The Art Society lectures
Renoir and the Depiction of Love in Paris
Pierre Auguste Renoir is a central figure in the development of French Impressionism and among the most celebrated artists of the 19th century. Today, however, his paintings have suffered from mass reproduction. Challenge this overfamiliarity by exploring Renoir’s work afresh, focusing on vibrant portrayals of friendship and love within the dynamic context of modern Paris.
New Visions: the City and Impressionism
Explore images of Paris seen through the artistic lens of Manet, Renoir, and Caillebotte. You will learn how and why the transformation of urban life was an inspiring theme, leading them to develop new motifs and experimental painting techniques that created a new pictorial language.
Mary Cassatt: Painting in Paris
Discover how Mary Cassatt - the only American artist to exhibit with the French Impressionists - broke the mould to create idiosyncratic paintings and prints. Despite the limitations placed on 'respectable' women, learn how Cassatt produced groundbreaking work which significantly influenced the development of modern art.
How to Look Slowly: Impressionism
When we look slowly at an Impressionist painting, touches of paint, punctuations of colour and the varied textures and brushstrokes come alive. Looking at a small selection of works, with particular attention to the innovations of the style, you will develop visual analysis skills and tools for looking.
How to Look Slowly: Post-Impressionism
Can we ever really 'know' a painting fully? What might we gain if we look again - but slowly - at a familiar picture? Discover how to rejuvenate your interest by developing a curious eye and tools for looking, which will reinvigorate your experience of seeing paintings by Van Gogh and Seurat.
The Barbizon Painters: The Forest Pioneers
In the early decades of the 19th century, artists travelled to the Forest of Fontainebleau to immerse themselves in nature and respond to the region's varied motifs. We will explore how painters including Rousseau and Millet, as well as early photographers, responded with new and influential approaches to picture making.
Sargent and the Fashioning of Modern Portraiture
How did John Singer Sargent manipulate fashion in order to create compelling portraits? And how did he harness art of the past as well as that of the avant-garde to depict not only the sparkle of jewellery and the tactility of fabric, but to convey the status and identity of a palpable, living sitter?
The Artist and his Model: Whistler and Joanna Hiffernan
Whistler’s innovative work resists straightforward interpretation. Discover the role of Joanna Hiffernan in his art and life. Was she simply his model and lover? Or could she have been an essential collaborator who influenced his artistic vision, assisting Whistler in his development of a new pictorial language?
Berthe Morisot: Impressionist Innovator
With her innovative use of colour, fluid brushwork, and attention to fleeting moments of daily life, Berthe Morisot stands as a defining figure of French Impressionism. Examine how her luminous works capture the subtle complexities of life and female experience in 19th-century Paris.
Neo-Impressionism: Radical Painting in Paris
What is Neo-Impressionism? Explore the innovative techniques used by Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, and Théo van Rysselberghe and consider the potential political implications of their work. Special focus will be on Seurat’s Le Chahut, which captures the exuberance of Parisian can-can dancers using audacious dots of pure colour.
Vuillard and the Reinvention of ‘Home’
In the late 19th century, Édouard Vuillard created small-scale, richly patterned depictions of domestic interiors. These modest, often claustrophobic scenes display innovative use of paint and colour, along with a fascination with distortion and abstraction. Uncover how Villiard disrupts traditional expectations of domesticity with tension and energy.
Breaking the Mould: Suzanne Valadon
Born to a working-class, single mother in Montmartre, Paris, Valadon modelled for artists including Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec. Her bohemian lifestyle and exposure to avant-garde art inspired her to become an artist, cultivating a bold and provocative style. Explore how Valadon radically reimagined the subject of the nude, portraying women as complex, self-possessed individuals.