galleries 1- 5. With a strong presence of women and other minorities as both artists and subjects, we will examine the role art plays in shaping how we see and understand who we are in the world today.
Who do you think you are?
With exciting, new and unexpected works of art juxtaposed alongside familiar paintings from the collections, we are invited to employ fresh perspectives exploring human identity beyond traditional lens of status and wealth.
This showcase presents a contemporary look to the newly refurbished Victorian Founder galleries 1- 5. With a strong presence of women and other minorities as both artists and subjects, we will examine the role art plays in shaping how we see and understand who we are in the world today.
SUMMER TERM ART HISTORY
National Treasures – a short 4 week course at Reach V. H. Wednesdays 10.20-12 a.m. May 1st - 22nd
To mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of a gallery for the nation in London in 1824, this course will explore the strengths of our premier art collection, providing a context for special displays to be held across the country, opening simultaneously on May 10th. These single loans include Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, coming to the Fitzwilliam Museum. Paintings including, Constable’s The Hay Wain, Turner’s Fighting Temeraire and
Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond will each travel to a regional centre such as Bristol, Newcastle and York. For some of the works, not least the The Wilton Diptych and Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, it will be the first time that they will have left the Gallery since they were acquired.
Such anniversaries serve to remind us of the importance of our incredible cultural heritage, that art is a unique trace of our passage on this earth. Above all, we are reminded of the life affirming power of the creativity ( in a world where there is so much destruction and negativity). We value art because is can lift our spirits, raise morale and above all connect us with the wider world and our ancestry.
FULL FEE: £58 or Weekly rate
Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond will each travel to a regional centre such as Bristol, Newcastle and York. For some of the works, not least the The Wilton Diptych and Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, it will be the first time that they will have left the Gallery since they were acquired.
Such anniversaries serve to remind us of the importance of our incredible cultural heritage, that art is a unique trace of our passage on this earth. Above all, we are reminded of the life affirming power of the creativity ( in a world where there is so much destruction and negativity). We value art because is can lift our spirits, raise morale and above all connect us with the wider world and our ancestry.
FULL FEE: £58 or Weekly rate
BENVENUTA A VENEZIA !
At the National Gallery, London
Saturday March 23rd
From the 14th century, the Republic of Venice was one of the wealthiest and most culturally diverse city states in Europe.
Its cosmopolitan culture fostered astonishing creative activity whereby artists benefited from a wide variety of patrons, including the government, religious confraternities and a learned aristocracy.
From Bellini to Canaletto, madonnas and belle donne to classical heroines and biblical saints, images of women proliferated in Venice alongside the ruling elite and humanist poets. Pioneering landscape art and a new styling of religious subjects, allows us to experience the development of painting in 'La Serenissima' and beyond through the Gallery’s exceptional collection of Venetian paintings.
This will be the first visit on offer to the nation’s premier collection of art for over 6 years !
Fee: £37
Proposed Schedule: Gallery sessions, 12.30-1.30 & 2.45 – 4.15 p.m.
This is an approximation and is dependant on everyone arriving in time. I will aim to finish by 5 p.m. at the latest, so there is room for a later start for Session 1, if necessary. Lunch break included.
Its cosmopolitan culture fostered astonishing creative activity whereby artists benefited from a wide variety of patrons, including the government, religious confraternities and a learned aristocracy.
From Bellini to Canaletto, madonnas and belle donne to classical heroines and biblical saints, images of women proliferated in Venice alongside the ruling elite and humanist poets. Pioneering landscape art and a new styling of religious subjects, allows us to experience the development of painting in 'La Serenissima' and beyond through the Gallery’s exceptional collection of Venetian paintings.
This will be the first visit on offer to the nation’s premier collection of art for over 6 years !
Fee: £37
Proposed Schedule: Gallery sessions, 12.30-1.30 & 2.45 – 4.15 p.m.
This is an approximation and is dependant on everyone arriving in time. I will aim to finish by 5 p.m. at the latest, so there is room for a later start for Session 1, if necessary. Lunch break included.
MEET THE VENETIANS
At The Fitz
Thursday March 7th 2 - 3.20 p.m.
Why was Venetian art at the top of the shopping wish list for the founder of the Fitzwilliam Museum ?
This short talk will showcase the collections of Venetian paintings and sculpture from Titian and Veronese to Canaletto and Guardi and how their works were sought after by the ruling elite of Europe for centuries !
From mythological and nude fantasies in the Renaissance period to views of the famous floating city with its iconic architectural monuments and irresistible attractions, we can get to know the Venetians and their vital legacy passed down to artists like Rubens and Van Dyck.
So, come and meet the Venetians !
