Programme of Lectures 2011/12
March 12th Shirley Smith.
Leonardo at the Court of Milan
Shirley Smith graduated from the University of East Anglia
with a first class honours degree in the History of Art, specialising in the Italian and Northern Renaissance. She is
a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a part time lecturer for
the University of East Anglia and the department of Continuing Education at Cambridge. She runs study days and certificate courses as well as residential courses. She also lectures for the Art Fund and individual clubs and societies. She is very keen to set the art and architecture of the period in the context of the society for which it was produced.In 1481 Leonardo da Vinci wrote offering his services to Ludovico Sforza, the powerful ruler of Milan. Having listed his expertise in designing war machines, bridges and excavating equipment, he added that in times of peace he could pass muster as a painter. Fortunately he was given a chance for
his painting of the Last Supper, the Virgin of the Rocks and
his stunning portraits of Ludovico’s family, mistresses and
court are amongst the most famous works of art of all time.
In her lecture Shirley Smith will study these works of
Leonardo and explain how they pushed the boundaries of
art to a new level.
April 16th Peter Medhurst.
Music and the Arts of early 19th Centry Germany.
May 14th Frances Hughes.
Dickens and the Theatre: A Circle of Fire.
June 11th Andrew Davies.
Old Father Thames: The River in Art.
July 9th Gijs Van Hensbergen.
Gaudi: Sinner or Saint?.
All Lectures begin promptly at 2pm.
These monthly lectures arranged usually on the second Monday of each month in the Fairfield Halls in Orpington accessible from the railway station. If you are interested you are welcome to try one of our lectures without joining, just paying £3 for the visit.
Lectures
Meetings
