Lectures & Events
The Society runs a series of lectures on Wednesday evenings between September and June. The lectures frequently coincide with exhibitions running in the major London galleries.
Lecture Programme
All Lectures will take place at 7:30 pm. Seven lectures will be at Duke Street Church Hall, Duke Street, Richmond TW9 1DH (rear entrance in side road), conveniently located near to Richmond station, with three taking place on zoom. Lectures are included with membership for members. £5 payable for guests per lecture.
2022-23 Lecture Programme
21st September
Cornelia Parker
An introduction to the English visual artist, born 1956, known for her sculpture and installation art. The Tate have an exhibition dedicated to her work until 16 th Oct 2022.
Lecturer: Janeen Haythornthwaite
19th October
Milton Avery
A lecture looking at the American modern painter, Milton Avery (1885-1965) known for his use of colour and rejection of strict realism. Considered one of North America’s greatest 20 th century colourists. (RA exhibition 15 July to 16 Oct 2022)
Lecturer: Ben Street
(Zoom lecture)
16th November
Cezanne
A talk adding further insight into the ground-breaking and prolific painter, Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) well known for his still lifes, landscapes and paintings of bathers. The lecture coincides with the Tate exhibition from 5 th Oct to 12 th March 2023.
Lecturer: Dr Kathy McLauchlan
7th December
Winslow Homer
A second American painter in this series, known for his landscapes particularly marine subjections and for American Realism. (1836-1910). The National Gallery will have an exhibition of his art shown for the first time in the UK from 10 th Sept 22 to 8 Jan 2023.
Lecturer : Brian Healey (NG exhib)
(Zoom lecture)
18th January 2023
Making Modernism
A talk looking at the pioneering women working in Germany in the early 1900s: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Kathe Kollwitz, Gabriele Munter, Marianne Werefkin. In conjunction with the exhibition at the RA from 12 th Nov 2022 to 12 Feb 2023.
Lecturer: Clare Ford-Wille
15th February 2023
Lady of Cao, Peru
A lecture on what could be described as the female Tutankhamun- a Moche mummy discovered at the archaeological site of El Brujo in 2006 estimated to have died in about 450CE.
Lecturer: Professor Maria Chester
(Zoom lecture)
15th March 2023
Landscape, Poetry and Power
British Neo Romantic Painters and the 2 nd World War. The British Neo-romantic painters of the mid 20 th century, including Piper, Sutherland and Craxton,
form a bridge between the landscape traditions of the 18 th century and the art of today. The talk examines their creation of a British landscape that became vitally important to Britain’s self image during WW2.
Lecturer: Jo Walton
19th April 2023
The Road to Abstraction
Kandinsky’s journey towards non-figurative art ends with complete abstraction, as does that of fellow artists Malevich and Mondrian. Critical light is currently being shone on earlier precursors of abstraction: Georgina Houghton and Hilma av Klint whose work we will also look at in our departure from the direct transcription of the everyday into a world of the spiritual.
Lecturer Lucrezia Walker
17th May 2023
Picasso and his women
A lecture looking at how Picasso’s emotional life influenced what he painted and how he painted it with a focus on the 7 most important women in his life (two of whom he married). Picasso :1881-1973, 2023 being the 50 th anniversary of his death.
Lecturer: Frank Woodgate
21st June 2023
Lucian Freud: the Art and the Man
Lucian Freud has painted some of the most powerful paintings of the modern era. The talk will examine these but also look at his extraordinary and often volatile life, consorting with both dukes (and of course duchesses) as well as down-and-outs and criminals. He was admired by many of his models, mistresses and numerous children, but also famously fell out with a lot of his closest associates.
Lecturer: John Iddon