Fee: £28 (by February 8th)
This short talk will showcase the collections of Venetian paintings and sculpture from Titian and Veronese to Canaletto and Guardi and how their works were sought after by the ruling elite of Europe for centuries !
From mythological and nude fantasies in the Renaissance period to views of the famous floating city with its iconic architectural monuments and irresistible attractions, we can get to know the Venetians and their vital legacy passed down to artists like Rubens and Van Dyck.
So, come and meet the Venetians !
Fee: £28 (by February 8th)
THE SWEETEST STORY EVER TOLD
The Sugar Rush In Georgian Britain And Its Implications Friday January 26th 2.30 till 4.30 p.m. at the Gardiner Memorial Hall, Burwell
Discover how Cambridge University hosted Queen Elizabeth I and her entourage in the late 16th century for a Royal progress and how they pandered to her sweet craving !
Hear how the demand for tea with sugar from the 17th century onwards became a lucrative trade across Europe, a fashion started by Royalty.
And.. how the institution of slavery fuelled its production !
It is a sweet and sour story, of the craving for all things sugary, the rise in tea drinking in Britain and how this craze drove the demand for suitable porcelain wares, tea parties, as depicted in paintings and even the building of tea bridges in country estates.
As a story, this is an essential part of our cultural heritage !
This special slide based course planned for 2024 will be run at Gardiner Memorial hall, Burwell and is subject to interest only.
If you are interested, please put your names down by the start of November FEE: £30 Payment by December 15th
Some suitable treats will be on offer to sweeten the start of the New Year !
Hear how the demand for tea with sugar from the 17th century onwards became a lucrative trade across Europe, a fashion started by Royalty.
And.. how the institution of slavery fuelled its production !
It is a sweet and sour story, of the craving for all things sugary, the rise in tea drinking in Britain and how this craze drove the demand for suitable porcelain wares, tea parties, as depicted in paintings and even the building of tea bridges in country estates.
As a story, this is an essential part of our cultural heritage !
This special slide based course planned for 2024 will be run at Gardiner Memorial hall, Burwell and is subject to interest only.
If you are interested, please put your names down by the start of November FEE: £30 Payment by December 15th
Some suitable treats will be on offer to sweeten the start of the New Year !
The Ground Beneath Our Feet
What do these objects have in common ?
They have been discovered right here in our region...by archaeologists excavating a site, metal detectorists walking across fields or even accidentally unearthed in people’s gardens !
This exhibition at the Archaeology and Anthropology Museum is intriguing, presenting some stunning finds, like the Trumpington cross below, a treasured possession of a young girl in the C.7th from a grave discovered on a building site in the village near Cambridge.
Or a super size 4th century Roman lead cistern found on Burwell Fen which have had experts puzzling over or indeed the ubiquitous and much travelled Samian ware ( right ).
In this compelling and sensitively curated show, we are invited to access our past in new, yet familiar ways, through everyday objects and valuables, that we all recognise and still use so much in our lives today !
This is an unmissable exhibition that will not fail to excite and enrich us about many centuries past and the people who lived in the very place we live now.
February 14th 2- 3.30 p.m. Fee: £28 includes a donation to the Museum.
They have been discovered right here in our region...by archaeologists excavating a site, metal detectorists walking across fields or even accidentally unearthed in people’s gardens !
This exhibition at the Archaeology and Anthropology Museum is intriguing, presenting some stunning finds, like the Trumpington cross below, a treasured possession of a young girl in the C.7th from a grave discovered on a building site in the village near Cambridge.
Or a super size 4th century Roman lead cistern found on Burwell Fen which have had experts puzzling over or indeed the ubiquitous and much travelled Samian ware ( right ).
In this compelling and sensitively curated show, we are invited to access our past in new, yet familiar ways, through everyday objects and valuables, that we all recognise and still use so much in our lives today !
This is an unmissable exhibition that will not fail to excite and enrich us about many centuries past and the people who lived in the very place we live now.
February 14th 2- 3.30 p.m. Fee: £28 includes a donation to the Museum.
ALL THE WORLD’S A COMMODITY !
Trade, Exploitation & Art.
A New Course at the Fitz
In the global economy we live in today, what role does art play in the exchange of ideas, in representing lessons from the past, in determining who and what gets recorded and which stories get told and how ?
Witness a 15th century Florentine workshop that became rich, supplying eminent households with narrative pictures, that promoted a highly selective view of history.
Note the prosperity of the Dutch mercantile state as reflected in still life paintings that celebrate such luxury, whilst also implicating the soul of the owner !
All can be commodified-
consumables, art, politics, faith and sadly, even people !
