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