2012 Does Art Reflect the Society of its time? 2011
The illuminated Scenes of Winter
Leonardo: The Man. (Exhibition: Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery)
How Printing Killed the Illuminated Manuscript (Exhibition: British Library - Royal Manuscript: The Genius of Illumination)
Elizabeth I & Nicholas Hilliard. How Hilliard created the brand of Gloriana.
The Rise of the Cult of Celebrity. A look at how the rich and powerful marketed themselves.
Pugin: Life & Times
The Gothic Revival, or why the Victorians went mad for the pointed arch!
Reliquaries & Veneration. (Exhibition: Treasures of Heaven, British Museum)
Why did 15th C wealthy patrons commission Altarpieces, who were they, what subjects did they want & who did they commission to paint them? (Exhibition: Devotion by Design: Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery)
The History of Photography and photojournalism.
Post Modernism & the Las Vegas Manifesto - an overview of the art and architecture of the latter part of the 20th century. (Exhibition: V&A Post-Modernism: Style & Subversion 1970 - 1990)
Surrealism: A look at the art work inspired by dreams and how the work of the surrealists influenced and continues to influence artists of the 20th century.
The Life & Works of Joan Miro: (Exhibition: Tate Modern.)
Modernism & International Modernism - an overview of what constitutes these artistic movements in art, furniture, architecture and objects of desire.
Nymphs & Shepherds Come & Play: The life and work of Jean Antoine Watteau (Exhibition: RA Sackler Wing. The drawings of Jean Antoine Watteau: Virtuosity & Delight)
An examination of the styles known as Baroque & Rococo
The Life & Work of Aubrey Beardsley
The Aesthetic Movement - an overview of this Victorian artistic movement. (Exhibition: V&A: The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860 - 1900.)
Differences between Northern European & Italian Renaissance painting. How to read a Renaissance Painting (Exhibition: Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery: Jan Gossaert’s Renaissance.) But Is it Art? A group discussion and survey of what the Ashtead Art Lovers thought of what constitutes Art. Analysis to be published later in the year. 2010 Botticelli: La Primavera & Others. Do his paintings hold secrets or are they just decorative? Canaletto and The Grand Tour: (Exhibition : Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery)
The Glasgow Boys. (Sackler Wing : Royal Academy)
Gauguin & The South Seas: an exploration of the life & works of Paul Gauguin (Exhibition: Tate Modern )
John Singer Sargeant (Sackler Wing : Royal Academy)
Caravaggio - Saint or Sinner?
The Life & Work of Van Eyck
Regency Buck - a background talk before a trip to Brighton
The Life & Works of Artemisia Ghentileschi
Degas & The Dancers
The Life & Works of Vermeer
Robert Mapplethorpe - photographer
Henry Moore (Exhibition at Tate Britain)
2009
Fashion Photography
Donatello -v- Michelangelo
Michelangelo & Pope Julius II
Turner
Fiore de Henriquez - 20th C sculptress
Van Gogh - (Main Gallery : Royal Academy)
The Futurists (Exhibition at Tate Modern)
The Marketing of Monarchy - Henry VIII & Hans Holbein
The Impressionists and Snow
JMW Waterhouse (Exhibition : Sackler Wing, Royal Academy)
Wild Thing - the work of Eric Gill, Jacob Epstein & Gaudier Breszka (Sackler Wing : Royal Academy) 2008
Van Dyck (Exhibition at Tate Britain)
Donatello
The Renaissance Portrait (Exhibition : Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery)
The Role of the Society Photographer
The Lure of the East (Exhibition at Tate Britain)
Origins of the Tudor Artists
The da Vinci Code
Renaissance Siena : Art for a City (Exhibition : Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery)
Annie Leibowitz (Exhibition: National Portrait Gallery)
Nicholas Hilliard
2007
Lee Miller (Exhibition at the V & A)
John Millais (Exhibition at Tate Britain |