This 2 week course will run on Thursdays on November 2nd & 9th 2 – 3.30 p.m. in the permanent collections
Week 1 will cover Patriotic histories, displays of wealth and power, exporting and advertising Venice through its paintings -Titian as a sought after painter of fantasies
Week 2 will focus on treasured possessions as objects of status, luxury cabinets using foreign materials, ceramics, looted souvenirs of gentlemen and Cambridge scholars and the elitist messages enshrined in the Victorian Founders entrance.
We will touch on some of the themes of the Black Atlantic Exhibition throughout.
You do not have to attend both weeks, as each week is designed to stand alone.
However both will provide a more complete course.
FEE: £43 for 2 weeks, £28 – 1 week ( includes £5/£10 per head charge to the museum per week). Payment Deadline: October 19th
Witness a 15th century Florentine workshop that became rich, supplying eminent households with narrative pictures, that promoted a highly selective view of history.
Note the prosperity of the Dutch mercantile state as reflected in still life paintings that celebrate such luxury, whilst also implicating the soul of the owner !
All can be commodified-
consumables, art, politics, faith and sadly, even people !
This 2 week course will run on Thursdays on November 2nd & 9th 2 – 3.30 p.m. in the permanent collections
Week 1 will cover Patriotic histories, displays of wealth and power, exporting and advertising Venice through its paintings -Titian as a sought after painter of fantasies
Week 2 will focus on treasured possessions as objects of status, luxury cabinets using foreign materials, ceramics, looted souvenirs of gentlemen and Cambridge scholars and the elitist messages enshrined in the Victorian Founders entrance.
We will touch on some of the themes of the Black Atlantic Exhibition throughout.
You do not have to attend both weeks, as each week is designed to stand alone.
However both will provide a more complete course.
FEE: £43 for 2 weeks, £28 – 1 week ( includes £5/£10 per head charge to the museum per week). Payment Deadline: October 19th
The Visual Culture of Slavery
Ahead of the much awaited landmark exhibition at the Fitz, starting early September: Black Atlantic: Power, people and resistance, I feel it is apt to offer this course, which I first delivered via zoom in 2020, at Prior V. H. to get us thinking about the topic of difference and diversity, so familiar to us now in 2023.
In early C.18 th Britain, the dawning age of travel, it wasn’t just Italy and Greece that drew the landowning classes of Grand tourists.
As Brits travelled further, they had more than just cultural interests in mind, exploring new territories, seeking to expand their knowledge but also their ownership of new lands and people.
This is my contribution to a topic that headlined in the media, in Lockdown year 2020, highlighting historic and contemporary issues of inequality and cruelty to our fellow men and women across the planet. Focusing on the British West Indies and Africa, I would like to present to you through the medium of art, the eloquent role painting, prints, sculpture and ceramics played in moulding our understanding of these foreign peoples and shores. It is just a small but compelling part of a much larger and complex history of which we are all aware, but sadly, remaining largely invisible in art books and museums. It serves to remind us that there are many art histories, not just one !
Artists featured include Titian, Rigaud, Brunias, William Blake, Turner, Lawrence, Gainsborough and Wedgewood.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST
2 – 4 p.m.
At Swaffham Prior Village Hall
In early C.18 th Britain, the dawning age of travel, it wasn’t just Italy and Greece that drew the landowning classes of Grand tourists.
As Brits travelled further, they had more than just cultural interests in mind, exploring new territories, seeking to expand their knowledge but also their ownership of new lands and people.
This is my contribution to a topic that headlined in the media, in Lockdown year 2020, highlighting historic and contemporary issues of inequality and cruelty to our fellow men and women across the planet. Focusing on the British West Indies and Africa, I would like to present to you through the medium of art, the eloquent role painting, prints, sculpture and ceramics played in moulding our understanding of these foreign peoples and shores. It is just a small but compelling part of a much larger and complex history of which we are all aware, but sadly, remaining largely invisible in art books and museums. It serves to remind us that there are many art histories, not just one !
Artists featured include Titian, Rigaud, Brunias, William Blake, Turner, Lawrence, Gainsborough and Wedgewood.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST
2 – 4 p.m.
At Swaffham Prior Village Hall
IMPRESSIVE WOMEN
ART HISTORY SUMMER SCHOOL
at Swaffham Prior V. H.
WEDNESDAY August 2nd
11 a.m. - 3 p.m
Impressionism, traditionally seen as the heroic breakaway achievement of men like Monet, Renoir and Pissarro, was also the creation of women. Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Marie Bracquemond and Eva Gonzales were central to its development, and their sensibility valued and adopted by fellow artists.
Today, paintings by Women Impressionists are being rediscovered worldwide for the quality and vitality of their contribution to this ground breaking movement.
This one day course marks the first solo exhibition of Impressionist artist,
Berthe Morisot in England for 70 years - Shaping Impressionism at the Dulwich Picture Gallery and is a phenomenal event in the art history calender- not to be missed !
For more information/to enrol, please send a message on the website
contact page @ arthistoryincambs.com
Today, paintings by Women Impressionists are being rediscovered worldwide for the quality and vitality of their contribution to this ground breaking movement.
This one day course marks the first solo exhibition of Impressionist artist,
Berthe Morisot in England for 70 years - Shaping Impressionism at the Dulwich Picture Gallery and is a phenomenal event in the art history calender- not to be missed !
For more information/to enrol, please send a message on the website
contact page @ arthistoryincambs.com
TRUE COLOURS
Art, Science & Power
Wednesday April 19th , 2-3.30 p.m
This special talk introduces an exciting new exhibition at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on Downing Street.
It will focus on the allure and power of colour that has been harnessed across different cultures to inspire reflection and creativity from the ancient past right down to the present day.
We can enjoy encountering the arts, humanities and sciences together extraordinary objects and artworks that showcase the remarkable and diverse collections from across the University of Cambridge museums, libraries and colleges. Material on display includes paintings, artists materials, medieval manuscripts, ancient Egyptian figures, African sculpture, Amazonian feather headdress, textiles, a royal Hawaiian cape made of hundreds of thousands of shimmering feathers, scientific instruments, rainbow flags, iridescent shells, mineral specimens and much more!
We cannot imagine our world without colour, so why not brighten your morning with this celebration of its diversity. Colour is at the heart of every aspect of life and a key part of many disciplines in a University city.
It will focus on the allure and power of colour that has been harnessed across different cultures to inspire reflection and creativity from the ancient past right down to the present day.
We can enjoy encountering the arts, humanities and sciences together extraordinary objects and artworks that showcase the remarkable and diverse collections from across the University of Cambridge museums, libraries and colleges. Material on display includes paintings, artists materials, medieval manuscripts, ancient Egyptian figures, African sculpture, Amazonian feather headdress, textiles, a royal Hawaiian cape made of hundreds of thousands of shimmering feathers, scientific instruments, rainbow flags, iridescent shells, mineral specimens and much more!
We cannot imagine our world without colour, so why not brighten your morning with this celebration of its diversity. Colour is at the heart of every aspect of life and a key part of many disciplines in a University city.
THE PROGRESS OF CAPABILITY BROWN
Transforming Nature….
With A Poet’s Feeling And A Painter’s Eye
It was a golden age of architecture with stellar names from Wren and Vanbrugh to Kent and Adam.
Lancelot Brown would create the ideal setting to complement the great new country houses.
An exciting new 6 week course at Swaffham Prior V. H. - Summer Term
April 18th - May 23rd
Tuesdays afternoons: 2 - 3.45 p.m.
Today, despite the loss of many of his landscape creations, there is plenty that remains to be enjoyed. This short course will tell the story of this highly capable gardener, taking us outdoors to places we can still visit, close to home.
Extra field trips, to the local Wimpole Estate will be offered plus to Burghley House, Lincs. if there is sufficient interest
Fee: £72
Lancelot Brown would create the ideal setting to complement the great new country houses.
An exciting new 6 week course at Swaffham Prior V. H. - Summer Term
April 18th - May 23rd
Tuesdays afternoons: 2 - 3.45 p.m.
Today, despite the loss of many of his landscape creations, there is plenty that remains to be enjoyed. This short course will tell the story of this highly capable gardener, taking us outdoors to places we can still visit, close to home.
Extra field trips, to the local Wimpole Estate will be offered plus to Burghley House, Lincs. if there is sufficient interest
Fee: £72
WORD, SCEPTRE AND SAINTHOOD
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE ROYAL PICTURES
Special Spring Term
How does the largest and most outstanding private collection of art in the world illustrate the evolution of the monarchy over 500 years into our modern era ?
Like any family album, the paintings they collected and commissioned reflects what British rulers have done, what they looked like but also how they wished to be remembered and what they most valued.
This short course pays homage to the genealogy of our late Queen Elizabeth II
January 5th 2023
at Swaffham Prior Village Hall 11.15 a.m. - 3.45 p.m.
Like any family album, the paintings they collected and commissioned reflects what British rulers have done, what they looked like but also how they wished to be remembered and what they most valued.
This short course pays homage to the genealogy of our late Queen Elizabeth II
January 5th 2023
at Swaffham Prior Village Hall 11.15 a.m. - 3.45 p.m.
bottom of page